New books on Islam in Southeast Asia

ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute has published a number of books about Islam in Southeast Asia this year.

Islam in Southeast Asia: Negotiating Modernity, edited by Norshahril Saat, Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, covers recent trends affecting Islam in the Malay world.

"Islam in the Malay world of Southeast Asia or Islam Nusantara, as it has come to be known, had for a long time been seen as representing the more spiritual and Sufi dimension of Islam, thereby striking a balance between the exoteric and the esoteric. This image of 'the smiling face of Islam' has been disturbed during the last decades with increasing calls for the implementation of shari’ah, conceived of in a narrow manner, intolerant discourse against non-Muslim communities, and hate speech against minority Muslims such as the Shi’ites. There has also been what some have referred to as the Salafisation* of Sunni Muslims in the region. 

"The chapters of this volume are written by scholars and activists from the region who are very perceptive of such trends in Malay world Islam and promise to improve our understanding of developments that are sometimes difficult to grapple with," said Professor Syed Farid Alatas, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS). Saat is also Adjunct Lecturer with the Department of Malay Studies, NUS. 

Source: ISEAS. Cover, Islam in Southeast
Asia.

"Perceptions of Southeast Asian Islam are increasingly contested. On the one hand, much of the international community continues to laud the region’s Muslims as among the most 'moderate' and 'inclusive' in the world.

"On the other hand, stories about creeping Wahhabism and escalating jihadist threats abound in media reporting, often accompanied by commentary that the nature of Southeast Asian Islam is becoming more radical, less tolerant and more 'Arabised'.

"In this volume, a range of Muslim scholars and activists from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore reflect upon developments in their communities and seek to bring greater nuance to our understanding of these complex religio-cultural and political changes.

"This book opens up authentic regional perspectives on Islam’s contemporary role," said Associate Professor Greg Fealy, Department of Political and Social Change, Australian National University.

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The State, Ulama and Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia by Saat, was also launched recently. Published by the Amsterdam University Press/ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, the book examines the extent to which official ulamas in contemporary Indonesia and Malaysia capitalised on their co-optation to ‘capture’ the states. An ulama is a group of Muslim scholars who are recognised for their specialised knowledge of Islamic sacred law and theology.

In response to the Islamic resurgence of the 1970s and beyond, the Suharto (1966–1998) and Mahathir (1981–2003) governments undertook massive Islamisation programmes in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively. This included co-opting influential religious scholars into state-sponsored institutions.

In 1975, Suharto formed the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI); while in the 1980s, Mahathir upgraded the Malaysian National Fatwa Council (JKFMKI), JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) and IKIM (Malaysian Institute for Islamic Understanding). The ‘official’ ulamas, defined by the book as the religious scholars who participated in these institutions, were expected to support the states’ ideologies in exchange for reward and recognition. The author discusses societal actors’ ability to influence laws, policies, and the distribution of resources in their favour.

Hamka and Islam: Cosmopolitan Reform in the Malay World by Khairudin Aljunied, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, NUS, is published by the Cornell Southeast Asia Program/ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. 

Hamka or author Haji Abdul Malik bin Abdul Karim Amrullah is one of the most influential of Muslim reformers who have been campaigning for a total transformation of the ways in which Islam is imagined in the Malay world. 

In Hamka and Islam, Aljunied employs the term “cosmopolitan reform” to describe Hamka’s attempt to harmonise the many streams of Islamic and Western thought while posing solutions to the various challenges facing Muslims. Among the major themes that Aljunied explores are reason and revelation, moderation and extremism, social justice, the state of women in society, and Sufism in the modern age, as well as the importance of history in reforming the minds of modern Muslims. 

Pancasila and the Challenge of Political Islam: Past and Present compares and contrasts Islamism against Pancasila, or cultural pluralism. Islam is an important symbol in post-Suharto Indonesia, and has been used as an effective tool to undermine political rivals. Political figures or parties feel they cannot afford to be seen to be against the religion or be considered unfriendly to it.

Leo Suryadinata, who is Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, argues that the future of Pancasila depends on whether the Indonesian government and other pluralist forces are able to control the Islamists and provide political stability and economic development in the country.

Details:
Buy Hamka and Islam: Cosmopolitan Reform in the Malay World (139 pages)
Softcover, ISBN: 978-981-4818-84-1, S$29.90
The ISEAS edition is for distribution in Southeast Asia.

