The Wasteful Cost Of 'Perfect' Veggies

Suppliers call it the “princess vegetable” for its notoriety as a difficult crop to grow. Kailan, or Chinese broccoli, a staple in Chinese cooking, costs 39% more on Singapore shelves than it did 10 years ago. Farmers in Malaysia say that Singaporean standards of "pretty” – large, deep green leaves without holes – is partly why. Pek Ong & Sons Nurseries in Cameron Highlands has spent over US$330,000 upgrading its operations, fertilisers and pesticides, and still they throw out 300kg of kailan every day that doesn’t make the cut. Talk about #foodwaste. In addition, strict rules on pesticide residue levels by the Singapore Food Agency means Malaysian farmers are less keen to export produce. But does “Grade A” kailan taste any better than “Grade B”? Chef Ming Tan of Jam at Siri House, who hosts the programme #ForFoodsSake, puts it to the taste test. For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER!    / cnainsider   Season two of “For Food’s Sake!” returns with more stories, factors and events behind price hikes of some of our most common food items. Watch the full episode: https://cna.asia/2n62jH4 Follow CNA INSIDER on: Instagram:   / cnainsider   Facebook:   / cnainsider   Website: https://cna.asia/cnainsider