Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.

also can:

huat chye huat cai

huat chai

Hokkien:

发菜

poj:

hoat-chhài

expand for details Detailed etymology

definitions

noun

  1. the Hokkien name for the edible cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme, used as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine. It is popular due to its near-homophony with the popular auspicious phrase 发财/發財, hoat-châi ("to prosper; to become wealthy").
  2. synonyms:


related: