The Mandarin term “罗杂” is the transliteration of the Malay word rojak, which originated from the Indonesian rudjak.

Rojak originated from Indonesia. The main ingredients of Indonesian rojak are fruits and vegetables.

When rojak was first introduced from Indonesia to Penang, in order to appeal to diners from all backgrounds, the local Teochew hawkers added Peranakan ingredients such as torch ginger flower and Chinese ingredients such as dried tofu and fried dough sticks. Rojak was later brought to Singapore, where it gradually underwent further changes to suit the local palate.

After the Second World War, Teochew hawkers in Singapore went around selling iced dishes and sweets. However, due to fierce competition, some hawkers switched to selling rojak. As a result, Chinese-style rojak started to gain popularity. 

Rojak is made by adding shrimp paste to a large bowl, and adding a few drops of hot water, chilli, tamarind (also known as asam), water and lime juice to soften the paste. After stirring the mixture to form a thick paste, ground peanuts and mashed ginger flowers are added to make the rojak sauce. Cucumber, pineapple, turnip, bean sprouts, water spinach (kangkong), fried dough sticks and dried bean curd are then added to the sauce and mixed thoroughly before serving.