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.
By opening her restaurant, Farina, chef Monika Turasiewicz decided to bring to Kraków what had enchanted her most in France – the bright lightness of the cuisine from the country’s Southern climes and its exquisite seafood. With her gentle preparations of ingredients, she delivers the concept entirely in her own personal way.
A lively, authentic restaurant that enthrals guests with its creative dishes prepared with fresh ingredients sourced from the neighbouring Dolac Market.
Ring in the auspicious year of the dragon — symbolising power, luck, and success in traditional Chinese culture — with these abundant poon choi pots and prosperous yu sheng platters from MICHELIN establishments in Singapore.
Designed to cater to a myriad of travellers, Singapore's selection of MICHELIN Guide hotels showcases state-of-the-art features, which astute travellers will definitely appreciate. Best of all, these hotels are also accompanied by an indulgent gastronomic scene. Here are 10 MICHELIN Guide hotels that are also home to MICHELIN Guide restaurants.
In the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023 selection, 5 new restaurants are awarded One MICHELIN Star, and 19 new establishments are awarded a Bib Gourmand. Keen to try them all? Keep this handy cheat sheet in your back pocket — complete with inspector notes. What a food trip you'll have!
As the one-Michelin-starred Rhubarb turns five this year, its chef-owner reflects on what it takes to run an independent fine-dining establishment in cutthroat Singapore.
Singapore's public parks like the one at Ann Siang Hill are little-known treasure chests for cooking enthusiasts, where you can forage for ingredients.