One-stop organic store in Singapore heartland

By Constance Chee

I would like to share the discovery of a wonderful organic store in the heartland and my opinion on going organic.

Contrary to what people think, going organic does not mean being vegetarian or vegan. Organic produce is natural produce grown without the use of chemical pesticides, genetically modified organisms, and usually, in an eco-friendly way.

Going organic simply means consuming vegetables and fruit that have been grown organically. Rice, cereals, grains and nuts or sauces, jams or even processed food can be organic too when they contain organic ingredients.

But it is also possible to go organic and be unhealthy if you eat organic processed food, for example, organic biscuits, ice-cream and chocolate all the time and leave out the greens and fruit.

My family started including organic produce in our diets at the beginning of the year. My kids are three and five years old, so I would not risk giving them a vegetarian diet to ensure they are not missing out anything.

We first tried out Naturally Marketplace at VivoCity, but found it difficult to find everything we need for Asian cooking. Also, the organic produce was shelved together with the non-organic stuff, which made shopping there a game of hide-and-seek.

It was difficult to find a store that had everything until I discovered Taste Original at West Coast (Block 721 Clementi West Street 2, #01-122. Tel: 6872-5854), facing the West Coast Community Centre basketball court.

It is an amazing shop...I often wonder how the proprietor is able to cram everything in that space. And 95 per cent of the organic produce - both fresh and processed - from places like Australia, the United States, Egypt, Europe and Taiwan are suitable for all types of cuisine as opposed to other organic supermarkets here that often cater to the Western cuisines.
Here is a list (or rather a fraction) of what you can find there:

>>Organic red rice, brown rice, five grain rice, Basmati, beans, nuts, noodles, pasta and baking needs.
>>Plum sauce, mushroom sauce, organic vegetable seasonings and oils (olive, sesame, sunflower).
>>Herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano.
>>Curry powder, cumin, fennel and other spices.
>>Fruit like oranges, apples, kiwi, bananas, papayas, grapes, strawberries, persimmons and aloe vera (they also bring in seasonal fruit from Australia).
>>Vegetables like spinach, watercress, kai lan, xiao bai cai, potatoes, yams and bittergourd.
>>Mushrooms (up to four or five varieties).
>>Chinese herbs for soup such as gou qi zi and red dates.
>>Processed food like muesli, cereal, yoghurt, jam, chocolate spread, cocoa and tea.
>>Cruelty-free bacon and sausages.

They also have baby food, household items, beauty products and toiletries, and conduct cooking classes, health screenings and product demos.

For those who want to plant their own organic wheatgrass, Taste Original even sells organic fertiliser and a variety of seeds.

I hope the information that I have shared will help those hoping to find a one-stop organic shopping place.

--- by CONSTANCE CHEE published in Mind Your Body of the STraits Times dated 4 July 2007