Buy Islam in Southeast Asia: Negotiating Modernity (252 pages)
Softcover, ISBN: 978-981-4786-99-7, S$35.90
Chapters of the book are available as PDF downloads from S$7.

Buy Pancasila and the Challenge of Political Islam: Past and Present (20 pages)
Softcover, ISBN: 978-981-4818-67-4, S$9

Buy The State, Ulama and Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia (254 pages)
Softcover, ISBN: 978-981-4818-83-4, S$35.90
The ISEAS edition is for distribution in Southeast Asia.

*Salafists advocate a return to the traditions of the first three generations of Muslims. There is a range of beliefs and practices among Salafists. Some are non-political, some are political, and a minority believe in violence and terrorism as a means to an end.

Shapes and meanings: Islamic calligrams in Southeast Asia

Calligrams, or figurative calligraphy, refers to calligraphy in which the letters also form images. In a recent talk at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, Dr Farouk Yahya, Leverhulme Research Assistant in Islamic Art and Culture at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, explained that calligrams have been used for devotional and talismanic purposes in various parts of the Islamic world, particularly Iran, Ottoman Turkey, and India.

Source: Wikimedia Commons. An example of a
lion of Ali, titled "Ismal lion" and contributed by
Ishvara7. 

The author of Magic and Divination in Malay Illustrated Manuscripts and Editor of The Arts of Southeast Asia from the SOAS Collections focused on two types of calligrams found in Southeast Asia in his talk, the "lion of Ali" and a ship featuring the seven sleepers of Ephesus*, a legend also related in the Quran.


The lion of Ali, better known as the tiger of Ali in Southeast Asia, is a calligram in the form of a large feline. It is usually associated with the Prophet Muḥammad’s (ﷺ) cousin and son-in-law Ali. While the calligram was first known as a lion, tigers are the major predators native to Southeast Asia and the calligram of the large cat eventually became known in this part of the world as a tiger instead, said Dr Farouk. This is especially so in Cirebon in Indonesia, and Kelantan in Malaysia.

The tiger calligram is typically created with the Arabic script of the Quranic verse 61:13 (نَصرٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتحٌ قَريبٌ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ المُؤمِنينَ), translated by Sahih International as "Victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers". Arabic is read from right to left, and Dr Farouk demonstrated how the the verse often began from the eye of the animal.

Asked if the reference to Ali could be a Shia practice in a predominantly Sunni Southeast Asia, Dr Farouk said that Ali reflected respect towards the Prophet's family and acknowledgment that Ali was one of the four caliphs who ruled after Muhammad. "Ali is also found in Ottoman times, and [the Ottomans were] Sunni," he said. "It might connote Sufism." Ali is often considered the father of Sufism.

Tiger calligrams also had a heraldic use. The state flag of Kelantan from 1912 to 1923 uses an animal calligram featuring the "victory from Allah" verse, ending in a mention of the rajah at the tail area. The same calligram is on the Sultan's personal banner, in yellow, versus a blue version for the state. Dr Farouk noted that these particular calligrams were inspired by animal calligrams on the doors of the Sultan's predecessor's palace, and noted that these calligrams are themselves very similar to the lions of Ali in Ottoman times.

A later phrase used in calligrams was "qauluh al-haq wa kalamuh as-sadq" (قل الحق و كلماة الصادق), loosely translated as "I say and write truth", as observed by Annabel Teh Gallop and E Ulrich Katz in The Legacy of the Malay Letter, Dr Farouk said. The phrase used to be common at the beginning of a letter written in Malay.

The calligrams were not just used for personal protection but for protecting assets as well. Dr Farouk shared calligrams used to protect bulls used in bull-fighting in the hope that they would win the fight. The calligrams would be written on leaves which were then consumed by the bulls.

A calligram in the shape of a paddle-steamer from Cangking, Indonesia, 1866, that is in the Bodleian Libraries collection was shared by Dr Farouk.

Calligrams in the form of a ship featuring names of the seven sleepers of Ephesus and their dog were used as talismans that bridged travel between the physical and spirit worlds, Dr Farouk said. They were also thought to prevent ships from sinking, and to ensure safe arrival of letters. These were influenced by Persian, Indian and Ottoman models. According to Dr Farouk, the Prophet Muhammad is said to have said that writing the names of the seven sleepers in the form of a ship calligram will ensure that the ship will not sink. In the story the seven youths are said to have been from the port city of Ephesus (present-day Selçuk in Turkey), falling asleep in a cave and waking up centuries later.

