Wet Market to Table A Modern Approach to Fruit and Vegetables

Celtuce? Fingerroot? Tatsoi? If you've never heard of these produce names, local chef Pamelia Chia is here to help.

Wet markets promise charm and authenticity that supermarkets and online grocers cannot replicate. Local chef Pamelia Chia explores uncommonly used vegetables, fruits and herbs found in Singapore wet markets, using over 80 recipes to bring out their unique flavours and textures. Writing in a frank and easy-to-read manner, Pamelia shares stories from wet-market vendors, memories of grocery shopping with her mother and how each ingredient inspires her to push the boundaries of local cooking.

“What a brilliant book! It resonates with me for many reasons — the primary one being Pamelia Chia’s ability to take some humble ingredients and give them twists that are both refreshing and original.”
—Tony Tan, culinary teacher, chef and author of Hong Kong Food City

“Not only does it lift the lid to some less-understood vegetables widely seen in local wet markets, Chia also shares cross-border recipes that offer insights into how these vegetables can be used in Western and Asian kitchens alike. Even for regular wet market users, this book promises to broaden their horizons.”
—Evelyn Chen, food and travel writer, former editor of Zagat Singapore

"In an age of ultra-convenience we have sacrificed good eating because of the fear that working with unprocessed ingredients is an insurmountable task. Pamelia eases you into it with little nuggets of very useful information about the vegetables and how to use them in a wonderfully simple way. She makes cooking fun again."
—Chef Darren Teoh of Dewakan, KL, Malaysia

"What a wonderfully relevant achievement! A wet market cookbook is a useful resource to novice and experienced market-goers alike, celebrating Singapore’s rich cultural diversity in tasty and useful ways.”
—Ivan Brehm, chef-owner of Nouri

“The fact this author mentioned about how intimidating it is (for a newer generation) to shop at wet markets is, in a way, a silent death knell for this aspect of our food culture. But if you don’t put your foot in, you won’t know just how friendly and warm wet markets can be ... Society still needs them.”
—KF Seetoh, Makansutra

"I was upset when I first picked up this book – upset that I didn't write it. Having read it, I realised there is no way I, or anyone else for that matter, could have done a better job. Pamelia's infectious love for the wet market and passion for cooking with local ingredients shine through page after page. Thank you for writing this gem of a book."
—Willin Low, chef-owner of Relish by Wild Rocket