Homemade Kaya (Coconut-Egg Jam)

If we have minatamis na bao, Singapore and Malaysia have kaya: a sweet, creamy coconut-egg custard perfumed with pandan leaves. Kopi tiams (coffee shops) slather it between charcoal-grilled bread as kaya toast, with soft-boiled eggs and a cup of kopi waiting on the side.

Kaya is readily available in Singapore and Malaysia, but not so much in the Philippines. Good thing you can make it from scratch in 15 minutes, and it comes out just as great, if not better!

Local Coconut Jam vs Kaya

Local coconut jam or coco jam is also called matamis or minatamis na bao. In Tagalog, bao (pronounced ba-o, with two syllables) means "coconut shell".