Dr Farouk concluded that the power of figural and zoomorphic calligraphy is widespread, with calligrams also found in other scripts and used by non-Muslim populations. Studying them helps to understand how designs are used in a region, how and why motifs travel, and why designs are important in certain areas, he said.

Explore:

The form of the Malay letter from the 16th century (Malay)

*There are variations in the stories but they all agree that there were seven young men who refused to renounce Christianity and were sealed up in a cave. In one variation the cave was unsealed many years later and the youths were discovered to be sleeping, waking as if they had only slept overnight. They woke up at a time when the resurrection after life was being debated, proved they were who they said they were and shortly after went back to sleep permanently. 

In the Quran, surah al-Kahf (the cave) mentions a number of men (three to seven) who went to sleep in a cave together with a dog. They awake centuries later and one of them is told to go into town but to be discreet about it (ayah 18:19). He is to be careful because their religion will be disputed, but more context is provided by the Ephesus story, which is considered biblical apocrypha today.

Asia Pacific region dominates in halal food demand

The global halal food market is anticipated to reach US$2.55 trillion by 2024, driven by the rising demand for the consumption of halal meat. The growing awareness of halal food and its positioning as hygienic and healthy food among both Muslim and non-Muslim* community is expected to drive the demand over the forecast period, Hexa Research has said.

The leading markets are Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, which have a considerable concentration of the around 1.8 billion global Muslim population as of 2015. The Asia Pacific region has the highest market share in terms of revenue (US$594 billion) and is projected to maintain its dominance in the market over the forecast period (2014-2024), the consultancy said. A growing Muslim population, especially in India and Indonesia, and the more awareness among consumers in the region from countries such as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines are expected to drive the market over the forecast period.

The absence of a uniform halal standard across countries makes it challenging for vendors to get their products halal-certified. Hexa Research says there is a need for oversight on the halal food industry considering the halal meat scandals in Europe and North America regions.

Processed food & beverages dominated the market, contributing US$836.6 billion in 2016. This segment is expected to maintain its leading position over the forecast period as well. The food & beverage segment is followed by the baked products segments and confectionery segments. Over the forecast period, baked goods are expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% with an increasing demand for ready-to-eat and packaged products such as cookies, doughnuts, savoury pastries, pretzels, biscuits and cakes. 

Some of the leading players operating in the halal food market are Al Islami Foods, QL Foods, Saffron Road Food, Dagang Halal, Janan Meat, Kawan Foods, Cargill, Prima Agri-Products, Nestle and Cleone Foods. Over the past few years, fast food chains such as KFC and McDonald's have started providing halal certified products to widen their customer base, Hexa Research said.

Hexa Research also put the global halal market at 1.8 billion Muslims as of 2015, and said halal demand has gone beyond consumable products to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and service sector components such as marketing, logistics, and packaging.

Source: Hexa Research. Global halal food revenue, by end use, 2014-2024, in US$ billion.

Details:

Buy the Hexa Research Halal Food Market Size and Forecast, By Application (Processed Food & Beverages, Bakery Products and Confectionary**), and Trend Analysis, 2014 - 2024 report. 

*This is often repeated but non-Muslims typically express no interest in whether there is halal certification for a product because it is more hygienic or healthier. They will buy a product because it is positioned that way irrespective of whether it is halal. They are interested however in whether there was cruelty to animals involved and may buy a halal product because it has not been tested on animals.

**sic

Halaltrip's top 10 destinations for travel include five in APAC

Source: Halaltrip blog. Tourist attraction in Seoul, South Korea.

Halaltrip, whose mission is to become the trusted trip advisor for Muslim travellers worldwide, has come up with top 10 destinations for Muslims in 2017, half of which are in the Asia Pacific region.

In No. 2 place is Seoul. "Travelers should drop by the beautiful Gyeonbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village and observe Hanok architecture," states a blog post on the destinations. Halaltrip also says that there are dining options for halal food, and a few mosques including the Seoul Central Mosque.

Kyoto is No. 4. "Travellers can take a day out to the bamboo forest of Arashiyama for a morning walk through the serene greenery that surrounds you," Halaltrip suggests. The company has a list of halal outlets as well as Muslim-friendly eateries for Kyoto.

