Singapore Food

1. Singapore Food

2. Chinese cuisine • Many of these dishes were adapted by early Chinese immigrants to suit local circumstances (such as available ingredients) and cannot strictly be considered mainstream Chinese cuisine with some Malay and other influences present. • Bakkutteh (Chinese: 肉骨茶; pinyin: ròugǔchá), pork-ribsoup made with a variety of Chinese herbs and spices. • Bakchormee (肉脞面 roùcuòmiàn), egg noodles with minced pork or chicken and other ingredients, served dry or with soup. Usually the flat, tape-like meepok noodle is used. A variation on fishball noodles. • Ban mian (板面 bǎnmiàn), hand-made flat noodles served with vegetables, minced meat, sliced mushrooms and an egg in an ikanbilis-based soup. Noodle variations are common. Ban mian usually refers to flat, long noodles, meehoonkuay refers to squarish flats and you mian refers to thinner noodles. • Chai tow kway, or Carrot Cake (菜头粿 càitóuguǒ), diced and stir-fried rice cubes with an egg mixture and sometimes with prawns. Comes in black (with soy sauce and/or chili) or white (without soy sauce, but sometimes with chili) versions. • Char kwayteow (炒粿条 chǎoguǒtiáo), thick, flat riceflour (kuayteow) noodles stir-fried in dark soy sauce with prawns, eggs, beansprouts, fish cake, cockles, green leafy vegetables, Chinese sausage and some fried lard. • Char siew rice (叉烧饭 chāshāofàn) and Char siew noodles (叉烧面 chāshāomiàn, Cantonese dish of rice or noodles served with barbecued pork in a thick sauce. • Cheecheong fun (猪肠粉 zhūchángfěn) – a thick, flat sheet of steamed-rice flour which is made into rolls, sometimes with a pork, chicken or vegetable filling. It is served with a sweet soy bean sauce.

3. Chinese Cuisine (con’t) • Chok (粥 zhōu), Cantonese rice porridge in various flavours including chicken and pork, often served with ikanbilis and either sliced century egg or fresh egg. • Duck rice (鸭饭 yāfàn), braised duck with rice cooked with yam and shrimps or it can simply be served with plain white rice, served with a thick dark sauce. Side dishes of braised hard-boiled eggs, preserved salted vegetables, or hard beancurd(tau kua) may be added. Teochew Boneless Duck rice, the same dish but refined since decades ago. Due to the slightly tougher texture of duck, the duck is artfully deboned and sliced thinly for the convenience and ease of the diner, allowing the sauces to seep into the meat, making it a more pleasant experience on the whole. Hainanese chicken rice and other similar dishes have followed this style due to the popularity. • Egg Tarts, a Cantonese pastry of yellow egg custard baked in a pastry shell. Commonly served at Dim Sum and popular seller at bakeries. Another variation is the Portuguese Egg Tart which has caramelized sugar on the top. • Fishball noodles (鱼丸面 yúwánmiàn), usually of the Teochew variety. Any of several kinds of egg and rice noodles may be served either in a light fish-flavoured broth or "dry" with the soup on the side, with fishmeat balls, fishcake, beansprouts and lettuce. As with bakchormee, the most commonly ordered noodles are meepok although KwayTeow soup versions are also extremely popular. • Fried rice (炒饭 chǎofàn) or in Hokkien char png. Day-old rice is fried with various meat chunks and vegetables, along with eggs.

4. Chinese cuisine (con’t) • Hainanese chicken rice (海南鸡饭 hǎinánjīfàn), flavorful steamed chicken served with rice cooked in chicken stock. Normally eaten with chili sauce, dark soy sauce, and ginger paste. A common variation is using roast chicken instead. Considered the landmark dish of Singapore. It is not available in Hainan, as suggested by its name, as the dish was adapted to local tastes by Hainanese immigrants. • Hokkienmee (福建炒虾面 fújiànchǎoxiāmiàn), rice vermicelli and yellow noodles fried with shrimp, sliced cuttlefish and lard bits. • Hor fun (河粉 héfěn), flat rice noodles in gravy often served with fish or prawns. A common variation is using beef instead. • Kayatoast, a traditional breakfast dish. Kaya is a sweet coconut and egg jam, and this is spread over toasted bread. Combined with a cup of local coffee and a half-boiled egg, this makes a typical Singaporean breakfast.

