# data[].attributes.body
Leader:
Kay Lee ( 32, 1S2 )
Secretary:
Tanisha ( 33, 1S2 )
Resource Manager:
Lok Hin ( 16, 1S2 )
Time Keeper:
Raghuram ( 12, 1S2 )

# data[].attributes.body
1. Use this padlet to compile all 10 sources for each group.
2. Remember to cite where your sources came from.
3. Follow the examples below when in doubt.
4. You may use sources from the source pack provided.

# data[].attributes.body
Collyer Quay, Singapore, c.1900. Kwan Yue Keng Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/the-singapore-river-story/story

# data[].attributes.body
Local Chef Willin observes that Singaporean cuisine is constantly evolving. “I see an increase of regional Chinese cuisine. Vietnamese and Filipino hawkers are also sprouting — one day these dishes will assimilate into Singapore’s local cuisine just as Indian, Malay, Chinese cuisines have done,” he says. “Singapore food is so varied because of the influences of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European flavours. It is this pairing of unexpected ingredients and cooking techniques from very different cuisines resulting in a made-in-heaven gastronomical marriage that inspires me most.”

Yuen Lin, Koh. “Taste Ambassadors”. Experience Singapore: Flavours of the City: How Food Unites a Multi-Ethnic Singapore, A newsletter of The Singapore Cooperation Programme, Issue 54, Apr – Jun 2015, p. 5. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Issue54%20(2).pdf

# data[].attributes.body
Leader - Minh Khang (27) 1S2
Secretary - Zhen Wei (19) 1S2
Resource manager -  Brayden (37) 1S2
Time Keeper - Justin (15) 1S2

# data[].attributes.body
Sarah (23)(1S2): Group leader
Thai An (10)(1S2): Secretary
Victoria (35)(1S2): Resource manager
Shravya (31)(1S2): Time keeper

# data[].attributes.body
Leader: Zhi Jia(24, 1S3)
Secretary: Ree Ann(18, 1S3)
Resource Manager: Arasi(20, 1S3)
Time Keeper: Jun Zhi(23, 1S3)

# data[].attributes.body
Leader: Javier
Secretary: Kevin
Resource manager: Jia hao
Time keeper: denzel

# data[].attributes.body
Leader: Aaron (1) (1S2)
Secretary: Adhi (3) (1S2)
Resource Manager: Darius (20) (1S2)
Time keeper: Jayden (13) (1S2)

# data[].attributes.body
After Singapore gained independence, people struggled to find stable work and many of them fell back on what they knew – cooking. Without the money to rent permanent spaces, they simply set up shop wherever was possible and likely to attract customers. Usually on busy streets, serving from a trolley and from temporary spots set up with a few plastic chairs.

Curriculum Planning & Development Division MOE (2015). Singapore: The Making Of A Nation- State, 1300-1975. Singapore: Start Publishing Pte Ltd. Retrieved from https://quisine.quandoo.sg/trends/singapore-hawker-food/

# data[].attributes.body
Perrin (19)  1S3 (Leader)
Chloe (7)    1S2 (Secretary)
Oviya (27)  1S3 (Secretary)
Bhuvan (4) 1S2 (time-keeper)
Na’im  (21)  1S3 (resource manager)

# data[].attributes.body
About Us

In 1929, my grandfather, Ho Loke Yee, started a tradition with the opening of Spring Court, then known as Wing Choon Yuen.
A tradition that not only centres around Singaporean Chinese food, but the coming together of family, friends and business partners for a meal.

…

Today, we are proud to be Singapore's oldest family-run restaurant. And we have unfailingly dedicated ourselves to making every meal a relaxing, enjoyable and special occasion, much like eating in your own home.

My parents, and now myself, are happy to carry on my grandfather's dream and passion of bringing Singaporean Chinese Cuisine to you, and making your occasion, our occasion.

Mike Ho. (2019) Spring Court 詠春园 Celebrating Singaporean Chinese Cuisine Since 1929. Retrieved from https://www.springcourt.com.sg/ https://www.springcourt.com.sg/

# data[].attributes.body
The original yong Tao foo is just minced meat paste stuffed in to tofu and served in a soup. When the Hakkas came to the nanyang region where there was an abundance of seafood, they Bagan adding fish paste to the meat which prevented the shrinkage of the minced meat. Fish balls also made its appearance because of Teochew influence.

Mr Lai fak Nian, owner of  one of Singapore’s oldest hakka restraunts , plum village.

# data[].attributes.body
A blog on quandoo

# data[].attributes.body
The much-loved dish of Hainanese chicken rice, which many claim to be Singapore’s national dish, has its origins in boiled Wenchang chicken – a traditional dish from Wenchang county in Hainan. It was introduced into Singapore by early Hainanese migrants.2

While this dish has Hainanese roots, over time, hawkers have adopted the Cantonese method of preparing pak cham gai (Cantonese for “white chopped chicken”). This involves soaking freshly boiled chicken in iced water to produce a jelly-like silky texture in the skin. The addition of aromatics like lemongrass or pandan leaves when cooking the rice, and the use of a dip made from chilli, garlic and ground ginger makes this dish very much a product of this region as well.

# data[].attributes.body
Prompted by repeated reports of widespread food poising, the Singapore government stepped in and funded purpose-built centres. These on the streets food-carts became market halls with proper sewage systems, and running water – offering hawkers affordable rental prices for a spot. Eventually almost all of Singapore’s street food sellers moved into hawker centres like this and they became a city icon.

Quandoo. (2018, May 8) Singapore Hawker Food: past, Present and Future. Retrieved from http://quisine.quandoo.sg/trends/singapore-hawker-food/

# data[].attributes.body
Many people are increasingly turning to food delivery services. In Singapore, Foodpanda, Deliveroo and UberEats are the three biggest players in the market. For consumers, hardly a day goes by when they do not make food orders on mobile apps and meals will be delivered directly to their doorsteps.

Quandoo. (2018, May 8). Singapore Hawker Food: Past, Present and Future. Retrieved from https://quisine.quandoo.sg/trends/singapore-hawker-food/

# data[].attributes.body
Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre features eco-friendly designs such as high roof ceilings for better ventilation, an open dining area to maximise natural lighting, and wide usage of louvres to utilise natural light while giving shade. It also introduces a green wall to promote a more sustainable ecosystem in the neighbourhood.
(NA. 2020. Photo courtesy of National Heritage Board.)
https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/Serving-Up-a-Legacy

# data[].attributes.body
After Singapore gained independence, people struggled to find stable work and many of them fell back on what they knew – cooking. Without the money to rent permanent spaces, they simply set up shop wherever was possible and likely to attract customers.Usually on busy streets, serving from a trolley and from temporary spots set up with a few plastic chairs.

Source:Curriculum Planning & Development Division MOE (2015). Singapore: The Making Of A Nation- State, 1300-1975. Singapore: Start Publishing Pte Ltd. Retrieved from https://quisine.quandoo.sg/trends/singapore-hawker-food/

# data[].attributes.body
Pasar malam is the Malay term for night market. It was discontinued in 1978 as it had caused health, traffic and pollution problems in the residential areas.

In 1991, pasar malam returned to HDB estates and this hawking culture continued.

Unlike the travelling pasar malam of the 1950s and 1960s, present-day pasar malam generally operate once a year at fixed locations by grassroots organisations, and charitable institutions.
Source: Prasad, Vina Jie-Min. (2015, March 2). Pasar malam. Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2015-03-02_121952.html

# data[].attributes.body
Time Out says

Ocean Restaurant is Singapore’s only underwater fine-dining restaurant and probably the hottest dining ticket in town: it’s uniquely housed within the world’s largest oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa, with a breathtaking front-row seat to the massive undersea habitat, and headlined by a two-Michelin star celebrity chef Olivier Bellin, lauded for his fierce advocacy towards sustainable cooking approaches.

In terms of the ambience, it’s still as majestic as ever, with the huge floor-to-ceiling glass panels of the aquarium giving the restaurant an azure glow. There’s also the clever use of sleek architectural lines in the main dining room inspired by the streamlined movement of the highly threatened manta ray. You’re likely to spend most of the meal gazing in wonderment as giant manta rays, zebra sharks and shoals of silvery fish glide past.

Dining here is always surreal and hypnotic and the restaurant’s design takes full advantage of this – angled mirrors are placed at the opposite end of the viewing window to ensure nobody in the 50-seater misses out on the view.

Citation: Dawson, Tan. (2022, 27 June). Ocean Restaurant. Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/singapore/restaurants/ocean-restaurant

# data[].attributes.body
From NLB text

# data[].attributes.body
Established in 1908, Singapore’s oldest Indian-Muslin restaurant continues to appeal to diners over the years. The highlights here are the generously portioned yet reasonbly priced murtabak and biryani dishes laden with chicken, mutton or deer.  Managing the outlet presently is third-generation owner Suliaman C.V. who took over the business from his father Haji Karim more than two decades ago. Haji Karim inherited Zam Zam from his father and uncle.  The restaurant started out as Singapore Restaurant, and in 1985 changed its name to Singapore Zam Zam after taking over the Zam Zam outlet next door. Today, it serves consistently good food from breakfast till supper.

# data[].attributes.body
From NLB text

# data[].attributes.body
Over time, many hawker centres were transformed into watered-down versions like shopping mall food halls.

They are more like structured air- conditioned spaces shared with chain food outlets.

Still, the hawking culture of the past still exists as hawker centres and food centres continue to feed residential housing estates with a wide variety of cheap and affordable food.
Source:Ghani, Azhar. (2011, February 28) A recipe For Success: How Singapore Hawker Centres Came To be. Retrieved from http://lkyspp.nus.sg/doc/default-source/ips/ag_history-of- hawkers_010511.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
Interview of Chef of LG Han as to why he sells Ang Moh Chicken Rice

# data[].attributes.body
A recipe of a fusion of Western and Singaporean Chinese cuisine

# data[].attributes.body
Central to Singapore’s aspirations toward a Smart Nation is e-payments. Food courts have been quick to implement contactless and mobile payment options, giving consumers (especially tourists and working professionals) greater convenience, and increasing productivity for stall owners. Such productivity enhancements are particularly salient to hawkers, who operate on a very lean manpower model.

Written by Andrew Tam
Published: 26 July 2019
https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Resources/Ideas-and-Trends/Hawker-centres

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To make Singapore a great city to live, work and play.