No. 6 is Wellington in New Zealand. "With a relaxing environment surrounded by interesting galleries, charming cafés and a great view of the natural harbour - Wellington is one of the best vacation spots for 2017," states Halaltrip. "Wellington is also known for some great eating outlets with a number of restaurants serving halal food and a few mosques in convenient locations."

Seventh is Taipei, Taiwan. "Taipei is one of the busiest cities that is also an interesting place where cultural and historical landmarks and unique attractions can be found," notes Halaltrip, which also says that the Taipei Grand Mosque is a historical landmark.

In eighth place is Xian in mainland China. "Also home to the popular attraction – terracotta warriors – the Muslim quarter in Xi’an boasts a wide variety of authentic halal Chinese food that you will not be able to find anywhere else," Halaltrip advises. The Xi’an Great Mosque is the largest mosque in China, the company adds.

Interested?

Halaltrip's blog has also been introducing halal-friendly dining options to readers, including:

• The top 10 Muslim-friendly places in Chennai, India
• Five halal breakfast/brunch spots in Singapore 
• Five attractions to see in Taipei in Taiwan (and what's halal nearby)
• Best five halal coffee shops in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Halaltrip also has an app for Muslim travellers on iOS and Android

Starbucks brings Teavana beverages to Asia Pacific

• Iced and hot tea beverages with layered flavours now handcrafted at Starbucks stores
• With the launch across Asia, Teavana beverages and teas are now available in Starbucks locations around the world

Source: Starbucks. Starbucks Teavana comes to Asia Pacific outlets.

Starbucks Coffee Company has introduced Starbucks Teavana as a core offering in more than 6,200 stores across its 16 markets in the China and Asia Pacific region. A new brand for Starbucks in Asia, Starbucks Teavana handcrafted beverages and full leaf tea sachets offer unique iced and hot tea beverages with layered flavours, handcrafted by Starbucks.

“The launch of Starbucks Teavana in China and Asia Pacific brings an entirely new and modern tea experience specifically developed for our customers, who increasingly want new and different tastes and experiences,” said John Culver, Group President, Starbucks Global Retail. "This is a tremendous opportunity to leverage the company’s expertise in creating best-in-class retail experiences, handcrafting customised beverages, and sourcing the finest ingredients, to become a leader in a new category for us. Just as we’ve done for coffee, this is tea reimagined at Starbucks.”

Tea is a US$125 billion global category and is the second most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. The launch of Starbucks Teavana is the first time Starbucks has launched a brand on this scale since 2008 with the launch of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew.

With Starbucks Teavana, Starbucks also draws on its long heritage of commitment to using only the most premium, high-quality ingredients. Leveraging deep relationships with tea growers, Teavana sources the world’s highest-quality teas and botanicals. Starbucks sourcing and blending experts cup (taste) hundreds of teas daily to select only the finest teas for Starbucks Teavana.

Starbucks Teavana will be available in stores across all its markets in the China and Asia Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Availability of Starbucks Teavana offerings will vary by market. The beverages have been specifically developed for Asian customers.

Source: Starbucks.
Matcha & espresso fusion.

Matcha & espresso fusion
Matcha powder layered with milk and Starbucks signature espresso roast creates a layered beverage that combines coffee and tea, to be enjoyed hot or iced.

Starbucks Teavana full leaf tea sachets for hot tea include:

Black teas

English breakfast – A handcrafted blend of Indian Assam, Sri Lankan Ceylon and Chinese black tea.

Chai – A tea blend with ginger and black pepper, cardamom and sweet cinnamon notes.

Green teas

Emperor’s clouds and mist – Exclusively harvested during the month of April and grown on the steep, windy slopes of Huangshan Mountain at 3,500 ft above sea level, this tea has a rich body and is naturally sweet.

Mint citrus – This refreshing blend combines green tea, lemon verbena, tropical lemongrass, and US Pacific Northwest sourced spearmint for a citrus green tea experience. Chun Mee (珍眉, precious eyebrows) is the green tea base for this blend.

Herbal teas

Mint blend – This tea’s spearmint base is rounded out with peppermint notes and undertones of lemon verbena. The mint leaves come from the highly sought after Pacific Northwest mint, known for its high amount of mint oil.

Chamomile – The chamomile used for this soft, soothing floral blend is from Croatia.

Labuan IBFC begins ASEAN roadshows with session on shari'ah-compliant solutions

Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (Labuan IBFC), Asia Pacific’s midshore international business and financial centre, has launched a series of roadshows across ASEAN.

