Teochew treats on SIA flights

COLD crab, pig trotter jelly, and hei chor or prawn rolls - now you can have these iconic Teochew delicacies while up in the air onboard selected Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights.

The airline is offering Teochew cuisine, on top of its usual food offerings, from now till February 2017.

The Teochew dishes are in line with the airline's Deliciously Wholesome dining programme.

Richard Neo, SIA's manager for inflight services, food and beverage, says that Teochew cuisine is light, and the most healthy out of all the Chinese cuisines.

His team, together with chefs from SATS who cook meals for the airline's passengers, visited several renowned Teochew restaurants to decide on the menu.

Dishes were recreated in the SATS kitchen, and the chefs had to keep in mind that some flavours would change when the meals are served in the air.

At 30,000 feet, taste buds and the sense of smell are the first things to go, which explains why airline food usually tastes bland.

The SATS chefs had to make sure that while Teochew cuisine is already light on its own, it had to be tasty when served onboard.

Recipes had to be tweaked, and the process took about nine months to complete from concept to the final product.

Sharp-eyed passengers may notice that the pig trotter jelly looks much darker than what is normally served at restaurants.

Mr Neo explains that the stock used had to be reduced to ensure the dish still tastes authentic, hence the darker shade of jelly.

And in the case of orh nee, the creamy yam paste dessert, shallot oil was used instead of lard, to ensure that the taste would not change even onboard.

Other Teochew favourites for First and Business Class passengers include steamed pomfret and braised duck, and even the classic Teochew porridge with braised cabbage and salted egg.

Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers will not be left out either. They can enjoy braised duck with egg, beancurd and preserved vegetables, with steamed rice, as well as a cheng tng dessert, served as a jelly.

Last year, to fete Singapore's 50th birthday, the airline served Peranakan fare onboard.