14/06/2026

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theSunday Special IV ON SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2026

Malaysian Paper

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Visionary Malaysian entrepreneur takes ‘Vanilla of the East’ across Bay of Bengal with mission to make flavouring ingredient a staple in Asian subcontinent Introducing pandan to Spice Capital of the World – India W hile matcha has been having its moment in India’s cafés and bakeries, one Malaysian entrepreneur believes the next big green ingredient has yet to make an impact across the Bay of Bengal. Shivaani Suppiah, 32, is that quiet believer and pandan is her bet. “My long-term goal is to make pandan more accessible and a familiar flavour in India, much like how matcha became hugely popular. “But it took the Chinese tea between seven and 19 years to make its mark as a popular food and beverage item in India,” she told Bernama. Shivaani thinks that is far too narrow a canvas. Why Pondicherry? Her chosen base is no accident. Pondicherry is a former French colony on India’s southeastern coast. Blending Tamil and French heritage with a lively tourism scene, it draws exactly the kind of curious, adventurous crowd that is willing to try something new.

Pandan , known scientifically as pandan us amaryllifolius and revered across Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia as “Vanilla of the East”, is a fragrant leaf that lends a distinctive green hue and a subtle, grassy sweetness to everything it is mixed into. In India, it has traditionally been confined to biryanis and folk medicine.

Armed with a decade of digital marketing experience, a small pandan plantation near Pondicherry and a brand she calls “It’s Pandan Only”, the Teluk Intan native has set up shop in southern India with an ambition that is, on the surface, simple – make pandan as familiar in India as it is in Malaysia.

“Many different kinds of people are coming here. Not just Indians but also foreigners from other parts of the world. It’s a good location for me to do my production and to test things out with cafes. I’ve given samples to French, German and American visitors. “I’ll be like saying: ‘Hey, do you want to try this kaya ?’ And everyone has given me very good feedback, including travellers from different parts of southern and northern India.” The relocation to India happened in December 2023, a personal decision, she says, to explore something new and reconnect with her roots. Missing Malaysian food, she began growing pandan for her own kitchen. A nudge from her cousin turned a personal craving into a commercial venture and by June last year, she had committed to it fully. Today, she tends around 50 pandan plants, with about 20 mature enough for harvest. More than matcha Shivaani is measured when she speaks of matcha – respectful, but unconvinced it is the ceiling pandan should aim for. “You can only use it in desserts,” she says of the Japanese green tea powder. Pandan , she contends, is far more versatile. “With my brand, I wish to expand the versatility of pandan beyond traditional Malaysian dishes. I am still introducing Malaysian foods to India, and I’m also experimenting with pandan in India, like with Indian food.” The dishes she has been testing are a pan-subcontinental spread – idli, dosa, chapati, poori, puttu, appam and kesari sit alongside Malaysian staples like nasi lemak and agar-agar , with samples distributed to restaurants and cafés around Pondicherry. The anchor product so far is a vegetarian kaya spread, branded “Pandan Coconut Spread”, and approximately 20kgs have been moved across India over the past five months. Kaya , for the uninitiated, is a creamy concoction of coconut milk, eggs, sugar and pandan leaves. Currently sourced from a Malaysian bakery called Vicked Good, the spread is priced at 290 rupees (RM14.60) for 100g and 520 rupees (RM26.20) for 200g, with local production near Pondicherry planned later this year. Growing slowly on purpose The business started with an initial

Shivaani with the star of her venture, fresh pandan leaves grown near her base in Pondicherry, India. – BERNAMAPIC outlay of roughly RM4,600, spent on sourcing pandan -based products from Malaysia, branding and basic equipment. It remains entirely self-funded through personal savings, freelance digital marketing income and product sales. Shivaani describes the approach as “intentionally slow, organic and highly deliberate”, a financial philosophy born of pragmatism rather than timidity. Even rising costs of living have not rattled her, given the brand runs on a lean inventory model. The next steps she envisions are expansive. “Pondicherry will be my base for the next few years. But I cannot only focus on this area to grow. I have to go out. I want to try going to Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.” She also uses Instagram, through her page It’s Pandan Only, to document her experiments and evangelise the versatility of pandan to followers well beyond India. A small bridge between countries For Shivaani, pandan carries an ambition larger than market share. She wants to see it adopted by manufacturers, woven into ice creams, breads, cakes and desserts the way it already is back home. “I would love to see bigger manufacturers using pandan in their products,“ she said. But the personal dimension is never far from the business one. “I’m a proud Malaysian, and Malaysia will always be home. Coming here was a personal decision to explore something new and reconnect with my roots. I also believe Malaysian culture, especially our amazing food, deserves to be shared more. Through pandan , I hope to build a small bridge between countries.” Matcha had seven to 19 years. Shivaani is just getting started.

Kaya , sold as ‘Pandan Coconut Spread’, is already drawing fans across India, one bite at a time. – BERNAMAPIC