# data[].attributes.body
Source:Malay "Kueh" or cakes hawker carrying his wares and Malay boys in a "kampong" or village, Singapore.Courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore,https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/blastfromthepast/foodculture

# data[].attributes.body
Take a plunge into Singapore’s most unique dining experience, an intriguing new world of mystery and sensation you have never experienced before. Join us on a culinary journey through taste, smell, touch and sound, in total darkness. Seated in our pitch-black dining room, you will enjoy an exquisite mystery tasting menu of 12 beautiful dishes, crafted from the finest ingredients by our Chef de Cuisine and his team.

Citation: NA (NA). Nox - Dine in the Dark. Retrieved from https://www.noxdineinthedark.com/unique-dining-experience-singapore/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
NOX - Dine in the Dark Restaurant Singapore

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Take a plunge into Singapore's most unique dining experience, an intriguing new world of mystery and sensation you have never experienced before. Join us on a culinary journey through taste, smell, touch and sound, in total darkness. Seated in our pitch-black dining room, you will enjoy an exquisite mystery tasting menu of 12 beautiful dishes, crafted from the finest ingredients by our Chef de Cuisine and his team.

Enhance your experience with an additional wine or cocktail tasting to go along with your meal. Our blind and visually impaired hosts who have been specially trained to offer guidance and reassurance to sighted guests will be taking care of you throughout your dinner. It is truly a human experience when the roles are reversed and the blind become your eyes, opening your mind to a deeper consciousness.

This affinity leads to mutual trust and respect, and a realization of the value of their work and overall ability to carry out tasks. This makes NOX - Dine in the Dark to more than just a dining experience, it is a unique mind-altering sensory experience. Definitely a treat for special occasions!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Our Concept - The Most Unique Dining Experience in Singapore - NOX - Dine in the Dark Restaurant Singapore

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At NOX - Dine in the Dark, we will take you on a journey through tastes and textures, a multi-sensory dining experience that will tantalize your taste buds and open your mind. We invite you to temporarily surrender one of your dominant senses, sight, in exchange for enhancing the other four, allowing you to completely re-evaluate your perception of the world around you.

# data[].attributes.body
In the 1970s, before we became concerned with the problem of hepatitis fresh cockles were sold on open-air hawker
stalls. Also of interest, the dish of cuttlefish kangkong had
been called Flat Fish Kang Kong by this particular stall.

Source:Paul Piollet Collection, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore,https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/blastfromthepast/foodculture

# data[].attributes.body
Malay hawker with his portable shop selling satay.(1907. Photo courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.)
https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/Serving-Up-a-Legacy

# data[].attributes.body
“Looking backward
When British imperialist Thomas Stamford Raffles sought to convert Singapore into a trading post for the East India Company in 1819, writes Wendy Hutton in Singapore Food, immigrants from China, Malaya, India, Indonesia, Europe, America and the Middle East flocked to the island.

Chinese traders migrated from several different provinces of southern China, bringing with them distinct languages and cuisines. This can be observed in the dishes of modern day Singapore. Hainanese chicken rice, arguably the king of Singaporean hawker food, evolved from a Hainan dish made of bony wengcheng chicken. Hokkiens from Amoy and Fukien provinces brought with them Hokkien mee, or yellow wheat noodles, incorporated into many hawker dishes, a popular one being Hokkien char mee, pan fried noodles in dark soy sauce with squid, prawns, pork, cabbage and crispy pork belly.

Peranakan, or Nonya, cuisine was born in the late 1800s, Hutton explains in her book, when Chinese labourers arrived in Southeast Asia without wives. They began marrying Malay women and their descendants came to be known as Peranakan or Straits Chinese. Their food combined flavours from China, Malaya and the countries they travelled to as merchants.

One example is ayam buah keluak, braised chicken and black nuts stuffed with sweet pork. The nuts come from Indonesia, since many Peranakan families came through Java and Sumatra, while the pork is Chinese, since Muslims from Malaya and Indonesia did not eat pork.

Another is laksa, one of the several dishes both Singapore and Malaysia claims to haveinvented. Katong laksa is a vermicelli noodle soup made with coconut milk, prawns, cockles, fish cakes, bean sprouts, lemongrass, turmeric, homemade shrimp-chilli paste and the all-important laksa leaves. The turmeric and chilli suggest Indian influence, while the sprouts suggest Chinese influence. The rest incorporates a mix of Malay, South Indian and Eurasian influences.

Indians came to Singapore first as indentured servants and later as traders. Hailing from modern day Tamil Nadu and Kerala, they brought vegetables like gourds and seedpods and seafood like crab and fish, respectively.

One Singaporean dish with obvious Indian influence is the curry puff, created as a British friendly version of the samosa. Curry puffs are puff pastries filled with potatoes, Indian spices and meat.

Indian transplants also shared their love of spicy food, bringing heat to such dishes as the ever popular chilli crab and curry debal, or "devil's curry". Curry debal was created by Eurasian traders (of mixed Portuguese and South Asian descent) when they decided to stew leftovers from Christmas. The hodgepodge stew, made with pork, poultry, potatoes, candlenut, galangal, vinegar, mustard and homemade chilli paste, is commonly enjoyed on Boxing Day.

One of today's most popular Indian-inspired dishes came about more recently. Fish head curry is thought to have been created in the 1950s by a Keralan chef who balked at the idea of discarding edible parts of the fish. While fish head does not exist in Indian cooking, it does in Chinese, so the dish became a hit (as the story goes, anyway).

Looking forward
It is fitting that this merging of cultures would take modern day shape in Singapore's hawker centres. The country's multicultural dishes, though, are also making their way into the world of fine dining, with some restaurants re-imagining old classics and others simply upgrading traditional recipes.”

An excerpt of an article from https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20101214-travelwise-singaporean-foods-past-and-present

# data[].attributes.body
Singaporeans love chicken rice (ji fan) which has originated from China. It is sold in hawker centres which makes it easy and convenient for people to buy and savour after a long day of work as they are simple and delicious and cheap. Hainanese chicken rice is a dish adapted from early Chinese immigrants originally from Hainan province in southern China. Chicken rice is eaten almost everywhere and anywhere. In Singapore, the dish is infused with local Cantonese influences which inspired the tangy red chilli sauce dip and the use of tender and young chicken.
https://www.visitsingapore.com/dining-drinks-singapore/local-dishes/hainanese-chicken-rice/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When you see succulent cooked chicken hanging neatly in a row at a food stall, you are looking at one of the nation's favourite dishes-Hainanese Chicken Rice.

A ubiquitous sight in hawker centres across the country, it is also on the menu in many major restaurants and even hotel cafés. All offer the same dish at varying prices: bite-sized slices of chicken-or a whole chicken if you're eating as a big group-served with fragrant rice, spicy chilli and ginger paste.

The recipe for the dish is adapted from early Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island, off the southern coast of China. Back in Hainan, locals call the dish " Wenchang chicken". They use a particular fowl that is bony and fibrous, and serve the chicken with oily rice. A ground green chilli dip rounds off the dish.

Singapore-style chicken rice

The cooking method hails back to its Hainanese roots, with a few uniquely Singaporean twists. The chicken is steeped in boiling water or blanched till it is fully cooked, before soaking it in cold water to ensure the meat remains tender. In a local twist, the chicken can also be roasted or braised in soya sauce for a different taste.

In Singapore, the dish is infused with local Cantonese influences which inspired the tangy red chilli sauce dip and the use of tender and young chicken.

It is, however, the rice and chilli sauce that can make or break the dish. The rice, cooked in chicken stock with ginger and pandan leaves, should have just the right amount of oiliness, while the chilli must possess the right blend of both spiciness and sourness.

To taste this local delight for yourself, check out this link.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When you see succulent cooked chicken hanging neatly in a row at a food stall, you are looking at one of the nation's favourite dishes-Hainanese Chicken Rice. A ubiquitous sight in hawker centres across the country, it is also on the menu in many major restaurants and even hotel cafés.

# data[].attributes.body
Culinary techniques improved with the introduction of pottery, the domestication of livestock, and the cultivation of edible plants. Bread making probably originated in Egypt. Different cooking techniques were started around the world. Techniques that allowed ancient civilizations to preserve their goods and move to other lands. Farming techniques was a vita. Improvements in farming efficiency began slowly and then accelerated. Farming began c. 10,000 BC on land that became known as the Fertile Crescent. Hunter-gatherers, who had traveled to the area in search of food, began to harvest (gather) wild grains they found growing there. They scattered spare grains on the ground to grow more food. By around 9000 BC, people were storing grains during the winter, then sowing them in specially cleared plots. By 8000 BC, the farmers had discovered which grains gave the best yields and selected these for planting. They produced more food than they needed and were able to feed non-farmers such as craft workers and traders. Farming and the domestication of animals brought stability and growth to civilization.

Retrieved from: https://kitchenofthefuture.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/the-past-present-future-of-cooking/

# data[].attributes.body
You'd expect us to say this, but the truth is that open fires are incredibly inefficient with one study showing that they can actually make the rest of the house colder because of the amount of combustion air that they need to consume, including most of the warm air the fire is creating. Open fires, at best, operate around 15% efficiency compared with efficiencies of over 80% for some modern stoves (eg the Horse Flame Precision I is 84.3% efficient). Many of The Stove Yard's customers are happy to tell us that they save between two thirds and half of the wood that they previously used on their open fire – a huge saving if you have to buy your wood fuel (or even if you have to chop it!). Stove owners will also get much more heat output per fuel load than from the same load in an equivalent open fire and the stove's heat is also very controllable. Heat from multi fuel stoves and wood burners is also cleaner and therefore kinder to your decor and furnishings because the products of the combustion process are all contained within an enclosed fire chamber. This has the added advantage that smoky smells are virtually non-existent.

https://www.thestoveyard.com/pages/what-are-the-advantages-of-a-stove-over-an-open-fire

# data[].attributes.body
As seen in the picture, people from the olden times used firewood to cook dishes for their family and friends since electricity was not developed at that time.

Charcoal was also used when firewood was not available. People would light up the charcoal using match sticks.

