Kue talam — Jakarta, Indonesia

Kue talam is a steamed snack cake made from rice flour, coconut milk, and other ingredients, set in a mold called a talam, meaning tray, which gives the cake its name. It typically has two layers: a savory, creamy white top made from coconut milk, and a colored, sweeter bottom flavored according to the variant, most often pandan, yam, or palm sugar. It is reported from Jakarta and is found in many regional variations across Indonesia and beyond, including Betawi, Minang, Malay, Batak, Sundanese, and Javanese versions, as well as across Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei; a related cake, introduced by Sino-Burmese communities, is made in Lower Myanmar under the name kway talan. The bottom layer batter, colored and sweetened according to the chosen flavor, is poured into the mold and steamed until set. A batter of coconut milk, rice flour, and a little salt is then poured over it as the top layer and steamed again until firm, producing the characteristic two-toned block that is cut into small squares once cooled. What distinguishes each regional kue talam from the next is mainly the flavor and color of its bottom layer, whether green from pandan, yellow from yam, or brown from palm sugar, while the white coconut top remains largely constant across the many communities that make the cake.