The Labuan IBFC ASEAN Roadshow 2016 will visit key countries in ASEAN and, for the first time will include events as well as closed door briefings in the emerging economies of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. The roadshows have kicked off in Jakarta, Indonesia, will continue through till end-July.

“Our approach to the roadshow this year is distinct as we are targeting business owners in the region looking to internationalise or even regionalise their businesses. We believe that with as businesses embrace higher tax transparency requirements, it would be natural for them to consider to establishing substance in a well-regulated jurisdiction facilitate cross border transactions and investments.” said Danial Mah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, Labuan IBFC.

He went on to state that the roadshow will also focus in meeting the wealth management needs in the region, adding that as ASEAN has a large Muslim population, the Jakarta chapter of the roadshow focuses on shari'ah-compliant wealth management solutions.

Themed Innovative Solutions towards Islamic Wealth Management the kickoff masterclass was aimed at Indonesian service providers, intermediaries and high net worth individuals who are looking to better understand shari'ah-compliant wealth management offerings, wealth preservation and succession planning solutions.

Mah, who is also the Deputy Director General of Labuan FSA, said, “What makes Labuan IBFC different is that it was established with the main aim of intermediating crossborder trade and investments in the region. The expectations are that intra-Asia and ASEAN trade and investments will grow, and there is a need for a well-regulated jurisdiction in the region able to facilitate these trades and investments. ”

The masterclass included a presentation on the Labuan International Waqf Foundation, a shari'ah-compliant wealth management tool, which incorporates the element of waqf* (وقف‎) in its structure.

Labuan IBFC is the only jurisdiction in the region offering foundation structures including Islamic foundations with waqf elements built in.

The event also included a panel session titled Opportunity and Challenges: Islamic Wealth Management in Asia with Dr Aida Othman, Director at ZICO Law Shariah Advisory Services, Maikel Sajangbati, CEO and Founder of MaeSa Consulting Indonesia as well as Aderi Adnan, Business Development Director of Labuan IBFC.

The panel focused on the new Islamic wealth management environment in light of more stringent global regulatory requirements, evolving Islamic wealth management strategies amidst changing family legacy mindsets, experiences and cultural differences in Asia.

Interested?

View event details


*Waqf refers to a donation made for a religious, educational or charitable cause.

posted from Bloggeroid

FHA2016's Halal Supermarket offers quick sourcing for halal products

A Halal Supermarket debuted at the premium Food&HotelAsia2016 (FHA2016) regional trade event. Created by organisers Singapore Exhibition Services in conjunction with halal ecosystem provider DagangHalal, the open-plan supermarket was billed as a one-stop area to source for quality halal-certified food and beverages. The area was staffed by representatives from DagangHalal who could offer expert advice on obtaining halal certification.

The Halal Supermarket, situated outside the FoodAsia2016 halls, showcased a number of halal cooking ingredients and finished products as well as beverages, together with product-linked QR codes, namecards and brochures for easy follow-ups.

The extent of the Halal Supermarket - nine three-level shelves.

Omni Mal Agencies sells dates and date products in handy, hygienic packaging. The company offers organic dates, dates with cornflakes, date syrup, and dates coated with black cumin seed oil as some of its innovations. The Malaysia-based agency also exports around the world. 

Arborea full cream milk is from Arborea, Italy.

Litat Import & Export featured jams and spreads as well as beverages. The company is best known for its Ice Cool range beverages, which range from coffees, energy drinks, carbonated beverages, aloe vera juice in different flavours, sports drinks, milkshakes, coconut juice in different formulations, fruit juices, soluble fibre drinks, as well as soya milk. Ice Cool Asian specialty drinks range from wheat grass and traditional herbal tea, to wintermelon tea and bandung (rose-flavoured milk).  

Koka noodles from Tat Hui Foods is positioned as the healthier noodle choice as they contain no trans fats, MSG, preservatives, or artificial colouring. Since 2002, Tat Hui has invested S$10 million in R&D, new production facilities and equipment for fat-free instant noodles, fat-free noodle snacks, gluten-free rice noodles, low fat, reduced carbohydrate and high fibre instant noodles.

Indoguna is about providing quality foods. The company announced Indoguna Productions FZCO in Jebel Ali, UAE in 2013, and the halal-certified food processing plant was formally launched in 2015. Indoguna Productions FZCO manufactures Asian dim sum, value-added canapés, finger foods, sausages and hams, targeting markets in the Middle East, Asia and eventually Europe under the Carne Meats by Indoguna and Masterpiece by Indoguna brands. The Carne Meats halal butchery and charcuterie range includes veal, lamb, poultry and beef.