We now have gas/electric stoves to do the job for us

National Archives of Singapore. (1950, July 20). Traditional Cooking Method Using Firewood and Charcoal.
Retrieved from:
https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs

# data[].attributes.body
In the past, people used charcoal and firewood for cooking and boiling as electricity was not available at that time. Starters and kerosene was used to start the fire and a blower allowed the fire to burn better. It shows that in the past we had to start fires ourselves. Now we could get it using electricity, from the stove to cook or boil.

Yeo, Hong Eng. (1960). The Charcoal stove and Kettle. Retrieved from:
https://www.singaporememory.sg/contents/SMA-9238b27a-aed9-46a5

# data[].attributes.body
In the olden days, people did not have refrigerators to preserve their food like we have now. However, they could make use of their surrounding sand preserve food well. They preserved their food by drying the moisture in it so that it won‘t get spoiled.

This preservation method is known as curing.

These days, in order to preserve food, we place them in refrigerators or air-tight containers to reduce the growth of fungi and chances of spoiling.

Curing is still being used in modern times to make sure that their ingredients stay fresh.

Hybarger, Courtney. (2007). When Dinner Wasn’t Quick and Easy.
Retrieved from:
https://www.ncpedia.org/culture/food/cooking-in-the-1800s

# data[].attributes.body
It shows that now, with the advancement in technology, many food appliances have been invented to make cooking an much more easier task for all of us. It has also changed the way we cook and has developed many different cooking methods which use these appliances. These appliances have many functions that can even perform more than on task, compared to olden day appliances.

Kitchen Of The Future(2016,May 8) The Past, Present and Future of Cooking.
Retrieved from:
https://kitchenofthefuture.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/the-past-present-future-of-cooking/

# data[].attributes.body
Wood fire cooking is the oldest methods of cooking food. This source however is a continuous source as chefs are switching back to using wood fire ovens to cook their dishes which gives the food distinct flavours. This method of cooking has been continued from the past and also widely used.

Maureen. (2017, July 7). Firebake – The Theatre of Breadmaking Unfolds.
Retrieved from:
https://www.misstamchiak.com/firebake/

# data[].attributes.body
“Your parents, and possibly grandparents, might still remember memories of cheeseburgers, root beer floats and curly fries as American fast food was introduced to the island for the first time. It holds a special place in Singaporeans’ hearts and today – with four outlets located at Jewel Changi, Ang Mo Kio Hub, Canberra Plaza and Jurong Point – let’s hope it’s here to stay.”

Billy Tran, 11 Longest Surviving Food Chains in Singapore Then vs Now. Published: 2 July 2021. Type of source: Primary. Retrieved from: https://thesmartlocal.com/read/fast-food-restaurants-singapore/

# data[].attributes.body
Tuas Village in Jurong

“Small cluster of coffee shops, shophouses an four seafood restaurants at the end of Tuas, near the sea for the past four years or so, Jurong Town Corporation have been acquiring Tuas bit by bit for its marine and engineering industries. The residents have gone, but the eating places have remained to serve the people who keep on coming, drawn by the reputation of the seafood sold there. Seafood lovers are deterred to enjoy their Tuas cuisine as long as it lasts wile coffee shop and restaurant owners worry over their uncertain future as almost all of the Tuas village in Jurong has been swallowed up by developments. Picture shows customers enjoying food at a seafood restaurant and coffeeshop the sea is in the background.”

Author: NA. End of Tuas, Singapore, 02/01/1978, courtesy of National Archives Singapore. Type of source: Secondary. Retrieved from: https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/b7b3f8eb-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad

# data[].attributes.body
“Hawker food first arrived in the nineteenth century with the influx of immigrants to the Malayan Peninsula. These immigrants found work in ports, plantations and mines. Cheap and convenient meals were in great demand by manual labourers. This need was met by itinerant hawkers, who served up a variety of dishes.

After World War II, three-quarters of the population were crammed into the city centre. Street hawkers congregated in hotspots, with the ensuing crowds blocking out entire streets to traffic. Unsanitary food preparation and improper waste disposal led to public health concerns, as hawkers were linked with cholera and typhoid outbreaks.. This was compounded by itinerancy, making hawkers vectors for the spread of disease.

But the problem was also an opportunity. In 1965, the newly independent government embarked on a plan to redevelop the city centre, which was then filled with slums, into a business district. To do this, it first needed to create new homes outside the city centre and relocate the population living in the city there. When the Housing and Development Board (HDB) started building public housing in the 1970s, urban planners sited centralised hawker centres in housing estates. Registration for hawkers was introduced around the same time, transplanting once-itinerant hawkers into state-built hawker centres. This was the birth of hawker centres as we know it today. Hawkers were thus relocated along with most of the resident population into new housing estates outside the city centre.

Over time, hawker centres evolved beyond food centres to become a symbol of heritage and culture. A notable example is Newton Food Centre, built in 1971. The architecture and landscape at the food centre recreated the atmosphere of the plantations that once dominated the area. Another notable example is Bedok Food Centre, which is located in an area that used to be a Malay kampung. The design concept was based on a Malay theme, including the entrance roof inspired by the Minangkabau style of architecture, as well as lush tropical vegetation to evoke the feeling of a kampung.”

Newton Food Centre, c.1971
Author: NA. The Past and Future of Hawker Centres. Published: 26 July 2019. Type of source: Secondary. Retrieved from: https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Resources/Ideas-and-Trends/Hawker-centres

# data[].attributes.body
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore. A STREET HAWKER IN CHINATOWN. Published: 1960. Type of source: Primary. Retrieved from: https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/b89e4f7e-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad

# data[].attributes.body
“Village Cinemas in Singapore. McDonald’s first introduced a self-service kiosk in 2004, and presently it has around 25 self-service kiosks. McDonald’s Director of Technology Tan Min Hui, stated, “We’ll continue to introduce self-service kiosks to more restaurants as well as leverage technology to offer our customers as an even better dining experience.” Following which, this concept attracted a lot of attention and is steadily getting accepted by the fast food franchises, and large chain restaurants in Singapore.

This format has gained widespread acceptance for reasons more than one. Not only it helps the restaurants to counter the chronic problem of labor shortage, but it also helps them to reduce their operating expense and boosts the customer experience as it accelerates the entire ordering process while reducing the scope of manual mistakes to a great extent.

Self-service kiosks, which customers can access 24X7 has been present in Japan for decades; however, it is never too late to catch up to something new. The F&B industry in Singapore has already made its presence felt in this format; they need to hone their skills a bit further!

The concept has garnered so much of attention that the fried chicken chain Popeyes joined the club alongside with the leading fast-food rivals like Yoshinoya, McDonald’s and BurgerUp.”

Author: NA. The Rise of Self-Service Kiosks in the Singapore Restaurant Industry. Published: Not stated. Type of source: Secondary. Retrieved from: https://www.posist.com/restaurant-times/singapore/self-serving-kiosks.html

# data[].attributes.body
“After Singapore’s independence in 1965, along with the move to turn Singapore into the region’s business hub, the work of licensing hawkers and relocating them into more organised spaces picked up momentum. In 1968 and 1969, the government conducted an islandwide registration of street hawkers, issuing temporary licenses and moving them into back lanes, car parks, and vacant plots of land.

The five-year span between 1974 to 1979 saw 54 hawker centres built to serve residents and workers across the nation. Different architectural and design themes gave each hawker centre their unique touch. Newton Hawker Centre, for example, was built in 1971 with the idea of having “hawker stalls in a garden setting” with trees for shade, hedges and shrubs alongside a car park and a public toilet. The last food centre to be erected during this phase was Block 505 Market and Food Centre at Jurong West Street 52, in 1986.

Today, more than 110 hawker centres are located across Singapore, and there are plans to construct even more to better cater to our population (data extracted from the website of the National Environment Agency).”

Author: NA. The History and Evolution of Singapore’s Hawker Culture. Published: 15 December 2021. Type of source: Secondary. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi_w7mj44b5AhVgRmwGHdnuCboQFnoECBcQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.roots.gov.sg%2Fstories-landing%2Fstories%2FServing-Up-a-Legacy&usg=AOvVaw1rUGygcJsVZcXRgGDrvdEl

# data[].attributes.body
Zam Zam Restaurant, c. 1908

Author: Time out Singapore editors

TItle: 697-699 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 198675

Courtesy of Timeout Singapore

12 oldest restaurants in Singapore

Source taken from: https://www.timeout.com/singapore/restaurants/the-oldest-restaurants-in-singapore

Date: 25 Feb 2019

Type of source: Primary

# data[].attributes.body
Singaporeans turn to food delivery platforms to support local eateries from home

During Singapore's circuit breaker, the dine-in ban didn't stop Singaporeans from showing love to their favourite local eateries. The survey revealed that almost 3 in 5 (58%) Singaporeans prefer to order from local restaurants, with those aged 55 and above taking the lead (70%), followed by respondents aged 35-54 (65%).

Rising trend in Singaporeans ordering groceries straight to the doorstep through food delivery apps

Over a fifth (21%) of Singaporeans said they are most likely to order from grocery stores when using food delivery services. This trend can be attributed to the growing demand to purchase essential items online. Deliveroo launched its on-demand grocery delivery service last October to provide customers with greater access to a plethora of grocery products, especially important amidst the ongoing pandemic. These include household essentials such as fruit and vegetables, meat and seafood, eggs, milk and dairy, snacks and sweets, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and store cupboard essentials. Deliveroo's grocery partners include British retailer Marks & Spencer and specialty store favourites serving different areas of Singapore, including Blu Kouzina Mart, Ryan's Grocer and Kuriya Japanese Market.

Author: Deliveroo

Title: Food delivery platforms deliver more than just food; serves up happiness in a time of uncertainty

Source taken from:https://sg.deliveroo.news/news/food-delivery-survey-2021.html

Published: 8 February 2021

# data[].attributes.body
When the British first established a trading post in 1819 in what was then known as Singapura, the indigenous Malay population hovered around 1,000. By the 1830s, thousands of Chinese—mostly men—emigrated here to trade and work in plantations and docks. They were joined by Indians, who came to do construction or serve in the military. This all increased the island’s population tenfold.

These workers needed quick, hearty meals, spawning a proliferation of itinerant hawkers selling comfort food—noodles, curries, skewered meats—from their home countries. Carrying baskets on poles balanced on their shoulders or pushing carts equipped with stoves, the hawkers peddled hot meals around town, stopping at various immigrant settlements.

