In this show, Bobby Chinn explores all things sweet. He explains how in Asia, people prefer fresh fruit over pastries and other types of desserts, and how traditionally sweets are enjoyed as a snack.
We find Bobby in the popular East Coast Park. With the beach as his backdrop, he cooks Mango Sticky Rice as his first dish of the day. Sticky rice is the base of a good number of the region's sweet snacks.
Next, we take a break from our beach location and travel to Everton Park where Bobby meets some grannies who make another popular and colourful sweet: Kueh. These Peranakan and Malay rice cakes are an integral part of Malaysian and Singaporean festivities. Traditionally, Peranakan girls were trained on the art of making Kueh, a skill they believed would lead to a better marriage.
Back on set and for our second dish Bobby razzles up a Sweet Banana and Coconut Tapioca Soup. During this preparation, Bobby  highlights how sweet soups are popular in most Asian countries. They can be hot, warm, room temperature, or chilled, depending on the season. And, they make for a wonderful sweet snack.
After this we explore colonial influences on Asian sweets. Then, Bobby shows us a simple and effective technique to prepare a delicious and healthy dessert. All you need for this is a barbecue or grill and lots of fresh fruit. Finally, as the days draws to an end, Bobby gets inspiration from the Indian subcontinent for his final dish - Carrot Halva - a rich and heavy on ghee dessert in complete contrast with the light and subtle flavours of south east Asian sweets. |
