The
Essence of.....
Singapore
An exploration of the world through food and drink
Essence -ial Information
|
UK Tourist Office |
Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5HR |
|
Currency |
Singapore Dollar |
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Capital |
Singapore City |
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Language |
Malay, Chinese, Tamil, English |
|
Main Airlines |
Singapore Airlines, British Airways |
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Flying Time from UK |
13 hrs 30 mins |
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Visa |
Social visit pass |
PROFILE
The cuisine bears some resemblance to the cuisine of Malaysia due to the close historical and cultural ties between the two countries. However there are also significant differences. While a number of dishes are common to both countries, the way the dishes are prepared is often different. This is due to numerous evolutionary forks in their development, which gave rise to unique tastes pertaining to each country's cuisine.
In Singaporean hawker stores, chefs of Chinese ethnic background influenced by Indian culture might experiment with condiments and ingredients such as tamarind, turmeric and ghee, while a Tamil chef might serve a fried noodle dish.
This phenomenon makes the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural attraction. Most of the prepared food bought outside home is eaten at hawker centres or food courts, examples of which include Lau Pa Sat and Newton Food Centre, rather than at actual restaurants.
Food and entertainment go hand and glove in Singapore. Arrival of people from so many cultures ensures that variety of food is the norm. Thai, Indian, European, Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Peranakan, Indonesian cuisines vie with one another for capturing the taste buds.
Although a number of cuisines are available in Singapore, some of them are particularly associated with the island.
Nonya Food
Nonya Food is delicious blending of Chinese, Malay and other influences. Nonya recipes pass from one generation to the next, and preparation of the dishes is time-consuming. Nonya cooking is all about the combination of spices, using pungent roots like galangal, turmeric and ginger; aromatic leaves like pandan leaf, fragrant lime leaf and laksa leaf, with other ingredients like shrimp paste, chilies, candlenuts and shallots. For making dishes tangy, ingredients like lemon, tamarind, belimbing (carambola) or green mangoes are used.
Cakes are used in place of fruits for dessert. The cakes are of rich variety, made from ingredients like rice, sweet potato, coconut milk and sugar.
Halal Food
Sizeable chunk of Muslim population ensures availability of mouth-watering halal food. There are Malay Muslim and Indian Muslim food, both ever-ready to ignite the taste buds. Nasi Padang, a cooking style which originated from Sumatra, is a must try for the tourist. Indian Muslim or Mamak food is liked very much by the residents of Singapore and main dishes include mee goreng, rojak and mutton soup.
Seafood
Singaporean seafood is the favourite of many visitors. Black pepper crabs, chilli crabs, drunken prawns and deep fried baby squids are few juicy dishes not to be missed. Lobsters, chut chut (a cone shaped sea shell to be sucked) or raw cockles are also eaten. Eating barbequed sting ray from banana leaf is definitely an experience to savour. And there is no need to search for good seafood centres. They abound in every part of the island.
Dishes
Laksa, rice noodles in a coconut curry gravy with shrimp, egg and chicken. Peranakan in origin. A specifically Singaporean variant (as opposed to shared by Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine) is Katong laksa. Raw cockles are also frequently added.
Mamak Rojak, a dish of various vegetables and fruits, beancurd, seafood deep fried in batter, crushed peanuts, crispy dough cruellers, and a spicy and sweet chilli sauce. Traditional Malay/Indonesian and Chinese variants are common as well.
Nasi Goreng, a spicy and sweet fried rice dish which originated from Indonesia
Rendang, beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices which originated in Sumatra.
Satay, grilled meat on skewers served with spicy peanut sauce and usually eaten with ketupat, cucumber and onions.
Soto ayam, a spicy chicken soup which features hard-boiled eggs and sometimes balls made from fried potato.
Chili crab, hard shell crabs cooked in a thick tomato and chili-based gravy
Black pepper crab, hard shell crabs cooked in a black pepper sauce.
Food in itself has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists. It is usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the Singapore Tourism Board or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's best attractions alongside its shopping. The government organises the Singapore Food Festival in July annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine.