Content on Food Heritage

Learn on the go. Check out our playlists for collections of short videos, and learning packages for articles, that will give you a slice of history and heritage.

Playlists

A collection of short videos or selected podcasts, exploring topics around Singapore’s food heritage.

Playlist: Singapore’s Food Heritage: Overview

Singapore food continues to evolve over time, enriched by the experiences of our multi-ethnic communities and global food trends.

Check out these resources to find out how others introduce or view Singapore cuisines.

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Playlist: Peranakan Cuisine

The term “Peranakan” means “locally born” and is used primarily in insular Southeast Asia to refer to assimilated diasporic groups and hybrid community groups such as the Peranakan Chinese (Baba and Nyonya, or Straits Chinese). Their cuisine may use Malay/Indonesian spices and mainly Chinese cooking techniques.

Check out these resources to help you gain some understanding of Peranakan cuisine in Singapore.

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Playlist: Eurasian Cuisine

Today, the term ‘Eurasian’ refers to a person with mixed European and Asian lineage. The Eurasians have been present in Singapore since the early 19th century. Most Eurasians in Singapore can trace their European ancestry to the Portuguese, Dutch or British. Their mixed cultural heritage is also reflected in their cuisine which blends European and Asian ingredients and cooking styles.

Check out these resources to learn more about Eurasian culinary heritage and traditions.

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Playlist: Chinese Cuisine

Singapore’s early Chinese migrants arrived from the southern Chinese provinces of Guangzhou and Fujian. They brought with them two of the most well-known and popular Chinese cuisines, each with its own character, ingredients, cooking methods and tastes.

Check out these resources to learn more about them.

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Playlist: Malay Cuisine

From nasi lemak to mee rebus, Malay food in Singapore is diverse due to many cultural and culinary influences from the Malay Archipelago and the rest of the world. It incorporates ingredients and cooking methods from various ethnic communities.

Check out these resources to learn more about Malay food heritage and traditions.

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Playlist: Indian Cuisine

Since the commencement of Singapore’s journey as a free port in the early 19th century, the influx of traders and workers from different parts of the Indian sub-continent brought in a variety of cooking styles and recipes to the island. Soon enough, some of these dishes adopted a uniquely Singaporean taste and style.

Check out these resources to help you gain some understanding on both famous and the lesser-known Indian heritage dishes relished by Singaporeans.

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Playlist: Hawker Centres

Hawker culture is an integral part of everyday life in Singapore where people of diverse backgrounds gather, mingle, and bond over meals prepared by stall owners at hawker centres. Bringing together the favourite dishes of different ethnic communities, hawker centres and hawker food reflect the multicultural identity of Singapore.

Check out these resources about the evolution of hawker culture and hawker centres in Singapore.

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Playlist: Singapore Food Brands

Despite the diverse cultural roots and the multiplicity of food varieties available in Singapore, its people are always brought together through its common food culture, shaped by reputable local food and beverage brands. These brands have found a place in the history of the island, by building a legacy for themselves.

Check out these resources to help you gain some understanding on some of the famous food brands in Singapore.

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Learning Package

Singapore’s Food Heritage: Overview

Singapore’s food heritage mirrors our multi-ethnic culture, characterised with a medley of ingredients and cooking techniques derived from the country’s diverse population.

The evolution of food in Singapore reflects the hopes, longings, and assimilation of early migrants from faraway lands who eventually became residents from our founding years, to the current enthusiastic calls for preserving Singapore’s food heritage as tastes and palates are yet again being shaped by global influences.

These curated set of articles and books give an overview of Singapore’s food heritage.

Articles

Violet Oon by Nureza Ahmad

Violet Oon is one of Singapore's best known food personalities. She has influenced the Singapore food scene as author, speaker, teacher, consultant and restauranteur.

Source: Violet Oon (2019, April). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2022, April 7.

Fast-food chains by Marsita Omar

Singapore’s love for fast-food began as early as the 1970s, making it one of the popular options among Singaporeans’ dining out culture.

Source: Fast-food chains (2019, May). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2022, April 7.

eBook

Singapore cooking: fabulous recipes from Asia's food capital

Tan, Terry, and Tan, Christopher. (2009). Singapore cooking: fabulous recipes from Asia’s food capital. Hong Kong: Tuttle Publishing an imprint of Periplus Edition (HK) Ltd.

A compendium of popular and less common local classics. With images of common Singapore ingredients and their descriptions.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook).

Books

Singapore food: a treasury of more than 200 time-tested recipes

Hutton, Wendy. (2018). Singapore food: a treasury of more than 200 time-tested recipes. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 HUT)

First published in 1979, this updated edition includes 219 best-loved recipes, “new classics” and additional recipes. Also provides an overview of the various multi-ethnic cooking styles.

