kaya

¹ American  

[ka-ya] / ˈka ja /

noun

1. an evergreen tree, Torreya nucifera, native to Japan and South Korea, cultivated for its wood and seeds.

2. the wood harvested from this tree.

---

kaya ² American  

[kahy-uh] / ˈkaɪ ə /

noun

1. a jam made from eggs, palm sugar, and coconut milk, often flavored with pandan leaves: common in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

---

Example Sentences

Named after a traditional coffee shop found everywhere in Malaysia, Kopitiam serves all-day Malaysian breakfast like the must-try kaya butter toast and fish ball soup.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2025

The company has sold more than 1,000 kaya jam jars directly to consumers nationwide, Sielegar said, and recently expanded to selling half-gallon containers wholesale to restaurants.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2021

His Fwah! takes kaya, toast traditionally served with a Malaysian coconut-egg jam, and bolsters it with a slab of foie gras.

From Washington Post • Sep. 26, 2019

Please don’t miss the less ostentatious kaya toast, a buttery grilled sandwich filled with a thick, sweet pandan-tinted coconut jam that the cooks make themselves.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2018

At another time, when the resident attempted to carry some regulation into execution, he said, "kami tradah suka begito, orang kaya!"

From The History of Sumatra Containing An Account Of The Government, Laws, Customs And Manners Of The Native Inhabitants by Marsden, William