Siap was originally a Hokkien word, corresponding to the Mandarin se (涩), which means astringent. Siap is commonly noticed in unripe fruits like persimmons and strawberries, or the skins of fruits such as grapes, blueberries. It also occurs in tea, coffee, red wine and chilli, where it’s generally regarded as an unpleasant characteristic. In foods, siap often combines with bitterness and/or sourness, rendering them doubly unpalatable.
The science of siap
A siap taste boils down to the presence of tannins in a food, which bind to the proteins in our saliva, producing particles that increase friction on the tongue surface, while thinning out the remaining saliva and making it less lubricative.
Unripe fruits such as persimmons are rich in free tannins. As these fruits ripen, the tannins bind together in long chains, and are no longer able to interact with saliva. This is why ripe fruits lose their siap quality, although some - like cranberries, the epitome of siap - are destined to remain so.
How do you avoid it?
Know the recommended steeping time (and temperature!) for each type of tea - steep it for too long your tea for too long, and more tannins than necessary will enter the brew, making it siap. Tannins dissolve into coffee and tea at the highest rates around 80°C, which makes cold brewing an excellent choice for avoiding the siap taste.
Swirling or decanting very tannic wines reduces their siap quality by dissolving oxygen into the wine, which then oxidises the tannic acids, taking the edge off their astringence.
Usage
It’s usually reduplicated, as in: “This is the worst kopi-O ever, siap-siap and watery.”
Written by
Stephanie Lim
A writer by trade and cook by necessity, Stephanie Lim has lived and cooked in Australia, London, India and Singapore. She is also co-founder of Treebubs, an outdoor Mandarin school for tots. Her most demanding job yet is training her three-year-old sous chef and one-year-old chef de partie.
In São Paulo, home to the largest Japanese diaspora outside of Japan, Japanese cuisine has thrived like few other places in the world. Here, The MICHELIN Guide highlights the restaurants leading this remarkable culinary movement.
Arco by Paco Pérez, where Mediterranean flavours meet Polish ingredients, has been awarded its first MICHELIN Star, marking a milestone for fine dining in Pomerania.
Claypot cooking in Malaysia and Singapore is a soulful, slow-burn art, where earthy claypots cradle fragrant rice, tender meats, and rich broths, allowing flavours to meld into something deeply comforting. The gentle heat from the clay intensifies the ingredients, creating a meal that's both humble and extraordinary, steeped in tradition and warmth.
For authentic hawker food at a prime location in the heart of town, these two hawker centres can’t be beaten — and they’ve got the crowds of office workers and tourists alike to prove it.
Speed, sumptuous accommodations, and satisfying meals await at these MICHELIN restaurants and hotels with a sky-high view of the proceedings at the Formula One 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
As enticing as Singapore's savoury offerings may be, the Lion City also has some of the best and unmissable dessert options for the sweet-lover. Here are some must-try desserts when one is visiting Singapore.
This National Day season, peel back the layers behind the popular sweet-and-savoury local breakfast of kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi to uncover Singapore's heritage.
From fine dining spots to luxe entertainment and ritzy hotels, the Lion City does indeed live up to its reputation from the 2018 romcom for those with the moolah to experience it.
283 locations comprise Singapore's 2024 MICHELIN Guide selection, embracing a multitude of cuisines and dining formats. Four restaurants are newly awarded One MICHELIN Star, bringing the total of MICHELIN Starred restaurants in Singapore to 51. Lastly, the second MICHELIN Green Star in Singapore is awarded this year, emphasising the commitment to sustainability of one new restaurant.
11 new establishments are awarded a Bib Gourmand recognition in the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2024, making a total of 81 Bib Gourmand addresses in the Lion City.
Dating back to pre-independence Singapore, the sprawling landmark of the country’s Little India district offers intrepid diners a colourful mix of multiethnic hawker eats.