Singapore heritage food: yesterday's recipes for today's cook

Tan, Sylvia. (2014). Singapore heritage food: yesterday’s recipes for today’s cook. Singapore: Landmark Books Pte Ltd. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 TAN)

Describes the factors and influences in the unique Singapore culinary heritage and lists the classic dishes and their recipes.

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Peranakan Cuisine

Ayam Buah Keluak, Babi Pong Teh, Ngoh Hiang, Kueh Pie Tee, and Laksa are just some of the beloved dishes that come into mind when one thinks about Peranakan Chinese food. These dishes, which were created in insular Southeast Asia and uses local ingredients, may incorporate Chinese cooking techniques, for example. Some Peranakan dishes were also inspired by trade goods available from the Portuguese, British, and Dutch, such as kueh lapis legit and pineapple tarts.

These curated set of articles and books will give you a better understanding of Peranakan food in Singapore.

Articles

The Evolution of Straits-born Cuisine by Lee Geok Boi

Lee Geok Boi looks at what makes Peranakan cuisine unique and delves into old cookbooks to see how Straits-born cuisine came to be. She discusses how although the Y.W.C.A. of Malaya Cookery Book (1931) -- one of the earliest local cookbooks -- had Straits Chinese recipes, the first local cookbook that identified itself as being a Peranakan cookbook was Mrs Lee’s Cookbook (1974) by Mrs Lee Chin Koon.

Source: Lee, Geok Boi, The Evolution of Straits-born Cuisine (2021, July-September). BiblioAsia 17(2). Retrieved 2022, April 20.

Forgotten Foods & Mealtime Memories by Tan, Sylvia

It is important to remember that food and tastes change over time. In this article, food writer Sylvia Tan “remembers the foods and flavours she grew up with and the less than sanitary practices made for the stomachs cast in iron.” The article has a section that discusses how Peranakan Chinese dishes that had perut kambing (goat’s stomach) and a Eurasian dish called feng (pig’s lung) that disappeared as the ingredients were no longer sold in wet markets.

Source: Tan, Sylvia, Forgotten Foods & Mealtime Memories(2016, July-September). BiblioAsia 12(2). Retrieved 2022, April 20.

eBook

In A Straits-Born Kitchen

Lee, Geok Boi. (2021). <i>In a Straits-Born Kitchen.</i> Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine.<br> <a href="https://nlb.overdrive.com/media/6393798" target="_blank"> <img style="width:200px;" src="/images/Singapore%20Food%20Heritage/LeeGB.png"></a>

Lee uses the wider definition of Peranakan to mean Straits born in her introductory chapter, including not only the Straits Chinese, but also Eurasian, Chetti Melakan, Indonesian Chinese, Malay and Indonesian recipes. The book is organized according to the basics; kerabu, acar, and vegetables; seafood; meats; light bites and sweet treats. It also has a select glossary of ingredients, a short bibliography, as well as weights and measurements.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook).

Books

Food and Foodways in Asia: Resource, Tradition and Cooking

Cheung, Sidney C. H. and Tan Chee-Beng (eds.) (2007). Food and Foodways in Asia: Resource, Tradition and Cooking. London: Routledge. (Call no.: RSEA 394.12095 FOO)

Food and Foodways in Asia provides rich ethnographic description and analysis of food production as it interacts with social and political complexities in Asia’s diverse cultures. The book has two relevant chapters on the Peranakan: Tan Chee-Beng’s “Nyonya cuisine: Chinese, non-Chinese and the making of a famous cuisine in Southeast Asia” and Wong Hong Suen’s “Historically themed restaurants and social memory in Singapore.”

Changing Chinese Foodways in Asia

Wu, David Y. H. and Tan Chee Beng (eds.) (2001). Changing Chinese Foodways in Asia Hong Kong: The Chinese United Nations Press. (Call no.: RSING 641.300951 CHA)

This book has two relevant contributions for Peranakan food, one by Tan Chee Beng entitled, “Food and Ethnicity with Reference to the Chinese in Malaysia” and another by Chua Beng Huat and Ananda Rajah entitled, “Hybridity, Ethnicity and Food in Singapore.”