Anods Cocoa from Sri Lanka produces premium white, dark and milk chocolate buttons in both couverture and compound chocolate; ice cream coatings, biscuit coatings, and chocolate slabs. 

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on Epson's next-generation mobility and payment solutions at FHA2016

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about:

Office pantry ideas from FHA2016
The FHA2016 roundup
Epson hospitality and retail solutions at FHA2016

New food launches at FoodAsia2016

How Singapore food manufacturers strategise for success

What's new at FHA2016

Read the Suroor Asia blog posts about:

The Halal Supermarket at FHA2016

Halal products at FHA2016

Announcing the Halal Supermarket at FHA2016

Hashtag: #sghalal

posted from Bloggeroid

On the halal food and beverage trail at Food&HotelAsia2016

Trails were introduced for the first time at the premium Food&HotelAsia2016 (FHA2016) regional trade event, covering dairy, gelato/ice cream, packaging equipment, productivity boosters and halal food and beverages. The self-guided trail of halal food and beverages, created by organisers Singapore Exhibition Services in conjunction with halal ecosystem provider DagangHalal, included a list of exhibitors with halal products sorted by hall location as well as a directory of halal certification bodies.

The global halal opportunity (excluding Islamic finance) is estimated to be worth US$2.3 trillion, and growing 20% a year, an annual value of US$560 billion, according to the authors of the food trail, with 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide are growing increasingly affluent and looking for halal food and beverages. The demand for halal products and services has also expanded beyond F&B to pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health products, toiletries, and medical devices, all the way to finance, logistics, marketing, media, packaging and branding.

At FoodAsia, many exhibitors displayed halal logos prominently, or had halal-certified goods on show: 

One of the more interesting displays was from Seng Hua Hng Foodstuff, responsible for the Camel Nuts brand. The booth had a camel statue standing on a bed of its snacks welcoming visitors. Rival Tong Garden was also at the show.

Goh Tiong Wee, head of Nuhoney, holds up a can of the sparkling honey beverage of the same name. Nuhoney is made in Singapore from Australian honey and was developed in conjunction with Singapore Polytechnic's Food Innovation & Resource Centre. The centre's services include developing functional foods, natural alternatives for food additives, reformulating foods to reduce fat, salt and sugar, process optimisation as well as sample preparation at trade shows and business events.

MyBizcuit is from Malaysia. The company launched golden cheese tart and choco peanut bar snacks in value packs at the show. The snacks will soon be available as convi packs, in the golden cheese tart (Golden), peanut crunchy bar (Peanut), Belgium choco (Bellco) and melting almond (Almento) flavours. Also new were Mas Bear Danish cookies in a tin that are packaged in a gift box.

Kayamila, which also had space at the Halal Supermarket outside the hall, features traditional kaya - a sweet coconut milk based paste eaten with bread - in different flavours. From kaya expert Fong Yit, the Kayamila brand was developed in response to changing consumer demand. 

“In recent years, consumers have become more adventurous and creative, trying non-conventional ideas for their food choices. We have seen traditional breakfast spreads turned into ingredients for everything from baking desserts to cooking a main course. Kaya has to evolve too, and  Kayamila is taking that first step," said Goh May San, Marketing and Research Manager for Fong Yit, at the launch of the brand in February. 

Kayamila is available in the original flavour, called Original Coconut Kaya (a rebrand from XO Kaya; left), as well as Sea Salt Caramel (second from left), Vanilla Pandan (third from left) and  Calamansi Citrus (fourth from left). Kayamila products contain no preservatives and artificial colouring. The products are retailing at S$3.50 each and are available at Fairprice, Sheng Siong and Prime supermarkets from April 2016 onwards.

CS Tay is offering fresh portobello mushrooms airflown from Thailand. The mushrooms are grown without pesticides and do not have preservatives. 

Sealed, ready to eat cups of corn may soon be in NTUC supermarkets and Cheers convenience stores in Singapore, said a spokesperson at the CS Tay booth. The corn, from Thailand, keeps for two years in cool conditions. The packaging has an easy-open lid and a built-in spoon, so consumers can eat the corn straight from the cup if they wish. 

