Mina is from Hong Kong, where her family is in the restaurant business. With this background, it is hardly surprising that she enjoys cooking and does it well. Since moving to Singapore many years back, she has been making these one-of-a-kind herbal buns at home. Strongly believing in the health benefits and good taste of the herbal buns, Mina wants to share them with more people. Initially, she made them for her friends and neighbours during celebrations. Gradually, with their encouragement, she also started to sell the herbal buns at a nearby kueh kueh store.

Mina shared that the herbal bun skin is made from a mixture of glutinous flour and the leaves of a greenish plant Paederia Foetida (Chinese Fever Vine/Stink Vine). When bruised or cut, raw Paederia Foetida leaves tend to be stinky (hence the name). But interestingly, the unpleasant stinky sulphur smell disappears after cooking.

ln addition, as the leaves cooks, the green colour will turn into black to give the cooked crystal buns a classy black appearance. So there are no additives or colouring added! Cool right? Do you think this can join the ranks of colour changing drinks as a trendy food?

Beneath the colouring changing exterior, the herbal crystal buns are filled with a tasty fragrant fried mixture of Chinese mushrooms, fresh turnip and quality dried shrimps flavoured with Hong Kong style seasoning. I personally enjoy the herbal crystal buns very much since they remind me of my favourite Mang Kuang Kueh (Turnip Dumpling). However, the crystal bun has a thinner and chewier skin, more flavourful fillings and a cooler look.

And that’s not all! According to Mina, due to the presence of Paederia Foetida, her crystal buns supposedly also help to lower cholesterol, relieve indigestion and constipation, etc. Since I am no nutritionist or herbalist, I will leave you to Google and make a decision on the medicinal benefits of the Paederia Foetida plant on your own. But taste-wise, I think these Herbal Crystal Buns will not disappoint especially if you like kuehs. Other than the Herbal Crystal Buns, Mina also sells home made Radish Cake, which I have yet to try. If you tried, let me know what you think!