The New Mrs Lee’s Cookbook Volume 1: Peranakan Cuisine

Lee, Chin Koon and Shermay Lee (2019). The New Mrs Lee’s Cookbook Volume 1: Peranakan Cuisine. Singapore: World Scientific Lifestyle. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 LEE)

This cookbook was originally published in 1974 as Mrs Lee’s Cookbook by Mrs. Lee Chin Koon, who was Prime Minister’s Lee Kuan Yew’s mother. This was the first self-identified Peranakan cookbook published in Singapore. As the originals became out of print, the cookbooks were updated by her granddaughter, Ms. Shermay Lee, and this revised volume won the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2003. This book has a foreword by former president Wee Kim Wee. It includes a collection of “classic” Nyonya recipes taught by Mrs. Lee Chin Koon’s mother in preparation for marriage (eg: Ayam Buah Keluak, Garam Masam, and Mee Siam); a list of key peranakan ingredients to start a peranakan kitchen; tips on how to entertain the peranakan way; tips on healthier versions of Peranakan dishes; and a comprehensive glossary of ingredients and basic kitchen equipment required.

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Eurasian Cuisine

Eurasian food has a history that goes back to the 16th century. Eurasian families emerged from various trading ports in the region, such as Malacca, Penang, Goa, Macau, Ceylon and Bencoolen, where Europeans settled and had children with local women. Many of these Eurasians would later settle in Singapore at different times. Their cuisine blends European and Asian ingredients and techniques. Learn more about the rich heritage of Eurasian food from these books below.

eBooks

Robin’s Eurasian recipes

Pereira, Robin and Quentin Pereira. (2009). Robin’s Eurasian recipes. Singapore: Epigram Books.

Chef Quentin Pereira shares his father’s well-guarded family recipes. These recipes were passed down from his grandmother, who together with her sisters, used to cook for Eurasian weddings.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook).

Eurasian heritage cooking

Pereira, Quentin. (2012). Eurasian heritage cooking. Singapore; London: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine.

Chef Quentin Pereira is a leading name in Eurasian cuisine in Singapore. He has put together this book to preserve the Eurasian heritage, culture, and recipes for future generations.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook.)

Books

The Eurasian cookbook

Gomes, Mary. (2001). The Eurasian cookbook. Singapore: Horizon Books. (Call no.: RSING q641.5 GOM)

Mary Gomes shares recipes from her family and friends. This collection of recipes represents the rich heritage of Eurasian cuisine which has been influenced by various cultures like those of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan.

Eurasian favourites

Hutton, Wendy. (2003). Eurasian favourites. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions. (Call no.: RSING 641.5 HUT)

Wendy Hutton presents a selection of recipes that reflects the blending of East and West which is integral to Eurasian cuisine.

The Eurasian table

Noronha, Theresa and Cheryl Noronha. (2015). The Eurasian table. Singapore: Blurb. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 NOR)

Third-generation Eurasian, Cheryl Noronha, wrote this book to gather and share her grandmother’s recipes of Eurasian dishes. This book features twenty-four traditional Eurasian recipes that are rooted in Portuguese, Indian and Malay cuisines.

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Chinese Cuisine

In Singapore, majority of the early Chinese migrants came from the southern Chinese provinces of Guangzhou and Fujian. Guangdong cuisine like the cantonese, teochew and hakka dishes use steaming, poaching, braising, or simmering to bring out the natural flavour of each ingredient in the dish. Fujian cuisine also has several styles ranging from light, mild sweet and sour taste to more intense flavour with the use of sugar and spices. The Hainanese who arrived in Singapore much later, also brought with them their own special dishes.

Articles

We are what we eat: the evolution of Chinese food in Singapore by Low Sze Wee

Author highlights the various popular Chinese dishes and argues how different cultures meet and influence each other resulting in the creation of new Chinese food in Singapore.

Source: Low, Sze Wee. We are what we eat: the evolution of Chinese food in Singapore (2022, April-June). BiblioAsia 18(1). Retrieved 2022, May 23.

Chinese New Year delicacies by Bonny Tan & Vicky Gao

Discover the common food items found in Singapore Chinese homes during Chinese New Year.

Source: Chinese New Year delicacies (2018, July). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2022, May 23.

eBooks

Three Dishes One Soup: Inside the Singapore Kitchen

Zhang, Lace. (2019). Three Dishes One Soup: Inside the Singapore Kitchen. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine.

It is common to find several dishes served with a bowl of rice and soup in Singapore Chinese families. Author Lace Zhang records her family's recipes with detailed explanations and step-by-step photographs.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook.)

Uncle Anthony's Hokkien Recipes

Loo, Hock Chye Anthony & Lee, Samantha. (2017). Uncle Anthony’s Hokkien Recipes. Singapore: Epigram Books.

Part of an award-winning Heritage Cookbook series featuring over 80 Hokkien family recipes, including the well-known bak kut teh and lesser-known dishes like the sticky mee sua soup.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook.)