Author: Rachel Ng

Title: Singapore’s iconic, but endangered, street food now has UNESCO status

Source taken from: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/why-unesco-is-honoring-singapore-street-food

Published: 29 January 2021

# data[].attributes.body
Title: VIEW OF PORTABLE HAWKER STALLS

Source taken from:https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/20c6f5bf-1162-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad

View of portable hawker stalls

Date: 1930

Type of source: Secondary

Date on which picture was taken: 1930

# data[].attributes.body
An excerpt from the article on NLB eresource on history of curry puffs

# data[].attributes.body
Old Chang Kee new flavour - Rendang Chicken flavour curry puff

# data[].attributes.body
An excerpt of an article of today online.

# data[].attributes.body
Picture of father and daughter eating porridge in the past

# data[].attributes.body
Picture of instant porridge which is what people eat now

# data[].attributes.body
Grilling foods also uses less oil and melts the fat from meat. This healthy cooking method helps prevent cardiovascular diseases and other heart diseases. Since the cooking time is reduced, the nutrients and flavours stay intact. But remember to prevent burning the food, to prevent cancer.
He also mentions the different health benefits of grilling foods:
"Vegetables retain more vitamins and minerals.
High heat from the grill seals in the moisture and keeps food tender so there's no need to add oil or butter.' But there are two options of grilling food - electric/gas indoor grill or
on charcoal. Grilling food over charcoal can result in you inhaling smoke. Executive Chef Sahil Arora shares his opinion, "A charcoal grill provide a more distinctive flavour and backyard aroma, and it's easy to combine woodchips or other natural ingredients with the coal for additional flavour. However, charcoal is messy and sometimes difficult to ignite, and once lit it takes a little while to reach the desired temperature, since it is not favourable for daily cooking."

Retrieved from:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/why-is-grilling-a-healthy-cooking-method/articleshow/23884284.cms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is grilling a healthy cooking method? - Times of India

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your cooking method can make a difference to your waistline and cholesterol level. Executive Chef Sahil Arora from Jaipur Marriott explains why grilli

# data[].attributes.body
There used to be roadside hawker stalls by the Singapore River in the 70s.
A.J. Hawker Collection,courtesy of the National Archivesof Singapore,https://www.nas.gov.sg/archives online/blast from the past/foodculture

# data[].attributes.body
When we were staying in Marshall Road,you know the houses,the shophouses are upstairs and downstairs.There were hawkers who will knock.Supposing if its mee(noodles),The hawker will shout ‘tok tok’ mee.Or if its choke[congee ,a Chinese rice porridge,]he will shout out “Chee yoke [Cantonese for chicken],essam[Cantonese for raw fish]choke.”That means that it’s chicken porridge or pork porridge.

Then when you  call the man,the funny thing is you leave it down,and he will fill it up and you tell him okay,you want five cents worth of porridge,or you want your char kway[deep fried strips of dough],you want 10 pieces.

Or put piring[steamed rice flour cake filled with palms sugar,give me two packets.It’s a basket or in the old days,we’ll say”Kasi Turun Lu punya bakul[Malay for “Bring down your basket”].”You know the basket with a handle,leave it down and we will draw it up.

Oral History Interview with Aloysius Leo De Conceicao,Former Bank Officer at HSBC,Interviewed in 1998, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/blastfromthepast/foodculture

# data[].attributes.body
Young Singaporean chefs, trained in the finer points of European cuisine, are embracing the harvests that the island has to offer. They, too, are redefining Singaporean cuisine by uniting our traditional flavours and local produce with that of our favourite travel destinations. Today, we can dine on elegantly plated, deep-fried, locally farmed frog legs dredged in fermented prawn paste, and waffles served with local chicken liver pate and goji berry jam.

Source: https://www.theedgesingapore.com/options/food-beverage/short-history-singapore-food

# data[].attributes.body
Sir Stamford Raffles commissioned the construction of a commercial hub in Telok Ayer in 1822, to replace Singapore’s first market, which was located at the south bank of the Singapore River.In the mid-1980s, when a Mass Rapid Transit tunnel was being built under the market, the whole structure was taken apart, each of its 7,000 components logged and put in storage.
Source:http://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/2015/slider/microsite/index.html#laupasat

# data[].attributes.body
With out saying a word, the ice ball seller  began to work. He held up a rectangular piece of wood that had some nails punched trough, exposing their sharpe ends. He sank the nails into the ice block and positioned the ice over a wooden grater. Then, he expertly slid it over back and forth, shaving the ice into same splinters. This he collected with his hand. He placed spoonful of red bean and silvers of green chendol and burried them into the middle of the shaved ice. Using both hands, he deftly compressed the ice into a ball, neatly enclosing the ingredients into a ball.

Writer Si-Hoe in her book “house on silat road” which contains the recounts of her child hood.

# data[].attributes.body
Chilli crab is said to have been invented by Cher Yam Tian in the mid 1850swhen she added bottled chilli sauce to her dish of stir-fried crabs, instead of using tomato sauce, her usual ingredient. In 1956, she and her husband began selling the dish from a pushcart along the seaside. Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish among locals and foreigners in Singapore, and consists of mud crabs deep-fried in a sweet, savoury and spicy gravy. It has been referred to in various food publications as Singapore’s national seafood dish or even Singapore’s national dish.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1112_2011-06-17.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish among locals and foreigners in Singapore, and consists of mud crabs deep-fried in a sweet, savoury and spicy gravy.Chilli crab is said to have been invented by Cher Yam Tian in the mid 1950s when she added bottled chilli sauce to her dish of stir-fried crabs, instead of using tomato sauce, her usual ingredient. In 1956, she and her husband began selling the dish from a pushcart along the seaside. Business was good and they eventually opened a restaurant in 1962, called Palm Beach, at 514 Hooi Kok Wah, one of the four local chefs known as the "heavenly kings" of Chinese cuisine in the 1960s, is also considered a pioneer in the history of chilli crab in Singapore. When he opened Dragon Phoenix Restaurant in 1963,In 2009, Malaysian tourism minister Ng Yen Yen claimed that chilli crab was one of several Malaysian dishes that had been wrongly credited to other countries.Bread is often eaten with chilli crab. A favourite way of eating is to sop up the spicy sweet and sour gravy with the bread, which could be soft white bread, baguette or fried Chinese buns called The 2. Naleeza Ebrahim, & Yaw, Y. Y. (2006). 3. Lee, J. (2009, September 19). 4. Seetoh, K. F. (Ed.). (2010). 5. Lee, J. (2009, September 19). 7. 10. Naleeza Ebrahim, & Yaw, Y. Y. (2006). 15. Singapore Tourism Board. (2016). 16. Chuang, P. M. (2005, August 6). ¹ It has been referred to in various food publications as Singapore's national seafood dish or even Singapore's national dish. 2
History
Upper East Coast Road. In 1984, they sold off some of their shares in the business to migrate to New Zealand. ³
4 Hooi created a sourer version of chilli crab that used lemon juice, vinegar, sambal, tomato paste and egg white in the gravy, instead of bottled chilli and tomato sauces. This has become the more common version of the dish in Singapore. ⁵
⁶ Many Singaporeans were indignant as chilli crab was widely regarded as a local creation. ⁷ Ng's claim has not yet been substantiated. ⁸ Description The dish consists of deep-fried crabs that are served in a chilli- and tomato-based gravy. 9 Mud crabs are normally used and these are usually Sri Lankan, Burmese or Filipino in origin.

After the crab has been cleaned and chopped into smaller pieces, it is deep-fried in oil and then deep-fried again in the gravy. Corn flour and beaten eggs are added near the end of the cooking process to thicken the gravy. mantou. ¹⁰
Chilli crab in Singapore and abroad Chilli crab is readily available in Singapore, with numerous seafood restaurants across the island offering the dish. ¹¹ Ready-mix chilli crab pastes have been developed for those who prefer to cook it themselves. ¹² The popularity of chilli crab has also brought about innovative adaptations such as chilli crab dumplings Singapore Tourism Board officially promotes chilli crab as one of Singapore's signature dishes through its website 15 and at overseas events. One such event is the Tiger Beer Singapore Chilli Crab Festival, which has been held in various cities including London and New York.

Authors 16 ¹³ and chilli crab sandwiches. ¹⁴

References
Not just a good food guide: Singapore

The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic. Chilli crab was created in Singapore. Makansutra: Eating lessons: The five star guide to no frills hawker food in Singapore Chilli crab was created in Singapore. Malaysia not intending to 'patent' local food. (2009, September 24). Not just a good food guide: Singapore Chilli crab. Retrieved from Singapore Tourism Board website: http://www.yoursingapore.com/dining-drinks-singapore/local-dishes/chilli-crab.html Another serving of chilli crab and Tiger Beer for New Yorkers. The Business Times, p. 1; Lee, C. W. (2006, July 19). Recipe for greater recognition. Today, p. 24. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, p. 150. (Call no.: RSING 647.955957 NAL)
The Straits Times, p. 19; Lee, J. (2009, September 19). Chilli crab was created in Singapore. The Straits Times, p. 112. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
The Straits Times, p. 112. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Singapore Tourism Board. (2016). Chilli crab. Retrieved from Singapore Tourism Board website: http://www.yoursingapore.com/dining-drinks-singapore/local-dishes/chilli-crab.html
. Singapore: Makansutra Pub., p. 81. (Call no.: RSING 647.955957 MEL-[DIR])
The Straits Times, p. 112; Claws and found. (2004, March 14). The Straits Times, p. L21; Lum, M. (1996, June 23). 40 good years dishing up chilli crabs. The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, p. 150. (Call no.: RSING 647.955957 NAL)

As the crab is served with the shell on, the dish is typically eaten with one's hands. Most restaurants will therefore provide wet towels or washing bowls. The pincers contain the most meat, but the meat from the body and legs tends to be smoother. To access the meat, diners have to strip away the somewhat intact but cracked shell. Sometimes they may have to crack the shell further using nutcrackers and mallets provided by the restaurants. The top shell, which is separated from the main body, may contain roe if the crab was female.

Damien Lim & Valerie Chew

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Chilli crab is a popular seafood dish among locals and foreigners in Singapore and consists of mud crabs deep-fried in a sweet, savoury and spicy gravy. It has been referred to in various food publications as Singapore's national seafood dish or even Singapore's national dish.

