Pancit, pangsit, wantan – what's the Asian food connection?

In Vietnam, Jason Yeoh immersed himself in the history of banh, trying to locate its origins and how it links to other cultures. Photos: AFC

Jason Yeoh had a eureka moment while eating noodles in the Philippines. The TV host, popularly known as Axian, realised that while “pancit” means noodles in that country, the similar-sounding “pangsit” refers to wantan, or dumplings, in Indonesia.

“In Malaysia, we just call them ‘wantan’. I figured that there must be a (food) connection that links the three countries,” said Yeoh, in a telephone interview.