Foods Hunter
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….
When British imperialist Thomas Stamford Raffles sought to convert Singapore into a trading post for the East India Company in 1819, immigrants from China, Malaya, India, Indonesia, Europe, America and the Middle East flocked to the island. Singapore is made up of several ethnic groups, the main being the Chinese, Malay, Indians and Eurasians. Ethnic groups follow traditional cooking methods of their ancestors who originally migrated to Singapore. Chinese food originates from different regions of China, while Singaporean Indians are mostly from southern India and enjoy spicy food. Rice is a staple food, often accompanied by meat and/or vegetable dishes cooked in their specific ethnic style. The integration of ethnic groups has created fusion foods unique to Singapore.
Hawker Center
Origins of Hawker Culture in Singapore can be traced back to the mid-1800s, when the first street hawkers would ply the streets selling an array of food offerings. Back then, street hawkers took up the trade to earn a livelihood. It was a popular occupation amongst many early settlers as it required little capital and minimal skill. From 1968 to 1986, the Government licensed and resettled street hawkers into purpose-built hawker centres with proper sanitation and amenities. Today, there are more than 110 hawker centres across the island.
Below are some of the MUST – EAT food during your stay in Singapore.
Hainanese Chicken Rice (Lunch/Dinner)
When you see succulent cooked chicken hanging neatly in a row at a food stall, you are looking at one of Singapore’s national dishes Hainanese Chicken Rice. Hainanese chicken rice, arguably the king of Singaporean hawker food, evolved from a Hainan dish made of bony wengcheng chicken.
Carrot Cake (Side Dishes)
This savoury carrot cake has no carrot, at least not of the orange variety. Instead, the core ingredients of the cake are rice flour and white radish, which some call white carrot. The mixture is steamed, then cut into cubes and fried with garlic, eggs and preserved radish called ‘chai poh‘.
Chilli Crab / Black Pepper Crab (Dinner/Supper)
The dish originates from the early 1950s, when Madam Cher Yam Tian experimented with a tomato and chili combination to enrich the sweetness of crab meat. She started selling the crabs from a pushcart in the street, before progressing to a modest beachside restaurant that was always heaving with happy diners. Prominent local chefs built on the recipe by adding egg, vinegar and sambal to the mix, creating the rich gravy that’s soon to stun your tastebuds.
Laksa – Peranakan Dishes (Side Dishes)
Laksa is one of the ultimate demonstrations of the combination of Chinese and Malay flavors (Peranakan) and ingredients all in a single bowl. Noodles, often rice noodles, make up the foundation and starch of a bowl of laksa, followed by a gravy or curry, some pieces of protein, and often some vegetables and herbs.
Kaya Toast (Breadfast)
Want to have breakfast like a Singaporean while you are in our Lion city? Choose kaya toast. Kaya toast is toasted bread filled with butter and kaya, a jam made from eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan leaves. The dish flavors will be enhanced when matched with half-boiled eggs, and hot tea or black coffee. It is not difficult to find this sweet dish in Singapore. You can get it on every corner of the country, from food court stalls, old-school coffee shops to air-conditioned franchise outlets in modern shopping malls.
Satay (Supper)
Although originally from Indonesia with influence from India and the Middle East, satay (or sate) is very popular throughout Southeast Asia, and common to find at hawker food centres throughout Singapore. Any type of meat, most typically chicken, beef, or mutton, are marinated in a mixture of spices and lemongrass, skewered, then grilled over charcoal. Satay’s are served with a sweet and mildly spicy peanut sauce, along with cucumbers and onions, and sometimes rice cakes
Chendol / Cendol (Dessert)
Chendol has always been one of my favourite desserts here. It originated from Indonesia and the word ‘ jendol ‘ in Javanese means ‘bulge’ which refers to the green wormy bulgy like jello! This dessert exists in South East Asia including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and of course Indonesia. But our Singapore versions have red beans in it.