Singapore’s pandan cake craze is going global. Meet the family that sparked a spongey revolution
CNN
Meet the family behind Bengawan Solo, the company that helped popularize pandan chiffon cake
A fluorescent green cake has become a daily staple in Singapore. Locals grab a slice of the ring-shaped pandan chiffon cake on their way to work or pick up an entire one for friends’ birthday celebrations. The light, fluffy cake gets its color and subtle grassy vanilla taste from the tropical pandan plant, which is believed to have originated in Indonesia’s Moluccas Islands, and has been used in cooking for hundreds of years. In Singapore, pandan chiffon cakes started appearing in the 1970s, says local food historian Khir Johari. Today, the dessert is ubiquitous in the city, appearing everywhere from mom-and-pop bakeries to upscale restaurants. One particular family-owned bakery helped take the cakes citywide, Johari adds. “I made it popular in Singapore,” says Anastasia Liew, who in 1979 founded the first Bengawan Solo cake shop, a small neighborhood store. “Sorry, we’re not very modest,” chimes in her son Henry, a company director, with a chuckle. Anastasia initially sold cakes she baked at home but had to open a shop to meet the licensing requirements to sell to department stores. Today, Bengawan Solo has more than 40 shops across the city of six million people.
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