We noted an interesting article by Helen Puttick in the Times, March 25th, 2019. It is reported that cannabis extract cannabidiol (CBD) could be used to treat a wide range of ailments from arthritis and anxiety to Parkinson’s disease, according to a world-leading expert on cannabis, Professor Roger Pertwee. This would be good news for […]
Syzygium polyanthum, common names Indonesian bay leaf in English, serai kayu in Malay is a mildly aromatic species of a wild flowering plant native to South East Asia under the Myrtaceae family. The plant is called by various names in Indonesia and Malaysia. In Indonesia its other names are daun salam, meselengan, ubar serai, gowok, […]
We had a short trip to Perlis last weekend. During this period, the mango trees, named sweet and fragrant mango (harum manis in Malay) are flowering profusely now. The sweet and fragrant mango fruits will be ready to be plucked by May, 2019. Be sure to visit Perlis during that time. Perlis shares its border […]
Nasi dagang, “trader’s dish” is a dish of rice and curry. Ubiquitous in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is a popular meal for breakfast as “nasi lemak” is in the west coast. It can even be found in the Southern Thai provinces of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani. Nasi dagang or “trader’s rice” in […]
The US Plant Based Food Association (PBFA) reported growing consumer interest in vegan alternatives to traditional foods. Plant-based meat had reached sales of US$670 million in 2017, showing that plant-based food industry has gone from a relatively niche market to fully mainstream. PBFA also adds that plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are not just for […]
A good indicator whether a niche market has become mainstream is to look at the merger and acquisition activities. In the last few years, major food companies have acquired growing companies in the meat alternative sector. According to livekindly.com, in 2016, there were just four global plant-based acquisitions, whereas there were seventeen in 2017.Some notable […]
The Rantau Abang beach in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia , is one of the few places on earth that the giant leatherback turtles (leatherbacks) choose to come ashore to nest. Once, they helped put this normally quiet small village on the world map. Tourists, foreign and domestic as well as locals flocked by the […]
Honey of the stingless bees is a sweet, viscous food substance produced by stingless bees from floral nectar. It is quite similar to honey from the common honey bees (genus Apis) in most aspects but with its own distinctive physicochemical profiles, minerals and bioactive compounds. There are more than 500 species of stingless bees worldwide. […]
PWC, the global auditing company, regularly issued reports under the title, The World in 2050. The latest report, The World in 2020: The long-term view-How will the global economic order change by 2020? was published in February, 2017. The report showed some interesting highlights. Among the highlights are: Other than the usual countries of China, […]
We noted a new health drink in a recent article in The Times of London on December 29th, 2018. Non-alcoholic beer has become a health drink for fitness enthusiasts in Germany. The health benefits of beer are derived from the use of hops (hop flower) in making beer. The hops are what make beer taste […]