CNN Lists Cendol in World’s Top 50 Best Desserts But Says It’s From Singapore

We are often spoilt for choice when it comes to satisfying our sweet tooth since there are so many types of desserts out there. Since we have tropical weather here, it can get rather hot in the afternoon so we love to cool off with an ice cold bowl of cendol, which is a super famous dessert here in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Recently, CNN Travel released a list of 50 of the world’s best desserts after travelling around the world and one of the items on the list is cendol – that sweet treat all Malaysians know and love. However, they listed the country of origin as Singapore and this didn’t go down well with many Malaysians. Don’t mess with our food okay!

CNN Travel describes it as “iced coconut milk sweetened with a palm sugar syrup, with tender threads of green rice-flour jelly coloured with pandan juice.” They did add that this cool treat could be found all over Southeast Asia but chose Singapore’s version because they added a scoop of sweetened red beans inside. Eh, we also got leh! 

Other popular desserts we’re familiar with that made it to the list include egg tarts from Hong Kong, Japanese cheesecake, Gulab Jamun from India, deep fried sesame balls from China, snow ice from Taiwan as well as mango sticky rice and tub tim krob (crispy rubies) from Thailand.

While the origins of cendol are not confirmed, there have been reports that it either came from Malaysia or Indonesia. In a report by iFood, the word “cendol”  appears for the first time in the Malay concordance project which was published in 1932.

Netizens were shocked by the mention of cendol from Singapore on the list and said that the writer should have tried some of our famous cendol from Penang, Melaka or other places. A few of them who are living in Singapore said the cendol in Malaysia tastes better and that many Singaporeans would fly over to Malaysia to eat the local cuisine here.

What do you think? Where is the best cendol you have ever eaten?

 

Also read: Malaysia’s Pandan Cake Listed in CNN’s World Cakes, But They Think It’s from Singapore Too