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Cuisine of Singapore

Encyclopedia : C : CU : CUI : Cuisine of Singapore

This article is part
of the Cuisine series
Preparation techniques and cooking items
Techniques - Utensils
Weights and measures
Ingredients and types of food
Spices and Herbs
Sauces - Soups - Desserts
Cheese - Pasta - Bread
Other ingredients
Regional cuisines
Asia - Europe - Caribbean
South Asian - Latin America
Mideast - North America - Africa
See also:
Famous chefs - Kitchens - Meals
The cuisine of Singapore is often viewed by her population as a prime example of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore. In Singapore's hawker centres, for example, Malay hawker stalls selling halal food may also serve halal versions of traditionally Chinese or Indian food. Chinese stalls may introduce Malay or Indian ingredients, cooking techniques or entire dishes into their range of catering. Some dishes introduce elements from all three cultures, while others incorporate influences from the rest of Asia and the West.

This phenomenon makes the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural attraction. Most of the prepared food bought outside home is eaten at hawker centres or food courts rather than actual restaurants, examples of which include Lau Pa Sat and Newton Food Centre. These hawker centres are relatively abundant which leads to low prices and encourages a large consumer base.

Because it is often viewed by her population as central to Singapore's national identity and a unifying cultural thread, Singaporean literature often declares eating as a national pastime and food a national obsession. Food is a constant topic of conversation among Singaporeans who like to comment on the food they have eaten and the eateries around the country. There are some religious dietary strictures as Muslims do not eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef; there is also a significant group of vegetarians. Nonetheless, 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 Chinese restaurants that prepare Chinese food in a way that conform to Muslim dietary preference.

Food in itself has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists. It is usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the Singapore Tourism Board or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's best attractions alongside its shopping. The government organises the Singapore Food Festival in July annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of international cuisine, and their wide range in prices to fit all budgets at all times of the day and year helps create a "food paradise" to rival other contenders claiming the same moniker. The availability of a variety of food is often aided by the fact that Singapore's port lies along strategic routes.

The cuisine bears some resemblance to the cuisine of Malaysia due to the close historical and cultural ties between the two countries. However there are also significant differences. While a number of dishes are common to both countries, the way the dishes are prepared is often different. This is due to numerous evolutionary forks in their development, which gave rise to unique tastes pertaining to each country's cuisine.

A hawker centre in Lavender, Singapore
Enlarge
A hawker centre in Lavender, Singapore

As Singapore is a small country with high population density, land is scarce and is mainly devoted to industry and housing. Most of the agricultural produce and food ingredients are imported from other countries, although there is a small group of local farmers who produce some leafy vegetables, fruit, poultry, and fish. Nonetheless, Singapore's good air and sea connections allow it to import a large variety of food ingredients from around the world including expensive seafood items such as sashimi from Japan.

Contents

Common dishes and snacks

Chinese inspired

This article is part of the series:
Chinese cuisine
History
Eight Great Traditions
Others
Overseas Chinese

Malay inspired

Indian inspired

Cross ethnic inspired

A number of dishes, listed below, can be considered as truly hybrid or multi-ethnic food as they are equally influenced by more than one ethnicities.

Seafood

Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including crabs, clams, squid (known as sotong in Malay), oysters and lobsters.

Favorite seafood dishes include

Fruits

A durian stall in Singapore
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A durian stall in Singapore

There is a wide variety of fruits available, though these are mostly imports from neighbouring countries. A favorite is the durian, known as the "king of the fruits", which has a spiky outer shell and a characteristic odour. However, in spite of its popularity, durian is not allowed on public transport, most hotels and public buildings because of its strong odour.

Other popular tropical fruits include mangosteen, jackfruit, longan, lychee, rambutan and pineapple. Some of these fruits are also used as ingredients for other dishes, especially the ice desserts.

Desserts

A typical open-air kopi tiam in Singapore.
Enlarge
A typical open-air kopi tiam in Singapore.

Drinks

Local names for coffee and tea

At kopi tiams, coffee and tea are usually ordered using their local names.

Coffee

Tea The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng (tea with evaporated milk with ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather. See also Ordering at a coffee shop.

These names are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore as they are formed by words from different languages, and have become part of the lexicon of Singlish. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, peng is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C refers to Carnation, a brand of evaporated milk.

See also

External links

 

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