Uncle Lau's Teochew Recipes

Tan, Lee Leng & Lau, Chiap Khai. (2012). Uncle Lau’s Teochew Recipes. Singapore: Epigram Books.

Features a collection of over 80 time-tested recipes from a Singapore Teochew family. It has common Teochew dishes like steamed fish and ngoh hiang, as well as interesting dishes like Ho Pung and Sio Bee.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook).

Madam Choy's Cantonese Recipes

Reutens, Lulin & Choy, Wai Yuen. (2012). Madam Choy’s Cantonese Recipes. Singapore: Epigram Books.

In this third revised edition of part of Epigram Books' award-winning Heritage Cookbook series, it showcases the best of Singapore's Cantonese cuisine from an avid home cook with over 50 years of cooking experience.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from OverDrive (a myLibrary username is required to access the eBook).

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Malay Cuisine

With many Malays being seafaring people in the past, their diet was typically pescatarian. Malay cuisine has developed to incorporate other ingredients and culinary techniques because of cultural exchanges between the Malay Archipelago and the rest of the world.

Articles

Ketupat by Bonny Tan

“Ketupat is a diamond-shaped rice cake. This Malay food staple is made of cooked rice compressed and wrapped in woven coconut leaves. Originating from Indonesia and Malaysia, ketupat is often consumed as an accompaniment to meat dishes such as satay (skewered barbecued meat) or stews, although the traditional version has become less common in Singapore. It is served during special occasions such as Hari Raya Puasa and Malay weddings, but can also be eaten during regular meals.”

Source: Ketupat (2015, October 26). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2022, June 8.

Nasi lemak by Bonny Tan

“Nasi lemak is a dish made of rice cooked in coconut milk. Aromatics, such as pandan leaves, bay leaves, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and fenugreek, can be added to it. A light meal that is believed to be Malay in origin, it is traditionally accompanied by fried anchovies, sliced cucumbers, fried fish known as ikan selar, and a sweet chili sauce. Modern-day variations on the dish now offer an extensive array of other side dishes.”

Source: Nasi lemak (2010). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2022, June 8.

Rendang by Bonny Tan

“Rendang is a popular dish made with meat stewed in coconut milk and spices. Commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, the dish has a long history in the region with distinct versions unique to individual Malaysian states. The different versions of rendang use different ingredients for the rempah (Malay for “spice mix”), thus resulting in differing flavours to the meat.”

Source: Rendang (2010). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2022, June 8.

Books

Kuih: from apam to wajik, a pictorial guide to Malay desserts

Hidayah Amin (2020). Kuih: from apam to wajik, a pictorial guide to Malay desserts. Singapore: Helang Books. (Call no.: RSING 641.86 HID)

This illustrated guide of 120 Malay desserts showcases the heritage and diversity of Malay food.

The food of Singapore Malays: gastronomic travels through the archipelago

Khir Johari. (2021). The food of Singapore Malays: gastronomic travels through the archipelago. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. (Call no.: RSING 394.120899928 KHI-[CUS])

This book explores in detail the history of Malay food in Singapore, looking at how cultural beliefs and geography have shaped the way Malays eat. It also illustrates how Malay cuisine here reflects the diverse origins of its people, who came from different parts of the Malay Archipelago, and the richness of this region. Recipes are included.

Malay heritage cooking

Rita Zahara. (2012). Malay heritage cooking. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 RIT)

This book provides an overview of the rich heritage of Malay cuisine and the history and culture of the Malays in Singapore. It includes recipes that have been passed down from one generation to another.

The many flavours of Malay cooking

Rita Zahara (2016). The many flavours of Malay cooking. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine. (Call no.: RSING 641.59598 RIT)

This book showcases the diversity of Malay cuisine in Singapore, featuring a collection of dishes by various ethnic groups that make up the Malay people here. It includes recipes for traditional favourites such as sambal udang, opor daging, and pulut serunding.

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Indian Cuisine

The roots of Indian food heritage lead us back to centuries-old traditions and take us across different parts of the Indian sub-continent region. Just the south Indian dishes in Singapore alone can be attributed to multiple origins such as the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, Telengana and Karnataka, with each region offering the promise of a different flavour. A common Indian favourite such as curry is not going to taste the same in each of these states. But when all these region-specific recipes met at colonial Singapore, it gave birth to the island’s very own uniquely Singaporean Indian cuisine. The interactions from the Chinese, Malay and European cuisines enhanced its uniqueness even further.

Articles

Putu mayam by Bonny Tan

Putu mayam, a popular breakfast dish of South Indian origin, is also extremely popular in parts of Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Made from rice flour, this dish can be served with both sweet and savoury sides or dips.