Pure Eddiction makes gourmet cakes, pastries and breads for the food service industry and also has a central kitchen creating products to customers' specifications. It has since expanded into processed meats and soups. Pure Eddiction moved its production kitchen in 2005 to within the Singapore Changi Prison Complex as part of the Yellow Ribbon project to rehabilitate inmates. 

Cones, cups and ice cream - Oishi International had it all: Red velvet (left) and charcoal waffles in the foreground, and from left in the back, chocolate, buttermilk and green tea waffles. 

Cones, cups and ice cream - Oishi International had it all: from 12 o'clock, the buttermilk, red velvet, chocolate, charcoal and green tea cups.

Cones, cups and ice cream - Oishi International had it all: its super premium ice cream contains about 20% fat, and melts slowly. Its gelatos are 6% to 9% fat. Oishi's ice creams are created to feature 3D shapes on the surface, and meant for ice cream parlours. Oishi also sells display showcases.

Egokoro Trading featured halal gyoza aji in three flavours at its booth. Other halal products  at its booth included pasteurised crab from Viya Crab Products of Thailand; Hikari miso soup; Chitsuruya Enterprise's seaweed, Kochi Ice ice cream in green tea, yuzu sorbet and sea salt flavours, as well as green tea from Miyama Green Corporation. 

BoBo offers different kinds of chicken-based meats.

BoBo also has seafood-based foods such as fishballs and rolls.

Prawn & water chestnut rolls are new at BoBo. The products were introduced early in 2016.

Cooked fish noodles are also new at BoBo. The products were introduced early in 2016.

Sincere Food Investment Group features seafood and premium halal dim sum. It also makes Japanese mousse in different flavours. Frozen seafood was on display at its booth. 

Kim Yam Trading's Bumimas brand includes frozen french fries among other savoury frozen foods. The Bumimas portfolio of frozen and chilled products includes sweet corn, French fries, beef balls, ice cream, ice cream cones, as well as various breads like the Chinese steamed mantou bread and the Indian roti paratha.

Bumimas had frozen fried ice cream as well as more traditional 'potong' ice cream.

Source: Tan Seng Kee Foods (TSK). TSK is known for its Kang Kang (康康) fresh, preservative-free shelf-stable noodle range. The company is launching Express Meal Kits, which incorporate its noodles together with sauces for laksa, curry mee and the non-spicy prawn mee. All products are halal and have a shelf life of a month. The Express Meal Kits also appeared on Halal Supermarket shelves.

Tan Seng Kee Foods rolled out its Kang Kang (康康) Express Meal Kit at the show. The halal kits incorporate fresh, pasteurised noodles and spice pastes for quick meals. The preservative-free products have a shelf life of 30 days in ambient conditions, and can last for up to six months if chilled. A QR code on the packaging leads to a video with preparation instructions.

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on Epson's next-generation mobility and payment solutions at FHA2016

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about:

Office pantry ideas from FHA2016
The FHA2016 roundup
Epson hospitality and retail solutions at FHA2016

New food launches at FoodAsia2016

How Singapore food manufacturers strategise for success

What's new at FHA2016

Read the Suroor Asia blog posts about:

The Halal Supermarket at FHA2016

Halal products at FHA2016

Announcing the Halal Supermarket at FHA2016

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Food&HotelAsia to host a Halal Supermarket this year

Ting speaks at a media preview for FHA.

Food&HotelAsia (FHA), Asia’s largest and most comprehensive food and hospitality trade exhibition and conference event, will host its first Halal Supermarket as part of FoodAsia.

Ting Siew Mui, Project Director, Lifestyle Events, Singapore Exhibition Services, said that the Supermarket is jointly organised with DagangHalal, a Malaysian marketplace featuring halal products and services. Delegates will be able to source for halal-certified ingredients and supplies at the Halal Supermarket as well as learn more about halal certification.

Ting noted that the term 'supermarket' should not be taken literally. "It's to give a taste what it can be if we were to use that area to help buyers to identify halal products in the show," she said. "The focus is really on highlighting the exhibitors from different countries who are selling halal products. It is basically a showcase of some of the exhibitors, not all of them; we hope to have people go to the exhibitors' booths as we will be producing the trail."

Self-guided trails, to be introduced for the first time on various themes of interest, will include one for halal food & beverages to include exhibitors whose products are halal certified but which not be in the Halal Supermarket.

Ting also shared that the Halal Supermarket is not focused on the Middle East market, but on the high demand in Southeast Asia. "We are surrounding by countries who are consuming a lot of halal food... that's the reason our manufacturers are doing (halal certification)," she said. "It's a trend that we have to move towards. (With) the affluence of the countries around us, they will be buying more and consuming more."

