Singaporean startup Jungle Kitchen announces the launch of its tropical vegan range, made using Asian ingredients and traditional cooking techniques.
“Jungle Kitchen’s mission is to blend the trendy with the traditional”
Female-owned and female-run, the company was established by co-founders Mukeeta Manukulasuriya and Surekha Yadav to make sustainable, delicious, and creative vegan products with Asian produce such as jackfruit, coconut, chilies, and banana blossom.
Jungle Kitchen aims to bring the best of Asian cuisine and culture to global audiences and champion tropical ingredients — sourced with a verified supply chain — that have been overlooked in favor of Western produce.
Tropical vegan range
“Jackfruit is a good example of an ingredient that has recently gained popularity in the West, but has been a staple in Asian diets for a long time. Jungle Kitchen’s mission is to blend the trendy with the traditional, spotlighting versatile, tasty superfoods, such as Moringa and Kohila, to global palettes,” said Manukulasuriya.
Jungle Kitchen’s inaugural range includes six vegan items, presented in zero-plastic packaging:
JUNGLE JACK: Premium vegan mince, made of ten vegetables, roots, and herbs.
JUNGLE FIRE: Hot sauce from tropical cobra chili.
COCONUT SAMBOL: Sri Lankan-style zesty and spicy coconut relish.
POLOS CURRY: Creamy spiced jackfruit curry.
JACK IN BRINE: Fresh young jackfruit in a light brine.
BANANA BLOSSOM IN BRINE: Fresh chunks of banana blossom in a light brine.
Asian produce
Jungle Kitchen has also revealed that its next product range will include ready-to-eat products such as Asam Pedas Pisang Flower (a vegan take on sour and spicy fish curry) and Butter Jack Masala (jackfruit cooked in a buttery gravy, like the Northern Indian chicken dish).
Along with flavor development, the brand prioritizes creating a fully verified supply chain. Its efforts involve partnering with farmers, paying the best prices, and collaborating to establish more sustainable farming practices.
Among other sustainability initiatives, Jungle Kitchen plans to build a crowdsourced compendium of Asian flora, focusing on rating and ranking the quality and sustainability of particular areas or farms.
“Most of us can tell you where the best beef in Japan or the best pork in Spain can be found, but we have yet to do this as thoroughly with Asian produce. Where in Malaysia can I find the best gula melaka? Where do the spiciest chilies in Asia grow?” says Yadav.
Jungle Kitchen’s range will be showcased at FHA Food & Beverage 2023, which will take place at Singapore Expo from April 25-28 (stand 3A2-09).