# data[].attributes.body
The story of Singapore's legendary Hock Lam beef noodles start 109 years ago, 3,000km away in Swatow 汕头 in China's Guangdong province. In 1911, Tan Chee Kok started a Teochew beef noodle stall in his hometown, Swatow.

Swatow townsfolk loved Tan Chee Kok's hearty, comforting savoury beefy slightly herbal soup with flat rice noodles and chunks of beef, tripe and tendons.

1911 was also the year, the 275 year old Qing dynasty finally collapsed after decades of rot and turmoil. The shattered empire descended further into more chaos and anarchy with warlords vying for power, waging war throughout the newborn Republic of China. Hundreds of thousands then millions were forced to leave China to escape wars and poverty.

This long period of  anarchy in China coincided with heightened demand for labourers in British Malaya including Singapore.

Peak inflows of Chinese indentured labourers known as coolies and also sinkeh ("new guests" in Hokkien language) were between 1823 and 1891, after Singapore became a free port. From 1910 to 1911, before World War I began (in 1914) and the imminent collapse of the Qing dynasty. Another surge came in 1926 but quickly tapered off with the onset of the Great Depression in 1927. Among the sinkeh was Tan Chee Kok who came to Singapore (which was part of British Malaya). (My own grandfather too came to Singapore in the 1920s, from Toishan in Guangdong

Once Tan Chee Kok arrived in Singapore, he started selling beef noodles, the only trade he knew - thus, bringing Swatow hometown flavours to Singapore. He didn't have a stall, but sold beef noodles from two large pots balanced on a bamboo pole slung across his shoulders. Tan Chee Kok lived in Simon Road, Hougang in Singapore's northeast and walked 10km down to the Fort Canning area near the former Anglo-Chinese School to sell his beef noodles. Tan Chee Kok was exactly like that hawker in the picture of ACS above, plying their trade on foot. The hardiness of Singapore's pioneer generation is amazing.

In those days, and to a lesser extent today, beef noodle is a minor luxury. It costs a little more than staples like Teochew bak chor mee (minced meat noodle) or Cantonese wanton noodle In 1921, Tan Chee Kok's son Tan Jin Seah (Tan Chin Sia) joined his father in Singapore. Tan Jin Seah worked at his father's beef noodle stall in Swatow since he was 11 years old and was 21 when he arrived in Singapore.

Together, Tan Chee Kok and son set up their street side stall at Hock Lam street, a stone's throw from Fort Canning. In those days, food stalls often have no name and would adopt the name of their location. Hence, Tan Chee Kok's stall became known as Hock Lam beef noodles

https://johorkaki.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-history-of-singapore-through-story-of.html

# data[].attributes.body
Bak kut teh, or pork ribs soup, is a popular Chinese dish in Singapore. The dish consists of pork ribs stewed with a mixture of fragrant herbs and spices such as garlic, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and coriander. Referring to the main ingredient in the dish, bak kut teh and rou gu cha (肉骨茶) translate literally to “meat bone tea”.

Bak kut teh is believed to have originated from China’s Fujian province. The introduction of the dish to Singapore and Malaysia is attributed to Hokkien immigrants who moved to this region in the 19th century. The dish is said to have been popular with the Chinese coolies as a hearty breakfast before embarking on their backbreaking tasks of the day.

It used to be called Coolie Tea (苦力茶) .As Coolie Tea, the meat bone was just cooked with garlic cloves and dark soy sauce. The Hokkien folks added Chinese herbs like dang gui and liquorice, and spices such as cinnamon and star anise to the garlic and soy sauce. Teochews added Sarawak white pepper and cut back on the black soy sauce.

https://johorkaki.blogspot.com/2020/05/history-of-singapore-bak-kut-teh-from.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History of Singapore Bak Kut Teh. From Coolie Tea to a President’s Treat

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tony Johor Kaki based in Singapore Malaysia Thailand travels the world for food

# data[].attributes.body
Peranakan traders known as Babas married local women who blended the noodle dishes their husbands grew up on with typical Southeast Asian ingredients like coconut milk, chili, and cilantro. Laksa curry was one result of this melding of cultures and quickly spread through the greater region; people were eating the rich, spicy noodle dish in four countries by the end of the 19th century, with slight modifications to each.

A steaming, aromatic bowl of laksa – from the Hokkien Laak Sua meaning spicy sand – which refers to the taste and texture of dried shrimp, owes its complex flavor to the hand pounded spice paste called rempeh. Taking its heat from chili’s, it’s briny funk from dried shrimp, its tang from blue ginger and a citrusy kick from lemongrass, rempeh is the backbone to a good laksa.
https://www.remotelands.com/travelogues/why-laksa-is-singapores-signature-dish/

# data[].attributes.body
As India and Singapore were under British occupation at the same time, it was inevitable that a steady stream of Indian immigrants made their way to Singapore. This was spurred on by unrest, instability and famine in India. Many Indian men came in search of peace, looking for work whilst others were serving military duties or prison terms before deciding to settle.

Fortunately, they brought their cuisine with them. One of the most common dishes you are likely to find here is Biryani. This dish comes straight from India. Made using Basmati rice, it is cooked together with fragrant spices like cardamom, turmeric, cloves and cinnamon to give it real flavour. The rice is served alongside moist, tender and succulent stewed chicken or mutton, perhaps topped with a small portion of spicy and tangy achar pickles.
Source: seasonedpioneers.com

# data[].attributes.body
Fried Hokkien prawn noodles, known locally as Hokkien mee, is a dish comprising thick yellow noodles fried in a rich prawn and pork stock and served with chilli and lime on the side. The history of Hokkien Mee started with two brothers, Ng Seng and Ng Tong who arrived in Singapore in the 40′s from Xiamen. They found work as coolies at the wholesale warehouse at Rochor Road which was a factory. After a long day’s work, they would gather for supper and fry up some noodles and other ingredients in a charcoal stove placed on the ground. Soon it began to be known as toh kah mee and kay luo mee. In the beginning there was no standard ingredient used for the noodles. Sometimes it may be squid and at other times it might be prawns. As it became more popular, it began to be known by other names such as Sotong Mee (squid noodles), Hei Mee (prawn noodles), Hokkien Cha (Hokkien fried).
http://ieatishootipost.sg/nam-sing-hokkien-mee-origins-hokkien-mee/

# data[].attributes.body
In Singapore, roti prata is famous and a hit for local food. Prata, originating from India, is a South-Indian flat bread made by frying stretched dough flavoured with ghee, it is usually served with fish or mutton curry. Prata is also known as paratha in Hindi. In Malaysia, prata is known as roti prata or roti canai. In Malaysia, prata is an infusion of the flat bread and other things to eat with like curry or sugar etc.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_869_2005-01-11.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A soft and yet crisp flatbread, roti prata (or paratha) is often eaten together with mutton or dhal curry. It is sold mostly by Indian Muslim stallholders at coffeeshops and Roti prata belongs to a group of breads indigenous to India. Introduced to Singapore by Indian immigrants, roti prata is said to be either of Punjabi origin as wheat dishes feature prominently in the Punjabi diet, or introduced by the Muslim conquerors, who also specialised in making various types of breads. Whatever its origin, roti prata has become an integral component of Indian cuisine in Singapore.Flour, ghee or margarine and salt are the basic ingredients for making roti prata. Water is added to the flour to form a stiff dough which is then kneaded. This is an important step in yielding a dough that is soft and pliable. By kneading, air is introduced into the dough, making it light. After this, the dough is divided into smaller portions and left to rest for at least five hours or overnight.Before the 'prata man' begins flipping the dough, he will first grease his work table and hands with edible oil. Then he takes a piece of the dough, flattens it on the table and with sure, swift movements, whirls and twirls the dough from left to right, and from right to left until it is paper thin, and has stretched four to five times its original size. This is the most difficult step in prata-making, and is considered an art in itself. After folding the stretched dough into a rectangle or a circular disc, he tosses it onto the hot and well-greased griddle.The prata is said to be cooked when dark brown "blisters" appear on the surface. A well-made prata should be crisp on the outside and soft inside.There are many variations of the ordinary prata. When egg is added, it becomes an egg prata. On the other hand, when minced meat such as mutton or chicken, eggs and onions are added, it is called 1. Have a "paratha". (1983). The information in this article is valid as at hawker centres. ¹ There are two common types of roti prata sold in Singapore - plain prata and prata with egg. However, these days, many eateries offer interesting and innovative versions by adding cheese, mushrooms, bananas, sugar, jam, chocolate, and ice cream to the dish. ² To many, roti prata serves as a staple food for breakfast, lunch and dinner; although, it is most often eaten as a breakfast item. Origins ³ 4

Preparation
⁵

6

7 Roti prata is best enjoyed eaten with the fingers; the bread is torn into bite-size pieces, and dipped into curry before being popped into the mouth. In Singapore, however, it is not surprising to see the dish being served with a fork and spoon, or even a fork and knife. 8
Variations
muruthapa. Indian restaurants offering vegetarian fare sell muruthapa with a vegetable filling.

Author 9 These days, prata comes with all kinds of new-fangled fillings such as cheese, mushroom, tomato, garlic, chocolate, banana, condensed milk, jam, corn and even durian and chicken floss. There is also tissue prata, which is the exceptionally thin and crispy version drizzled with evaporated milk and sugar. 10 Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 12-13. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ); Sanmugam, D., & Kasinathan, S. (2011). 11 October 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic. Indian heritage cooking. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, p. 14. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 DEV)
2. Sanmugam, D., & Kasinathan, S. (2011). Indian heritage cooking. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, pp. 14, 34. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 DEV)
3 Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 11. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ); Wibisono, D., Wong, D., & Invernizzi, L. (2001). The food of Singapore: Authentic recipes from the Manhattan of the east. Singapore: Periplus Editions, p. 18. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 WIB)
4. Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 12. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ)
5. Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 12. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ); Yeo, C., & Jue, J. (1993). The cooking of Singapore: Great dishes from Asia's culinary crossroads. Emeryville, Calif: Harlow & Ratner, pp. 86-87. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 YEO)
6. Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 12. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ)
7. Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 12. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ); Yeo, C., & Jue, J. (1993). The cooking of Singapore: Great dishes from Asia's culinary crossroads. Emeryville, Calif: Harlow & Ratner, pp. 86-87. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 YEO)
8. Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 13. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ); Murtabak, maestro please. (1989, May 28). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Have a "paratha". (1983). Goodwood Journal. 3rd Qtr., 13. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ)
10. Teo, P. L. (2003, August 24). Place where chicken floss meets prata. The Straits Times, p. 9; Tee, H. C. (2001, April 29). Prata ra-ra. The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Anasuya Balamurugan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A soft and yet crisp flatbread, roti prata (or paratha) is often eaten together with mutton or dhal curry. It is sold mostly by Indian Muslim stallholders at coffeeshops and hawker centres. There are two common types of roti prata sold in Singapore - plain prata and prata with egg.

