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Singapore,
popularly known as the Lion
City, as the name 'Singa Pura' translates, only came into its own as a
vital sea port and exporter of rare and exotic foodstuffs in the 19th
century. Sago, tea, sugar, cloves, coriander, cassia, nutmeg and that most
sought-after spice, black pepper, were the precious cargo.
A fusion food culture is nowhere more clearly illustrated than in the
emergence of Nonya cuisine. The cuisine of the Straits-born Chinese
reflects their mixed Malay and Chinese heritage.
Singapore is a haven for the professional as well as amateur gastronome.
Cuisines as diverse as Indian, Japanese and Chinese are represented by
establishments fit for royalty. But the spirit of Singapore is captured
best in its open-air eating places and street stalls. The Orchard Road car
park of old, a car park by day where by night itinerant food hawkers once
strutted their stuff under a canopy of stars has been replaced by modern,
air-conditioned food courts or, as the Singaporeans like to call them,
hawker centres. Don't be fooled into thinking that price reflects quality.
The food at hawker centres can be even tastier than at the most
prestigious and expensive restaurants. Some of Singapore's most famous
dishes, laksa lemak, chilli crab, satays, char kway teow (tasty stir-fried
rice noodles) and otak-otak (spicy char-grilled fish cakes) bear testament
to the island nation's love of chilli and spices. |
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