"There is a definite increase in the demand for halal products," Lee Yee Fung, Group Director for Lifestyle Business at International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, agreed. "(Singapore companies) are already halal certified and looking to see where the other markets are. Hopefully it will generate even more traction for our companies."

Sunny Koh, Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) Deputy President and Chairman of the SMF Food & Beverages Industry Group, added that 70 to 80% of Singapore food exhibitors are halal certified. "The Singapore market is by nature very small. You must be halal certified to be a supplier for a lot of food services," he said.

Certified courses to be conducted at the event include those from the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). In addition to barista skills and brewing courses, a Sensory Judge Course, Sensory Skills (Foundation Level) and Roasting Skills (Foundation Level) certifications are offered at FHA. New tea certifications available include Global Tea Menu and Hands-on Basic Tea Blending.

Today, FHA encompasses FoodAsia, Bakery&Pastry, HotelAsia, HospitalityTechnology, HospitalityStyleAsia and SpecialityCoffee&Tea, occupying all 10 halls at Singapore Expo. Country pavilions include those from Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, and Turkey. About 3,300 exhibitors from 70 countries and regions will be housed in 103,000 sq m of exhibition space.

Prima Taste is introducing wholegrain LaMian (noodles) in laksa and curry flavours. The steamed noodles are made with  51% Superfine Wholegrain flour, and come with Prima Taste paste. The halal-certified packs do not contain added MSG  or preservatives, and have no artificial colouring or flavouring. Typical instant noodle packs offer fried noodles and powder-based seasoning.

Masarang Forest Sugar from Straits Wholefoods is a low-glycemic, organic sugar from Sulawesi rainforests. The sugar is derived from the sap of male flowers from the wild Arenga Pinnata tree, which has deep roots and prevents soil erosion. The sugar is dehydrated with geothermal heat, making it particularly eco-friendly, and comes from the Masarang Foundation, which aims to save rainforests and wildlide in Asia. The sugar is said to have a creamy caramel taste that enhances foods and beverages (Editor's note: The sugar has a subtle fragrance that will definitely add a hint of depth to coffees and teas). 

Source: Tan Seng Kee Foods (TSK). TSK is known for its KangKang (康康) fresh, preservative-free shelf-stable noodle range. These all-natural and preservative-free pasteurised fresh noodles have a shelf life of three to four weeks without refrigeration, six months in chilled conditions and 12 months if frozen. The company is launching Express Meal Kits, which incorporate its noodles together with sauces for laksa, curry mee and the non-spicy prawn mee. TSK has established itself as a trusted halal whole plant and noodle manufacturer and distributor. Its rice-based noodles are also certified gluten-free. The company has launched and exported products to the US, Europe, Hong Kong and Middle East markets.

Fischeon is a halal, fish-based take on what is popularly known as luncheon meat in Singapore, and spam in the west. The newest Fischeon member is otah flavoured. Traditional otah is fish meat mixed with spices and tapioca flour, wrapped in banana leaves and and grilled over a charcoal fire. The canned version can be eaten straight out of the can or fried, just like normal otah (Editor's note: both fried and ready-to-eat versions have the otah texture, but the ready-to-eat version retains the lemongrass fragrance much better). The plate of nasi lemak to the bottom left features two slices of fried Fischeon otah and a slice of ready-to-eat Fischeon otah in between them. Fischeon comes from Thong Siek Food Industries, which also manufactures the DoDo brand of prepared foods. 

The DoDo brand recently launched bamboo charcoal and matcha fishcake angles, which are bouncy triangular chunks of pre-cooked fishcake. 

Bakery products specialist BHF's Simon Tay says that rather than vie for attention in the Halal Supermarket, the company will showcase products at their own FoodAsia booth. This allows the full range of products to be seen at their best against the full complement of advanced equipment that will be installed at the booth. BHF is halal, ISO 2200 and HACCP-certified, and more than doubled its volume of production in 2014 after automating processes.   

Interested?

FHA2016 will run from 12 to 15 April 2016 at Singapore Expo (Halls 1 to 9 Annex) from
10am – 6pm (12 – 14 April 2016) and 10am – 4pm (15 April 2016)
The event is open to business and trade professionals only

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post on what's new at FHA

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about Neo Group's investment in Thong Siek.