# data[].attributes.body
According to local food blogger Leslie Tay of ieatishootipost, burgers were first introduced to Singapore around the late 1960s and early 1970s when fast-food chain A&W set up shop in Singapore. McDonald’s and Burger King followed in the years to come, familiarising the population with burgers. Other local restaurateurs also gradually upped their game, Dr Tay added.

“The buns started to get better … And people started doing all sorts of things to the patty – grilling in a charcoal oven, experimenting with smashed patties.”

The demand for burgers spiked as the world’s population expands because the new generation is absolutely in love with this western food.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/burger-demand-singapore-five-guys-shake-shack-opening-422791

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Shake Shack Singapore said that it too has been "humbled" by the response of fans. When asked about possible expansion plans, it said its priority is to focus on its existing five outlets for now.

To differentiate itself, it added that it seeks out local ingredients and food partners as a nod to the country's culture.

Standing out is essential amid a mature burger scene with many players, Dr Tay said, adding that it has not been easy for stalls to stay afloat. In fact, many eateries on a list he curated in 2016 have now shuttered.

The ultimate winner in this is the consumer, because competition can help keep prices down for them, Dr Tay told CNA.

Despite that, he believes the market still has room for more players, supported by demand from the younger generation.

Mr Loon agreed: "We're not reaching saturation point yet - far from it. As long as you can produce good burgers at an affordable price, then there will be people going.

"In the F&B industry, price versus value is a very tricky balance to get right," he said, adding that those who do not find this equilibrium will fall to the wayside.

Mr Loon also told CNA that different players satisfy different market segments, be it customers looking for "quick and dirty" burgers or patties with more luxurious cuts of meat.

"The cheaper burgers will tap a new segment of students, for example, who will eat there. And as they graduate then earn more, they can afford better burgers," Dr Tay added.

To cater to changing preferences, burger eateries are also starting to adjust their menus to introduce more sustainable, vegetarian or "flexitarian"-friendly options.

Ultimately, burgers are here to stay, both Mr Loon and Dr Tay said.

"It's already in the same category of comfort food as mee pok or chicken rice. From kids, up to my generation of those in their 40s, who grew up with it as comfort food, burgers are deeply entrenched," said Mr Loon.

"It's one of those things that are fad-free. It's always in fashion. It may go through different iterations but people will always want to eat burgers," Dr Tay said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'We're not reaching saturation point yet': Behind Singapore's insatiable appetite for burgers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shake Shack Singapore said that it too has been "humbled" by the response of fans. When asked about possible expansion plans, it said its priority is to focus on its existing five outlets for now. To differentiate itself, it added that it seeks out local ingredients and food partners as a nod to the country's culture.

# data[].attributes.body
Kaya toast is a popular Malaysian and Singaporean breakfast consisting of two slices of toasted bread filled with kaya, a traditional spread made with sugar, eggs, coconut milk, and pandan flavoring. The dish is typically served with a slice of butter and two semi-boiled eggs on the side, paired with a cup of milk tea or hot coffee. It is believed that the dish originated with Hainanese people who worked on British ships as cooks. Eventually, they settled in Singapore and started to sell their food to the locals, who then replaced the British jams with local coconut spreads. Today, there is a variety of kaya toasts such as cracker kaya toast, steamed kaya toast, and French kaya toast. Kaya is a custard of coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, flavored with pandan leaf, which gives the jam the perfume of freshly cut grass.
https://www.tasteatlas.com/kaya-toast

# data[].attributes.body
Trengganu Street connects four streets in Chinatown: Pagoda Street, Temple Street, Smith Street and Sago Street. Trengganu Street was well-known as the famous Lai Chun Yuen opera house was located at the junction of Smith Street and Trengganu Street. Built in 1887, the opera house occupied a three-storey shophouse, and featured an 834-seat theatre. It was considered the Broadway or West End of Cantonese opera, and also hosted famous opera stars from China and Hong Kong.

By the late 1920s, the theatre experienced a decline in popularity due to the introduction of motion pictures. A few months before World War II broke out, the theatre was rented to Shaw Brothers, which screened movies there. During the war, a bomb blast badly damaged the theatre. Post-war renovations were carried out, but by then, the building had become a merchandise shop and later a warehouse for street hawkers. During the Japanese Occupation, the block of flats that lined Trengganu Street, from Smith Street to Sago Street became home to Malay families who sought shelter and protection.

The building which housed the opera house was restored to its Victorian splendour in 1998 and was acquired by a Taiwanese businessman for $50 million. He later donated it to the Singapore branch of the Taiwan-based Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, which occupied the premises until 2005. The conversion of this shophouse into a commercial complex earned it an entry to the 2002 UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Trengganu Street was also famous for hawkers serving exotic fare. Their specialties were brewed tonic soups made from a concoction of tortoise, turtle, snake, lizard, or fruit bat served in thick ceramic urns.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_330_2005-01-22.html

# data[].attributes.body
A short drive (or walk) from Orchard Road, this bustling hawker center will look familiar thanks to its cameo in Crazy Rich Asians. Here, the seafood stalls are plentiful (and most are excellent and there’s a dizzying array of food to try, from laksa (spicy coconut noodle soup) to satay (spiced skewers served with a peanut sauce), ice kachang(shaved ice), and fresh-off-the-griddle oyster omelette. Top it all off with a glass of cold sugarcane juice.

# data[].attributes.body
In 1988, it was painstakingly put together again, like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

As the Telok Ayer Festival Market in the early noughties, the reassembled market was pimped up with live entertainment, a pub and other gimmicks.
Source:http://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/2015/slider/microsite/index.html#laupasat

# data[].attributes.body
If there were times when we had somebody who wasn’t a frightfully adequate cook or when I hadn’t the time to market or times we fancied a treat but perhaps didn’t want to go out,the tiffin carrier came in a lot.There were various dishes that we couldn’t cook at home and suddenly think we’d have Waterloo Street Rojak or Purvis street chicken rice for Sunday lunch.oh and a restaurant Called the Hillman in Cantonment road as far as I recall,was the first clay pot cooking which came into Singapore.At that time it[cooking]wasn’t a thing one thought of doing at home.I can recall having a constant deposit of $2 with the restaurant for taking their clay pot home and bringing it back and getting another one.I recall more perhaps bringing a food treat than going out and eating at restaurants.The only food treat I recall that didn’t carry home well and therefore went out was dim sum because on the whole dim sum had to be eaten on the spot.I think possibly now people might tend to eat out more ,whereas in those days,we certainly would often buy stuff back.
Source:
Oral History Interview with Mrs Ann Wee née Wilcox,former professorial Fellow ,Interviewed in 1995,https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/blastfromthepast/foodculture

# data[].attributes.body
Thosai
This South Indian snack is made of various fermented pulses including dhal beans, rice flour and halba (Malay for fenugreek). The process of making thosai begins with soaking the urad dhal (black gram) and fenugreek for six hours in water. The ingredients are then drained before cooked rice and water are added to the mix and blended to a very smooth texture. Traditionally, the mixture is ground using a stone grinder, as it is believed that this results in a smoother thosai. Next, rice flour and salt are added to the mixture and stirred to form a lump-free batter, which is then left for at least 12 hours to ferment. In Singapore, Thosai is sold everywhere in hawker centres and Indian restaurants. The Indians who came to Singapore in the early days started the cuisine.
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2014-12-23_103418.html

# data[].attributes.body
Many immigrant saw street hawking as a good way to earn a living ,as it required little capital.These early pioneers started to ply the streets,serving the dishes they were most familiar with.The streets were bustling with activity,colours ,aromas and flavours.Chinese hawkers would carry their mobile kitchens around,balanced on a bamboo pole along with their ingredients and utensils,so they could serve up piping hot meals on the go.Malay hawkers typically sold fruits and flame grilled meat sticks,a dish that we would come to know as satay.Indian hawkers added colourful sweets,cakes and jellies to the street scene.One could even see a hawker walking his cow or goat on the street,ready to ‘dispense ‘ fresh milk whenever a customer demanded.
SOURCE:https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-
landing/stories/Serving-Up-a-Legacy
(From roots sg)

# data[].attributes.body
Fish head curry is unique to Singapore, the epitome of a cultural melting pot. It mixes the spices of a typical South Indian curry with the fish head, a delicacy among the Chinese. Fish head curry is an iconic dish in Singapore: the head of a sea bream, served with vegetables in a spicy curry. It is a dish that represents the fusion of various cultures and a reflection of Singapore’s multicultural identity. Fish head curry was created in the kitchen of a small Indian restaurant in the 1940s. Fish head is not considered an Indian ingredient, but to please his Chinese customers, restaurant owner M.J. Gomez blended Indian curry with the Chinese favourite fish head. Today, it is on the menu in Indian, Chinese, Malay and Peranakan restaurants,

https://www.visitsingapore.com/en_my/dining-drinks-singapore/local-dishes/fish-head-curry/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not for the faint hearted, fish head curry is a stew that brings together Singapore’s different cultural influences into one flavourful punch.

