.5 teaspoons pandan essence
Pandan essence is primarily an aromtic flavoring agent and contains minimal nutritional value per the small quantities used in recipes. It is essentially calorie-free and contains no significant macronutrients in typical serving sizes.
About
Pandan essence is a concentrated liquid extract derived from the leaves of Pandanus amaryllifolius, a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia. The extract is produced by steaming or processing fresh pandan leaves to capture their volatile aromatic compounds, then stabilizing them in a liquid carrier. Pandan essence possesses a distinctive flavor profile characterized by sweet, vanilla-like, slightly floral notes with subtle grassy undertones. The plant is known locally as pandan or screwpine, and the essence represents a convenient, shelf-stable alternative to fresh leaves, offering consistent potency across culinary applications.
Culinary Uses
Pandan essence is widely employed across Southeast Asian cuisines, particularly in Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, and Filipino cooking. It serves as a primary flavoring in desserts, custards, rice dishes, beverages, and baked goods, imparting a characteristic sweet-floral aroma and pale green hue to dishes. The essence is frequently used in concentrated amounts to flavor coconut milk-based desserts, chiffon cakes, puddings, and beverages. A half-teaspoon of essence typically flavors four to six servings of custard or cake batter. The ingredient pairs particularly well with coconut milk, rice, tapioca, and eggs.