Spymama @ Mamakshop

What can be the perfect accompaniment to the cup of hot kopi and kaya toasts?

Half boiled egg, of course!

This is something that had been part of the breakfast set in a local kopitiam. In western countries, eggs are also a popular breakfast item. How do the locals in Asian countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia eat their half boiled eggs? Contrary to western culture, they use the little saucer instead of the egg cup. The egg is cracked onto the saucer once it is nicely boiled according to one’s preference. Some prefer their egg whites a little translucent whereby some prefers it more opaque. I like mine to be a little more than half boiled, whites opaque and yolks slightly less runny.

What does one put into the egg (Seasoning)

Pepper (and salt) for western culture (or you may correct me, I could be wrong)
Pepper and dash of light Soya Sauce (In Malaysia)
Pepper and dark Soya Sauce (In Singapore)

Any more ideas? I like to dip my toasted bread onto the egg like that the kids do to their Oreos. Dunkin’ if that’s what it meant. Yummy and I’ve practiced this since young. When I dip my toasts into the eggs (lightly seasoned), I prefer not to have kaya (egg jam) but just buttered toast is good enough.

Kaya Toast. This is generally a breakfast item. Mostly taken in the mornings for breakfast but now with many Kaya toast outlets mushrooming, one can certainly enjoy it throughout the day and night. It has become a pop culture, as a matter of fact.

Kaya is an Asian Egg Jam. The ingredients are coconut, sugar/caramelised sugar, eggs and stirred over slow simmering heat. In the olden days, many folks used charcoal and slaved away taking effort for this egg jam. My aunt, who was Hainanese, makes a mean Kaya. The traditional way of Kaya Toast starts with toasting the thick cut bread over grills on charcoals. Once it is golden brown, butter is sliced into thick cuts and placed over the toasts on one side. Kaya jam is then spread over the other side and a nice fragrant yummy Kaya Toast is born.

My dad used to bring me to an old coffeeshop. In Penang, coffeeshops are commonly called Kopitiam. Kopi = Coffee, Tiam = Shop, hence kopitiam. A kopitiam is a casual food outlet that can be found in many places in Malaysia and Singapore. In the old coffeeshop, he would order Kopi Or (Black local coffee) and he’d order kaya toasts for me. I love the taste of crispy toasted bread that is still warm and when you bite into it, the butter just oozes out.

The other type of kaya toast that is common is the crispy brown kaya toast. The bread is brown and when it is toasted, a knife is used to sliced each piece into a much thinner toast. 2 normal slice of toast will yield 4 crispy toasts. As with the traditional toasts, butter slices and kaya makes up the sandwiches. Although these are very popular, I still prefer my toasts thick and crispy on the outside yet soft and warm inside.

Coffee is a global favourite beverage. Brazil is among the top producer in the world for coffee beans. There are many types of coffee available. The variations are Turkish Coffee, Vietnam Coffee, Indonesian Kopi, French Lattes, all American gourmet coffee and the local coffee tarik in Malaysia and Singapore too. Here is a picture of traditional looking coffee served in Malaysia and Singapore. Local Coffee is called Kopi and it is roasted, grinded and the typical local ones is Wok-fried with some Margarine or Butter for it’s fragrance. It is very dark, almost black in colour.

Kopi and it’s Local Terms
Kopi is a typical cup of Kopi you get to drink in Kopi Tiams (local names for coffee shops). This is mixed with some condensed milk and some sugar.

Kopi Kosong means black coffee without sugar.

Kopi Si means replacing the condensed milk with evaporated milk (is creamier).

Kopi Or is black coffee with sugar.

In a kopi tiam, you can order customized coffee like less sugar, more sugar, more diluted, more concentrated and etc. Just inform the bloke that takes your order when you are seated down in the coffee shops. Coffee shops mean the local food shops that is open, casual and has stalls with different food vendors.