# data[].attributes.body
Another of Singapore’s favourite dishes is Laksa. It is believed that this dish originated from the marriages of Malay women to Chinese sailors and labourers. It’s a soup-like dish of thick rice vermicelli with prawns, fishcake, tau pok (tofu puff), and see hum (blood cockles) in a rich, spicy coconut-based broth, garnished with roughly-chopped daun kesum (laksa leaves). For the spicy broth, you will find dried red chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, cashews or candlenuts, coriander, cumin and sweet paprika.
Source: seasonedpioneers.com

# data[].attributes.body
The People’s Park Food Centre had its beginnings as a humble “food shelter” set up by the municipality in 1923 to provide cover for street hawkers in the area. The first shelter had proven to be so popular amongst the hawkers that within months after its opening, more were added and the municipality “turned” it into a market. By 1930, such was its success that it was made into a day and night market. From then, it continued growing. By 1940, the market had 323 stalls, making it Singapore’s largest market then. It was this legacy that made it Singapore's first and oldest pasar malam (“night market” in Malay).
Roots.sg. (Photos from 1965) People’s Park Food Centre. Retrieved from https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/Hawker-Centres/Peoples-Park-Food-Centre

# data[].attributes.body
Tiffin room: A part of Raffles’ history since 1892, Tiffin Room continues to serve up delectable North Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner, offering authentic specialties served in tiffin boxes, presenting an interactive dining experience with tableside service by chefs, complete with freshly ground spices to enhance the occasion. The restored interior décor includes reinstating the wooden floorboards in Tiffin Room to bring back features from the early 1900s based on research by our heritage consultants.

# data[].attributes.body
When it was completed in 1958, it provided the estate with 172 stalls for fresh and cooked foods. Yet, by the 1960s, these stalls were inadequate to accommodate all the street hawkers who had gathered at the estate. In response, the government erected sheltered pitches all around the market in 1963. The makeshift measure expanding the market added spaces for 315 additional hawkers. This essentially doubled the number of stalls at the market. However, there was still a need for a more permanent solution to the hawker problem at Kallang.

The solution was found in 1972 with the building of Old Airport Road Hawker Centre as part of the Kallang Airport Estate Redevelopment Scheme. The new facility was an Emporium-cum-Hawker Centre with food stalls on the ground floor and shopping on the upper levels of the building. When it was completed, it was considered the most modern hawker centre, which had incorporated the latest architectural designs.

The new hawker centre, costing $2.5 million, accommodated 176 food stalls on its ground floor and 136 shop units on its upper floor. It was built as part of the government’s 1970s plan to relocate street hawkers into purpose-built food centers which had no wet market attached. Also, in terms of design, the Old Airport Road Food Centre reflected same design of those food centres erected in New Towns of the 1960s and 1970s, like those at Woodlands and Commonwealth Avenue. These hawker centres were by and large flat roofed and had two-levels to cater to the needs of a densely populated district.

https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/Hawker-Centres/Blk-51-Old-Airport-Road

# data[].attributes.body
The first Indian immigrants to Singapore were also from the country’s south. They, too, worked as labourers, while others became money lenders and traders. Some Indian convicts, brought by the British to build Singapore’s infrastructure, stayed on after serving their sentences and made Singapore home.

The cuisines of these early migrants were thus woven into the country’s fabric and contributed dishes famous in Singapore, such as Indian rojak. Comprising fried fritters served with a thick, sweet sauce, the dish is said to have been invented by the Indians using ingredients that catered to the Chinese palate.

https://www.theedgesingapore.com/options/food-beverage/short-history-singapore-food

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
A history of Singapore, explained in 10 dishes

# data[].attributes.body
Before television sets cinema was the main source of entertainment

Kacang puteh, Malay for “white beans,” is a selection of nuts, crackers, and grain legumes. The mix was traditionally packed in cones made from newspaper and sold by pushcart vendors outside cinemas. These pushcarts usually contained a range of snacks, including roasted cashew nuts, steamed chickpeas, sugar-coated peanuts, and murukku, a crunchy and savory Indian snack.

The local cinema industry took a hit in the 1980s with the emergence of video-cassette recorders and rampant video piracy. Lower cinema attendances meant fewer customers, with the arrival of cineplexes eventually sounding the death knell for kacang puteh vendors. These modern cineplexes often come with adjoining food and beverage stands and strict rules on the consumption of snacks bought elsewhere.

Amirthaalangaram Moorthy is the only kacang puteh vendor whose stall is near a bus stop on Selegie Road right outside Peace Centre. But in the face of inexpensive, shiny packs of factory-produced party snacks stocked at convenience stores and supermarkets, he has stiff competition.
https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2019/a-history-of-singapore-in-10-dishes/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The history of a food-obsessed city-state through its multifaceted cuisine.

One of my earliest memories is of sitting around a makeshift communal table with my mother and sister, past our bedtime, in front of the car park at the public housing estate we lived in in Singapore. It was sometime in the mid-1980s, long after hygiene regulations had confined vendors to dedicated hawker centers. This pushcart stall, likely illegal, was probably one of the last of Singapore's itinerant hawkers. We sat on low stools, tucking into our piping-hot fishball soup and noodles served dry.

Singaporeans are obsessed with food. We can expound ceaselessly on where to find the best bak chor mee (minced meat noodles) and will queue for hours for a good yong tau foo (surimi-stuffed tofu and vegetables). Perhaps because most of us are descendants of immigrants thrust into an artificial construct of a nation, or maybe because we live in a country that is constantly renewing and rebuilding, one of the few tangible things that connects us to the past and our cultural identity is food.

There are many facets of Singaporean cuisine: Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian (a fusion of European and Asian dishes and ingredients) Peranakan (combining Chinese and Malay food traditions), and catch-all Western, which usually means old-school Hainanese-style British food-a local version of Western food adapted by chefs from the southern Chinese province of Hainan, who worked in British restaurants or households.

Feng

Singapore was a trading city going as early as the 14th century. Some early settlers were the and Chinese merchants, and various Indonesian empires lay claim to the territory before it became part of the Malay Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century.

In 1511, Portugal captured Malacca , then the world's largest spice market, in a bid to take control of the lucrative maritime Southeast Asia trade route. The Sultan of Malacca fled south and his son founded the Johor Sultanate, which encompassed Singapore. In 1613, the Portuguese came to Singapore on a punitive expedition and burned Singapore to the ground. It was abandoned until the 19th century, when Sir Stamford Raffles, representing the British East India Company, arrived.

Unlike other Europeans who later sailed into the region to try and divide up territories, the Portuguese intermarried with locals . Some of their descendants, also known as the Kristang, eventually migrated to Singapore when Malacca was seized by the Dutch in 1641.

is a spicy, tangy Portuguese-Eurasian stew of diced pig offal. Damian D'Silva, executive chef at Eurasian-Peranakan restaurant , says a good feng requires "a good spice mix, fresh innards that are properly cleaned, and patience"-cleaning and preparing the offal, which includes letting it simmer for hours and sit overnight, can take days. Despite its longstanding roots in Singapore, Eurasian cuisine is notoriously hard to find at restaurants, but some chefs like D'Silva are working to change that .

Epok-epok

Singapore became a British trading colony . The British, whose rule lasted until 1963, left a legacy of left-hand traffic, English as the lingua franca , and the common-law system. Some say , a popular snack, is an Indian adapted to the British palate, while others say it was inspired by the Cornish pasty . (Still others say it comes from the Portuguese , which would imply that epok-epok predates the British.)

While some purists insist that the similar curry puff-a popular snack in Malaysia and Singapore-and epok-epok are not the same thing, Madam Halimah, who runs Yang's Epok-epok with her sister, says epok-epok is simply the Malay version of the curry puff, with a thinner crust and finger-pinched edges. Their epok-epok, available in two flavors (sardine or curried potato), are probably among the cheapest in Singapore, priced at just S$0.50 ($0.37) each and make a perfect tea-time snack or a quick meal on the go.

Bak kut teh

By the late 19th century, Singapore had emerged as an important regional entrepôt, given its strategic location and deep-water harbor. Laborers from southeastern China toiled along the Singapore River, unloading goods from flat-bottomed wooden boats. The origins of b ak kut teh, or pork rib soup, are unclear. It may have been invented locally for these laborers as a much-needed morning energy boost, perhaps by Teochew hawkers-Chinese immigrants from the Chaoshan region in China's Guangdong province. Others claim the recipe was brought over from China's Fujian province.

Whether you prefer the peppery and light Teochew bak kut teh, or the more robust and herbal Hokkien variant, the soup is typically eaten with a side of steamed rice, chopped red chili in dark soy sauce and, to a lesser extent, strong oolong tea to cut through the grease. As a child, I used to pay early morning visits to the bak kut teh stall with my grandfather; we would sip hot tea together while we waited for our order.

Laksa

, a dish of thick rice vermicelli with prawns, fishcake, (tofu puff), and (blood cockles) in a rich, spicy coconut-based broth, garnished with roughly-chopped ( leaves), is said to have originated from intermarriages between local Malay women and the Chinese traders and sailors who arrived in the British- and Dutch-controlled port cities along the spice route.

At Sungei Road Laksa, the broth simmers over a charcoal fire and the soup is dished out with production-line efficiency. Second-generation owner Wong Ai Tin says her father, who opened his pushcart stall in 1956, popularized eating laksa with a spoon instead of chopsticks paired with a spoon. This was perhaps out of necessity, as customers then huddled around the pushcart and ate laksa standing by the roadside.

Kaya toast

Chinese immigrants from Hainan province are said to have created toast-toast served with a custardy coconut jam and butter-in the 1930s. According to legend, Hainan cooks aboard British ships were attempting to replicate fruit jam, but made do with limited ingredients, including coconut, eggs, and leaves.

The economic slowdown brought on by the Great Depression offered new opportunities for these Hainanese immigrants, who took over low-rent, vacant buildings and opened (coffee shops).

Heap Seng Leong is a blink-and-you-miss-it relic in a nondescript public housing estate in central Singapore. Shi Pong Hsu, the 82-year-old proprietor and coffee master, has been running the show since 1974. His 55-year-old son, Shi Ting Chow, says little has changed since then: They've only just raised the price of kaya toast, by S$0.20 ($0.15) to S$1.20 ($0.87).

They are Hokchew, meaning their ancestors came from the Fuzhou region of Fujian province; the Hokchews were for opening kopi tiams. The elder Shi toasted the bread on a charcoal grill and served it alongside (coffee with melted butter), a Hainanese specialty from the 1930s. Some might say the kaya toast here is nothing to write home about-I'd say I didn't come all the way here just for the toast.

Kueh ubi kayu

British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese in February 1942, in what Sir Winston Churchill described as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history." It was renamed (Light of the South Island). The Japanese occupation of Singapore lasted from 1942 to 1945, and was marked by hardship and scarcity.

