Singaporean cuisine

A hawker centre in Lavender, Singapore

Singaporean cuisine is indicative of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore which originated from Malaysia, as a product of centuries of cultural interaction owing to Singapore's strategic location. The food is influenced by the native Malay,[1] the predominant Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Peranakan, and Western traditions (particularly English and some Portuguese-influenced Eurasian, known as Kristang) since the founding of Singapore by the British in the nineteenth century. Influences from other areas such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Middle East exist in local food culture as well. In Singaporean hawker stalls, for example, chefs of Chinese background influenced by Indian culture might experiment with condiments and ingredients such as tamarind, turmeric, and ghee, while an Indian chef might serve a fried noodle dish. With a variety of influences from different countries, it is suffice to note that the globalization phenomenon affects the cuisine in Singapore as well.

This globalization phenomenon on the cuisine of Singapore proves to be a significant cultural attraction. Most prepared food is eaten outside the home at hawker centres or food courts, examples of which include Lau Pa Sat and Newton Food Centre, rather than at restaurants. This is because such Singaporean hawker stalls include a huge variety of cuisines, ranging from Malay food, to Thai, Indian, Western, Korean, Japanese and even Vietnamese food. These hawker centres are abundant and cheap, hence encouraging a large consumer base.

In Singapore, food is viewed as crucial to national identity and a unifying cultural thread; Singaporean literature declares eating as a national pastime and food, a national obsession. Food is a frequent topic of conversation among Singaporeans. Religious dietary strictures do exist; Muslims do not eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef, and there is also a significant group of vegetarians. People from different communities often eat together, while being mindful of each other's culture and choose food that is acceptable to all. There are also some halal restaurants catering to Muslim dietary preferences.

Singaporean cuisine has been promoted as an attraction for tourists by the Singapore Tourism Board, as a major attraction alongside its shopping. The government organises the Singapore Food Festival in July to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of international cuisine and styles, and their wide range in prices to fit all budgets at all times of the day and year helps create a "food paradise". In addition, the Overseas Singaporean Unit organizes Singapore Day as a platform for Singaporeans who are overseas to come together as one.[2] During the event, local Singaporean hawker food will be prepared for the overseas Singaporean to enjoy.

As Singapore is a small country with a high population density, land is a scarce resource devoted to industrial and housing purposes. Most produce and food ingredients are imported, although there is a small group of local farmers who produce some leafy vegetables, fruit, poultry, and fish. Singapore's geographical position connects it to major air and sea transport routes and thus allows it to import a variety of food ingredients from around the world, including costly seafood items such as salmon from Norway.

Common main dishes and snacks

Chinese

Bak kut teh
Fish soup bee hoon at Food Junction
Hainanese chicken rice is popular in Singaporean and considered to be one of the national dishes of Singapore
Hokkien mee
Kaya toast, a traditional breakfast dish
Pig's organ soup, one of popular dish in Singapore
Pau in Singapore
Turtle soup

Many of these dishes were brought to Singapore by the early southern Chinese immigrants (Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka and Hainanese) and adapted to suit local circumstances (such as available ingredients) and cannot strictly be considered mainstream Chinese cuisine due to the presence of Malay, Indian, and other influences. Singaporean Chinese cuisine is largely derived from the cuisines of the Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Cantonese, and Hakka dialect groups that comprise the majority of the Chinese population in Singapore.

Most of the names of Singaporean Chinese dishes were derived from dialects of southern China, with Hokkien (Min Nan) being the most commonly used dialect. As there was no systematic transliteration of southern Chinese dialects into Latin alphabets, it is common to see many different forms of transliteration for the same dish. For example, Bah Kut Teh may also be called Bak Kut Teh, and Char Kway Tiao may also be called Char Kuay Teow and so on. Another common variation occurs due to the different types of Hokkien accent used. For example, Ngo Hiang (五香) is the pronunciation of the Zhangzhou Hokkien accent while Ngo Hiong is the pronunciation of the Quanzhou Hokkien accent.

