The durian (Durio zibethinus) is often dubbed “king of tropical fruits” and a native of Southeast Asia. The name “durian” was derived from the Malay word for thorns, duri. The renowned naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, said this about the fruit: “It is like a ...
The cultivated mango (Mangifera indica Linn.) originated in the Indo-Burma region, and it has been grown in India for the last 6,000 years. It is an important commercial crop not only in India, but also in Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, ...
Said to be the largest fruit in the world, the jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is an indigenous fruit tree of South India which is popular in the Southeast Asian region. The jackfruit’s appearance is similar to that of the cempedak, a fruit that also belongs ...
The belimbing (Averrhoa bilimbi), which belongs to the Oxalidaceae family, is a tropical fruit native to Malaysia and Indonesia. The fruit is important locally for its medicinal uses and as an ingredient in Malay cooking.
Watermelon (Citrullus sp.), a tropical fruit, belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. The flesh is in shades of either red or yellow, and even white. Popular for its sweet and juicy flesh, the fruit is thought to have been first cultivated in Egypt more than 5,000 ...
Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola), or Carambola, is a tropical fruit native to the Malayan archipelago and belongs to the family Oxalidaceae. With its sweet-sour taste, the starfruit is a popular fruit in Singapore, most often eaten raw. The starfruit displays a star ...
The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. It is grown widely in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The crop is also found in certain parts of India and Sri Lanka where conditions are favourable. The dark ...
The dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is a tropical fruit that belongs to the climbing cacti (Cactaceae) family. Widely cultivated in Vietnam, the fruit is popular in Southeast Asia. Apart from being refreshing and tasty, it has been noted that the dragon fruit ...
Cempedak (Artocarpus integer), also spelt “chempedak”, is a tropical fruit from the Moraceae family. It can be found in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Cempedak is similar to the jackfruit in appearance as well as in the way the fruit is used. ...
Flamingo lily (Anthurium andraeanum) is a tropical flower popular for its beauty. It belongs to the family Araceae. The flower has a spadix called the rat's tail that tapers off from the flower, giving it its characteristic appearance.
The papaya (Carica papaya) is widely distributed in most tropical countries and islands, where it thrives in the warm climate. Papaya plants are extremely common in Singapore and are often cultivated in private gardens. In 1993, special stamps featuring the papaya, ...
Ciku (Manilkara zapota), a tropical fruit tree also commonly known as sapodilla, belongs to the family Sapotaceae. Various species are grown and used worldwide for different purposes. Due to the fruit’s resemblance to a pear, it was also called Manilkara achras, ...
Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a tropical fruit belonging to the family Sapindaceae. The word rambutan is derived from the Malay word rambut which means “hair”, a reference to the numerous hairy protuberances of the fruit. The fruit is often red but sometimes ...
Water Chestnut (Trapa natans), an aquatic plant, belongs to the family Trapaceae. It is not to be confused with another aquatic plant of tather similar name, Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) of the family Cyperaceae, which is a popular ingredient in Southeast ...
Dennis Bloodworth (b. 24 May 1919, London, England – d. 14 June 2005, Singapore) was a veteran journalist and writer who wrote extensively on the political developments in Southeast Asia and China.
Gurkhas have their roots in Nepal. Reputed for their fearless military prowess and loyalty, the Gurkhas in Southeast Asia were initially brought to Singapore as special soldiers on the payroll of the British Army. Today, the Gurkha Contingent is a unit in the Singapore ...
Sepoys were Indian soldiers employed within European military garrisons to provide the much-needed manpower for the defence of European colonies in Asia. The term "sepoy" is derived from the Persian word sipahi, which had been translated into the Urdu and Hindi ...
The Maghain Aboth Synagogue, which translates to mean “Shield of our Fathers”, is the oldest surviving synagogue in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Situated at 24/26 Waterloo Street, the synagogue was built in 1878 and gazetted as a national monument on 27 February ...
Dengue or dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection characterised by the sudden onset of fever for three to five days and symptoms such as intense headaches, muscle and joint pain, rashes, and bleeding from the nose, gums and under the skin. Dengue is primarily ...
The People’s Park Complex is a high-rise mixed-use building in Chinatown, Singapore. Completed in 1973, it is a landmark project in terms of architectural design and boasts a number of superlatives, including being the largest shopping complex in Singapore and ...