Kueh ubi kayu , or steamed tapioca cake, is a bite-sized dessert, consisting of steamed tapioca, a starch made from cassava root, which is then coated with grated coconut. It is widely believed to have its in the occupation, when many locals were forced to survive on cassava, which grows easily and can be harvested every three months.

Ang Tiong Guan has been making kueh ubi kayu for the last 30 years at Heng Heng Ondeh-ondeh and Tapioca Cake, the stall he took over from his mother after her death. It's a laborious process: He and his wife, Ng Gek Hoe, typically spend more than 12 hours each day making the chewy and manning the stall.

"We sell more tapioca cakes than my mother-in-law [did], even though the recipe is the same. Maybe during those post-war days, the stigma of eating tapioca cake was too strong," Ng says. Their stall opens at 7 a.m. and they usually sell out by midday.

Fish-head curry

"Today, tourists from India come to our restaurant and some of them are shocked to see that fish-head curry is on the menu, as the dish does not exist in India," says Nagajyothi Mahendran, the third-generation owner of Samy's Curry. Mahendran says her grandfather, M Veerasamy, started cooking the dish in a shophouse-a mixed-use building-in the 1960s.

Samy's Curry , now housed in a 5,000-square-feet colonial house, serves about 50 claypots of the dish each day. Opt for biryani rice and don't forget to fold your banana leaf in half, inward towards yourself, kept in place by your cutlery, when you are done eating-basic banana-leaf etiquette.

Sambal stingray

Singapore's relationship with Malaysia is complicated, to say the least . The postwar years were a time of social unrest, unemployment, and anti-colonial sentiments in Singapore, which eventually culminated in the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 -uniting Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, and North Borneo under one flag. The union was not to last-Singapore left a mere 23 months later.

As with many local dishes in Malaysia and Singapore, there is ongoing debate regarding the origin of stingray. Depending on who you ask, it could be a Malaysian dish that gained popularity in Singapore, or a Singaporean Malay creation that is commonly sold by Chinese hawkers. What we do agree on is that this dish single-handedly changed the fate of stingray, once an unpopular fish. Despite being classified as an overfished species by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) , it is still a relatively inexpensive fish in Singapore today.

Typically slathered with spicy, aromatic sambal chili paste, wrapped in banana leaf, and grilled, this dish is a hawker center mainstay-Chomp Chomp BBQ at Fengshan Market & Food Centre does a pretty decent version, best enjoyed with a squeeze of calamansi lime before serving. Chinchalok , a spicy and pungent fermented shrimp sauce dip, is optional.

Kacang puteh

Before television sets became commonplace in Singapore, cinema was the main source of entertainment for many Singaporeans, its appeal wide-ranging with screenings of American, British, Chinese, Malay, Hindi, and Tamil films.

Kacang puteh , Malay for "white beans," is a selection of nuts, crackers, and grain legumes. The mix was traditionally packed in cones made from newspaper and sold by pushcart vendors outside cinemas. These pushcarts usually contained a range of snacks, including roasted cashew nuts, steamed chickpeas, sugar-coated peanuts, and , a crunchy and savory Indian snack.

Amirthaalangaram Moorthy is a third-generation kacang puteh vendor whose stall is near a bus stop on Selegie Road right outside Peace Centre-a far cry from the now-demolished Hoover Theatre in Balestier, where his father used to set up his stall. He still painstakingly makes most of the snacks from scratch, but in the face of inexpensive, shiny packs of factory-produced party snacks stocked at convenience stores and supermarkets, he has stiff competition.

Mala Xiang Guo

The influx of new immigrants has contributed to the continued evolution of the Singaporean foodscape. Mala xiang guo , a fiery, mouth-numbing stir-fry of vegetables from southwestern China, has become popular in Singapore in recent years.

Stall owners Mao Congfang and Wu Zhansheng, who migrated from China's Henan province in 2005, opened Ri Ri Hong Mala Xiang Guo, and are widely credited with popularizing the dish in Singapore.

"We've tweaked the dish to be less greasy and less salty to accommodate local preferences," Mao said, adding that in the beginning, most of their clientele were recent immigrants from China. "Today, half our customers are locally born Singaporeans."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A history of Singapore, explained in 10 dishes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Laksa. Kaya toast. Stew of diced pig offal. Fish head curry: a culinary history of Singapore, and where to eat each dish.

# data[].attributes.body
Hawker food is an important part of Singapore culture. But its ubiquity in our daily lives often leads us to take it for granted. The National Environment Agency’s (NEA) Perception Survey of Hawker Centre Patrons 2018 (PSHCP 2018) found that hawker centres were respondents’ top choice for eating out and the amenity with the second-highest number of votes (after public transport), when asked which three amenities in their neighbourhood were most important to them.

Beyond its utility, hawker food is also a symbol of our heritage and identity. Singapore recently nominated “Hawker Culture in Singapore” to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. As we herald Hawker Culture as central to our Singapore’s history and identity, it is fitting to reflect on its past and future: How did hawking come about? And looking ahead, where is it headed?

Professor Lily Kong, President and Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, believes that “Hawker Culture reflects and parallels Singapore’s journey and its urban development”, adding that “it’s intimately tied to the way the city has developed and how our lives and urban lifestyle have evolved over time”.

This article first looks back in history, outlining how hawkers moved from pushcarts to planned centres, and tying its evolution closely to Singapore’s urban development. Next, we anticipate what tomorrow’s strategies and trends – from the Draft Master Plan, to e-payments and food deliveries – hold for the future of hawking.

# data[].attributes.body
Local Chef Willin observes that Singaporean cuisine is constantly evolving. “I see an increase of regional Chinese cuisine. Vietnamese and Filipino hawkers are also sprouting — one day these dishes will assimilate into Singapore’s local cuisine just as Indian, Malay, Chinese cuisines have done,” he says. “Singapore food is so varied because of the influences of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European flavours. It is this pairing of unexpected ingredients and cooking techniques from very different cuisines resulting in a made-in-heaven gastronomical marriage that inspires me most.”
To assimilate has always been in the DNA of the Singapore food culture, and Willin highlights this with his modern interpretations of traditional dishes such as Crab Cake with Salted Egg Sauce, and 48-hour Slow Cooked Beef Short Rib Rendang. “By using ingredients like Australian spanner crab and wagyu short rib, and using modern cooking techniques, I make them into dishes that might not resemble local fare, but are Singaporean in essence,” he explains.
Yuen Lin, Koh. “Taste Ambassadors”. Experience Singapore: Flavours of the City: How Food Unites a Multi-Ethnic Singapore, A newsletter of The Singapore Cooperation Programme, Issue 54, Apr – Jun 2015, p. 5. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Issue54%20(2).pdf

# data[].attributes.body
Hawker centres are an integral part of Singaporeans’ daily lives. With a mouth-watering range of dishes that reflects the melting pot of cultures in Singapore, hawker centres have long served as places where Singaporeans can bond, interact and connect through our shared love for food.

From the People’s Park Food Centre, which started as a humble “food shelter” about a century ago to the Changi Village Hawker Centre that has grown into a modern foodie’s paradise, Singapore’s hawker centres have cemented themselves into the socio-cultural identity of the places they are located in.

Roots.sg. ( Updated 2021,16 December)The Belly of A Nation: Singapore’s Hawker Centres.

Retrieved from https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/Hawker-Centres/singapore-hawker-centres

# data[].attributes.body
Hawker Culture in Singapore is an integral part of the way of life for Singaporeans, where people from all walks of life gather at hawker centres to dine and bond over their favourite hawker food, which are prepared by hawkers. Over the years, this unique combination of food, space and community has evolved into a microcosm of Singapore’s multicultural society, with stalls selling Chinese, Malay, Indian and many other diverse types of dishes.

Many of these hawker dishes originated from the food cultures of different immigrant groups who settled in Singapore. Over time, they have evolved to become the distinctive local dishes that we love, and form an important part of our food heritage.

Patrons dining at Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre. Photo: National Environment Agency

Our hawkers, comprising individual of all races, gender and age, and their repertoire of skills are central to our hawker centres. Well regarded for their mastery of the hawker culinary traditions, it is important that our hawkers’ knowledge, culinary skills and values are passed on through the generations.

Today, hawker centres are an integral part of Singaporeans’ way of life. They are spread across our island and serve as “community dining rooms”, where friends and families gather, interact and bond over their shared love for food. They also serve as vibrant communal spaces that promote social cohesion, moderate the cost of living and foster a common national identity based on shared experiences, values, and norms.

# data[].attributes.body
Fish head curry was created in the kitchen of a small Indian restaurant during the 1940s. Fish head is not considered an Indian ingredient but Chinese favourite fish head, just to please his Chinese customers.The restaurant owner M.J. Gomez from the Southern Indian state of Kerala—blended Traditional Indian curry with the Chinese favourite fish head.

The result of creating Fish Head Curry was so great.The taste of the dish amazed and aroused many immigrants attention from all over Singapore.Its popularity  increased so much in the morgen days that is in the menu of almost all Indian, Chinese, Malay and Peranakan restaurants.The Fish Head Curry has became so popular it is now a main and important part of the food variety.

# data[].attributes.body
During the 1824, Cornish pastry and English puff pastry came to our Singapore’s shores.

Then, things got even hazier as there are no written records but all that was known was that a unsung hero put curried meat and potato inside puff pastry and created the proto-curry puff.One form is those triangular baked Indian karipap with curried mutton and potatoes inside layered crisp flaky crusted meal for 10 cents in in Singapore during the 1970s.

Fun Fact:The term curry puff is used to refer to any crust whether they are puff pastries or not. The term epok epok is referred to as the "Malay curry puff" or even "the Malay word for curry puff".

The word proto is used for the morden generations as since then, there are countless variations on the crust as well as the curried fillings being created and sold here in Singapore.Epok-Epok became so popular in the morden days that many shops only sell this dish in different varieties and still successful.many other shops also seem thus dish but also sell other w=varieties at the same time.

# data[].attributes.body
Charcoal is actually made from wood that’s been burned in a low oxygen oven or silo until it’s basically just pure carbon, also known as char. According to Meathead Goldwyn’s in-depth explanation of the science of charcoal, it’s got more potential energy than wood, and “burns steady, hot, and produces less smoke and fewer dangerous vapors.”

https://greatist.com/eat/charcoal-and-wood-for-grilling-what-is-the-difference