Vadai by Bonny Tan

The roots of vadai, a vegetarian South Indian snack, can be traced back the period of ancient Tamils, between 100 BCE and 300 CE. Today, this snack has evolved into various forms, one of which is the Singaporean version of prawn vadai.

Books

Banana Leaf Temptations

Chef Devagi Sanmugam, known as the Spice Queen in Singapore, shares mouth-watering South Indian recipes that date back to many hundreds of years.

Madam Krishnan’s South Indian Recipes

This book is a compilation of the recipes passed down to Padma Krishnan, by her mother and sister-in-law. It presents South Indian recipes with the international touch of France and Mauritius and the Indian touch of Pondicherry and Kerala as well.

Indian Heritage Cooking

Chef Devagi Sanmugam presents Indian recipes that has gone through fusion amidst the multi-ethnic context of colonial Singapore. She captures the union of flavours from Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines, which have paved the way to dishes unique to Singapore.

Spice potpourri: stellar cuisine favourites

The winner of the 2012 World Gourmand Best Indian cuisine book, Spice potpourri by Dr Uma Rajan, brings us through a variety of flavourful Singaporean Indian dishes.

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Hawker Centres

From chicken rice and prata, to nasi lemak and laksa, hawker centres offer a dazzling array of dishes that reflect the multicultural identity and heritage of Singapore. More than just eating places, hawker centres are a unique aspect of Singapore culture and everyday life.

Articles

Travelling hawkers by Naidu Ratnala Thulaja

Hawker culture in Singapore had its roots in street food sold by itinerant hawkers during the 19th to mid-20th centuries. While hawkers served the needs of the population, problems such as food contamination and traffic obstruction led to their regulation.

Hawker centres by Tung Ai Jui

In the interests of public health, the government moved to regulate food hawkers in the 1960s and relocated them from the streets to purpose-built food centres over the 1970s-80s.

eBooks

 Food, foodways and foodscapes: culture, community and consumption in post-colonial Singapore

This volume provides multidisciplinary perspectives on the study of food as a window to the social and cultural history and geography of Singapore. Chapter 1, “Taking the Street out of Street Food”, by sociologist Chua Beng Huat offers a biographical account of street food consumption and how it has changed based on life in the neighbourhood of Bukit Ho Swee.

Borrow the eBook here.

Singapore hawker classics unveiled: Decoding 25 favourite dishes

This book covers 25 of Singapore’s favourite hawker dishes, in extensive detail, including information on its heritage, its aroma, taste and texture, its nutritional value, as well as clear step-by-step cooking instructions with photographs.

Borrow the eBook here.

Books

Singapore hawker centres: people, places, food

This book chronicles the beginnings and development of hawker centres in Singapore, with a focus on planning and design, and the different stakeholders involved. It also highlights the significance of hawker centres and hawker food to Singaporean life and culture.

Hawker centre food: ambrosia for the people

On 16 December 2020, hawker culture in Singapore was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Published in 2021 with support from the National Heritage Board, this book, which features illustrations and stories of 129 food stalls from 111 hawker centres across the island, contributes to the documentation of Singapore’s evolving hawker culture and food heritage.

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Singapore's Food Heritage: Singapore Food Brands

Whichever part of the world Singaporeans travel to, the sight of spotting one or two of Singapore’s very own food and beverage brands in a supermart overseas never fail to bring back memories of home. Such heritage food brands have stood the test of time and have also become an integral part of growing up in Singapore. Today, quality products by some of these local brands can be found worldwide.

Articles

Bee Cheng Hiang by Hwa Chong Institution

Most notably known for its signature bakkwa (barbequed pork slices), Bee Cheng Hiang started off its journey on a pushcart in Chinatown in 1933. This article gives an insight into its success story.

Khong Guan Biscuit Company by Chua, Alvin

This article presents Khong Guan, a biscuit company with over 70 years of history that grew from a factory into a multinational business.

Books

1883-1983, the great years

Published to mark the 100th anniversary of Fraser and Neave. This book recounts the history of F&N from the early days in 1883 when it had only a modest operation, to one of the most well-known brand names of the 20th century in Singapore.

Tiger Beer: distinctly Asian, unmistakably world classic

Since its birth in 1932, Tiger Beer is one of a handful of Singapore brands that have made waves internationally. In this book, Jacky Tai explores how this Singapore beer has managed to do so well internationally despite being an Asian brew, as he reveals the secrets of building a strong and consistent brand.

The top toast: Ya Kun and the Singapore breakfast tradition

This book traces the humble beginnings of Ya Kun, its reputation for quality toast and coffee, and how it has shaped the breakfast culture of Singaporeans over time.

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