Many people may not have heard about Singaporean or Malaysian cuisine, but both of these cuisines have one thing in common, and that is fusion. Singaporean cuisine is a mix of Cantonese, Hainanese, and Indian flavours. The history of this cuisine lies in the country’s history. Before Singapore’s independence, it was a port city part of Malaysia where the indigenous people in the now-called Singapore were originally Malay. Later on, Indians arrived, most prominently from the southern part of India, followed by the Chinese and the British. They established a trade route, creating a settlement of different cultures and their respective foods. This allowed the Chinese to mix their Ji Tang Mian(chicken broth noodles) with Indian spices, giving birth to a famous Malay dish called Laksa. The word originates from Sanskrit, and means “thousand”. This soup is an embodiment of several Indian spices with the delicate umami flavour of Chinese comfort food.
“The rice is cooked in the same broth as the chicken is cooked in, and the soup is the reduction of the same broth with an addition of some hot chilli oil”
A famous dish in Singapore that is savoured by the locals is a simple chicken rice dish. As the name suggests, it is chicken and rice with a serving of piping hot soup and a cold-cut salad. But the beauty of this dish lies not just in how simple it is, but also in its making. The technique used to cook a Peking duck is applied to the chicken and rice. The rice is cooked in the same broth as the chicken is cooked in, and the soup is the reduction of the same broth with an addition of some hot chilli oil. The skin is served on top of juicy chicken fillets to complement the white meat’s tenderness with a crispy, sweet bite.
The influence of the historic mixture of cultures has not just affected Singapore’s food but also its beverages. The world-famous masala chai originated in India and met the taste buds of Malay tea lovers who started to add coconut milk or condensed milk, transforming it into the richer and creamier Teh Tarik, or/meaning “pulled tea” in Malay. The tea is cooled down by pouring a mug of tea into another from a specific height, creating the perfect temperature to enjoy the beverage and forming a deliciously creamy foam on the top.
“The best part about this mixture of cuisine is that modern-day Singapore – like Malaysia – respects both the fusion and its origins, which has led to the creation of places called “hawker centres,” also known as food courts”
The best part about this mixture of cuisine is that modern-day Singapore – like Malaysia – respects both the fusion and its origins, which has led to the creation of places called “hawker centres,” also known as food courts. But the most amazing distinction between hawker centres and food courts is that fast-food places like McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King are nowhere to be seen. The lack of fast-food places in a single establishment has led to local restaurants flourishing, enabling cultures to share their food with the world, leading to more innovation and flavour. Peranakan cuisine, which is the fusion cuisine described above (Indian, Chinese, and Malay cuisine), is one of the two crucial parts of Singaporean cuisine.
During the trade when various cultures made their way to Singapore, the Portuguese also had a great impact on the food style. The ethnic name of the Portuguese mix with the Singaporean/Malay cuisine is called the Kristang cuisine. The Portuguese settlers in Singapore used to be mostly fishermen, so their foods involved a high variety of seafood. A very famous Kristang-style dish is the Kari Debal, which means devil’s curry. This dish has Portuguese and Indian influences, specifically from the Indian state of Goa, where the Portuguese had a massive influence. This curry is mixed with various hot spices, green chilies, and the famous galangal, which gives the dish that oomph.
The Kristang cuisine is also heavily influenced by Indonesian cuisine. The Indonesian sambal, made with roughly pounded red chilies, tamarind, and shrimp paste, is a fiery condiment that is served as a side with Nasi Lemak or used as a way of marinating a whole fish in the Kristang cuisine. The creation of the sambal has allowed the invention of many dishes such as Sambal Goreng, Ikan Asam Pedas (fish in sour and spicy sauce), and the beloved Beef Rendang. A very famous dish that is also enjoyed by Singaporeans, originating from Indonesia, is the Mi Goreng. The Mi Goreng is a mix of the Chinese chicken noodle dish Chow Mein, but paired with a sweet, thick molasses-like soy sauce and fried onion oil. A single bite of the Mi Goreng with an omelette on the side is nothing but heaven on a plate.
When one asks what Singaporean cuisine is, the answer is not a simple one, but a deep history of generational culinary mixing, cultures respecting each other, trying to orchestrate with each other by appreciating and adapting each other’s techniques and flavours. A marriage of cultures is how I would describe Singaporean cuisine; a marriage tightly bound to its roots, giving birth to a breadth of flavours.
