• The term “satay” is said to come from the Tamil word sathai, which means “flesh”. It is believed that satay originated in Java, and that the recipe for cooking satay was introduced into Singapore by Arabs or Muslims from India, while the Portuguese introduced the sauce into Singapore from India. Satay is usually eaten together with cooked compressed rice called ketupat, a local Malay dish. The coming together of these multicultural components encapsulates Singapore’s unique food culture.

Various types of satay are available here, including chicken, mutton and beef satay. There is even a mushroom satay suitable for vegetarians. (Lianhe Zaobao, 7/6/2019)

烤肉串 (Mainland China)

• The Hokkien words for “three pieces” sound like the pronunciation of satay, leading some people to believe that the name originated from Hokkien. However, as satay is not originally a Chinese dish, it is quite unlikely that the word comes from Hokkien.