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Kaya toast

Kaya toast is a dish consisting of two slices of toast with butter and kaya , commonly served alongside kopi and soft-boiled eggs. The dish was believed to be created by Hainanese immigrants to the Straits Settlements in the 19th century while serving on British ships. In Singapore and Malaysia, the dish is commonly consumed for breakfast or as a late afternoon snack. It became integrated into coffeeshop culture, being widely available in eating establishments such as kopi tiams, hawker centres, food courts and café chains such as Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Killiney Kopitiam and Breadtalk's Toast Box. It is believed that Hainanese immigrants created the kaya toast by adapting what they had previously prepared while serving on British ships docked at ports during the Straits Settlements period. The kaya spread was considered a replacement for Western fruit jams. The Hainanese eventually settled in Singapore and opened kopitiams (coffee shops). Established in 1919 as Kheng Hoe Heng Coffeeshop, Killiney Kopitiam is one of the oldest coffee shops in Singapore specialising in the dish. Kopitiams started becoming a common sight in Singapore after the Japanese occupation around 1945, when rental for commercial spaces were affordable. Mostly set up by the Hainanese, these kopitiams specialised in selling coffee, tea, cakes as well as making their own kaya.

Source: Wikipedia

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