Malay

Mee soto is a noodle dish served in Singapore
Nasi goreng (fried rice) served in Singapore
Mee rebus sold in Bukit Batok, Singapore
Chendol commonly found at hawker centers in Singapore

Singaporean Malay dishes, influenced by the food of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and the Riau Islands, tend to be adapted to local tastes and differ from the regional variations in neighbouring countries. Although Malays are native to Singapore, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants from Indonesia and Malaysia and their descendents,[3] subsequently the Singaporean Malay cuisine traditions is influenced by neighboring cooking traditions of Malaysian and Indonesian (especially Minang cuisine). Spices and coconut milk are common ingredients, although Chinese ingredients such as taupok (tofu puffs) and tofu (known as tauhu in Malay) have been integrated. Many Chinese and Tamil Muslim adaptations of these dishes also exist.

Indian

Indian rojak
Rice served with papadum, on banana leaf

Like other divisions of Singaporean cuisine, Indian Singaporean Cuisine has influence from multiple ethnic groups. Dishes from both the North Indian region and the South Indian region can be found in Singapore.[6]

Cross-cultural

A number of dishes, listed below, can be considered as truly hybrid or multi-ethnic food.

Seafood

Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including fish, squid (known as sotong in Malay), stingray, crab, lobster, clams, and oysters.

Popular seafood dishes include

Western cuisine

Commonly seen dishes such as sirloin steak, chicken or lamb chops, fish and chips, mixed grills, baked beans, chicken pie, sausage rolls, fried chicken wings, and cheese fries are popular in Singapore, typically spotted in hawker centers and food courts in Singapore.

Fruit

A durian stall in Singapore

A wide variety of tropical fruits are available all year round, though most of them are imported from neighbouring countries. By far the most well known is the durian, known as the "King of Fruits", which produces a characteristic odour from the creamy yellow custard-like flesh within its spiky green or brown shell. However, in spite of their popularity, durians are banned on public transport, certain hotels, and public buildings because of their strong odour.

Other popular tropical fruits include mangosteen, jackfruit, longan, lychee, rambutan, and pineapple. Some of these fruits also are used as ingredients for other dishes: iced desserts, sweet-and-sour pork, and certain types of salad such as rojak.

Desserts

Red ruby
Tangyuan
Italian ice cream (gelato) in Shaw House Basement Food Court

Singaporean desserts have a varied history and can be found in every hawker centre and food court in the region. A stall will usually have a large variety of desserts for sale, including but not limited to:

Drinks and beverages

A typical open-air kopi tiam in Singapore

Popular Singaporean drinks includes:

Local terms for coffee and tea

Traditional Kopi O commonly served in Malaysia and Singapore

At kopi tiams (Chinese: 咖啡店; pinyin: kā fēi diàn; literally: "coffee shop"), coffee and tea are usually ordered in the local vernacular which blends together different languages.

One can request for ice or sugar or milk to be included with the beverage. For example, one can add the "peng" (Chinese: 冰; pinyin: bīng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: peng; literally: "ice") suffix to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng. (tea with evaporated milk with ice).

Other foods and information

Singapore radish cake (simplified Chinese: 星州炒萝卜糕; traditional Chinese: 星州炒蘿蔔糕; pinyin: xīng zhōu chǎo luó bò gāo), is a common dish featuring diced and stir fried radish with an egg mixture, flavoured with chilli. There are two types of this dish, one which is cooked with black soya sauce and another without. Hence, when buying this dish, most people would ask for the 'black' (referring to the former) or 'white' (the latter) version. Another name for the dish is chai tow kway. It is easily available in the food centres in Singapore.

Given the passionate nature of most Singaporeans regarding food, and Singaporean cuisine, a constantly updated food guide, Makansutra, has been developed, which focuses on the hawker scene in Singapore, and identifies popular stalls in Singapore. Similarly, a highly popular food blog, ieatishootipost, mainly reviews and photographs uniquely Singaporean food and features up-and-coming and popular eateries in Singapore.

"Singaporean" foods uncommon in Singapore

Gallery

See also

References

External links