• The plant’s scientific name is Pandanus amaryllifolius. Its leaves resemble orchid leaves – long and sword-like with parallel veins.
• The pandan plant is believed to have originated from the Moluccas, before spreading to other parts of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.
• Pandan leaves have many culinary uses. In Malay, Indonesian and Peranakan cuisines, they impart a sweet and fresh fragrance to many dishes. Their juice can be extracted to be used as food colouring. Pandan leaves are also used in traditional medicine to relax the muscles, activate meridians and relieve heatiness.
• Pandan chiffon cake, a favourite among Singaporeans, gets its fragrance, flavour and colour from pandan leaves.

The Peranakans love to mix chilli into traditional Hokkien cuisine, add pandan leaves and coconut milk to cakes and desserts, and substitute ingredients in traditional Malay dishes to make them taste more like Chinese cuisine. (Lianhe Zaobao, 3/9/2000)