5. Chinese cuisine (con’t) • Pau(baozi), steamed bun with wide assortment of fillings such as char siew, minced pork, red bean paste, lotus paste or vegetables • Popiah(薄饼 báobǐng), Hokkien/Chaozhou-style spring roll or rolled crepe, stuffed with stewed turnip, Chinese sausage, shrimps and lettuce. • Chinese Rojak, a vegetable salad with a topping of dark prawn paste. It is different from Indian rojak. • TeochewFish Porridge, rice porridge with sliced fish meat, spring onions and other additions • Vegetarian bee hoon (斋米粉 zhāimǐfěn), thin braised rice vermicelli to which a choice of various gluten, vegetable, or tofu-based delicacies may be added. • Wanton mee (云吞面 yúntūnmiàn), yellow noodles with chicken or pork or prawn dumplings. Often served with slices of barbecued meat. • Yong taofoo (酿豆腐 niángdòufǔ), a variety of vegetables stuffed with fish and meat paste cooked in a light ikanbilis-based soup. May also be eaten "dry" with sweet bean and chili sauces. • Youtiao (油条 yóutiáo), fried dough crullers. Similar to those served in other Chinese cuisines around the world. • Yusheng (鱼生 yúshēng), a raw fish salad traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year. The modern version of the once simple raw fish salad from Chiuchow which is now ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants during the New Year celebrations, was developed in a Singaporean restaurant called Lai Wah Restaurant by master chef Than Mui Kai during the 1960s.

6. Malay Cuisine • Malay and Indonesian • Malay dishes are adapted to local tastes and differ from Malaysian and Indonesian versions. Spice and coconut milk are common ingredients, although Chinese ingredients such as taupok (tofu puffs) and tofu (known as tauhu in Malay) have been integrated. Many Chinese adaptations of these dishes also exist. • Agar agar – agar extracted from seaweed that is usually moulded into a jelly-like cake, sometimes with layers and colourings, and in various shapes. • Ayamgoreng, fried chicken. • Bakso, also Ba'so, meatballs served with noodles. • Curry puff, also known as epok-epok, a flaky pastry usually stuffed with curried chicken, cubed potatoes and a slice of hard-boiled egg. Sometimes sardines are used in place of the chicken. • Gorengpisang, bananas rolled in flour, fried and eaten as a snack. There is also a version made from Cempedak, which is known as Jackfruit in English.

7. Malay Cuisine (con’t) • Ketupat, a Malay rice cake. Steamed in square-shaped coconut leaf wrapping. Usually served with satay. • Lontong, compressed rice cakes (see ketupat) in spicy vegetable soup • Mee rebus, yellow egg noodles served in a thick sweet-spicy sauce made from fermented soy beans. Often served with a hard-boiled egg and shredded tofu puffs. • Meesiam, "Siamese noodle", or thin rice noodles in a tangy spicy soup; may also be served "dry". Often served with a hard-boiled egg • Nasilemak, coconut rice with omelette, anchovies (ikanbilis), peanuts, cucumber, sambal, and sometimes fried chicken or otak-otak. It is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves to enhance flavor, but is now common to see the dish wrapped in brown wax paper. • Nasipadang, an Indonesian meal of steamed rice with a wide choice of meat and vegetable dishes ranging anywhere from fried chicken to curried vegetables, for example. • Rendang, beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices which originated in Sumatra. • Roti john, egg-dipped bread filled with various ingredients (usually meat and onions) and then fried. Accompanied with chilli sauce. • Satay, grilled meat on skewers served with spicy peanut sauce and usually eaten with ketupat, cucumber and onions.

8. Indian Cuisine • Indian • Like Chinese-Singaporean cuisine, Indian-Singaporean has influence from multiple ethnic groups. Tamil influence is particularly strong. • Indian rojak • Rice served with papadum, on Banana leaf • Curry– The basic Indian vegetable or meat gravy. Malay and Chinese versions also exist. • Murtabak, a variety of rotiprata with minced mutton/beef and onion folded within the dough.

9. Indian Cuisine (con’t) • NasiBiryani, a flavoured rice dish cooked or served with mutton, chicken, vegetable or fish curry. Basmati rice is used. Alternatively, Dum Biryani is a version more akin to the traditional South Asian dish, which is a variant that bakes the spiced meat with the rice. • Butter Chicken, a dish of chicken cooked in a gravy of spices, yoghurt, butter and tomato • Rotiprata, a local evolution of the Pakistani and Indian paratha. Extremely popular for breakfast or late night supper, this dish is enjoyed by all Singaporeans and commonly served with sugar and curry. A plethora of modern variations are available including egg, cheese, chocolate, masala, durian and even ice cream. It should ideally be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the dough is flipped to attain the right texture, then cooked quickly on a greased stove.

10. Cross-cultural Cuisine • Cross-cultural • A number of dishes, listed below, can be considered as truly hybrid or multi-ethnic food. • 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 Katonglaksa. Raw or lightly blanched cockles are also usually added to the dish. • Fish head curry, a dish created by Singapore's Malayalee (an Indian ethnic group from Kerala) community with some Chinese and Malay influences. The head of an ikanmerah (literally "Red fish") – which is red snapper, is stewed in curry with vegetables. Usually served with either rice or bread. • MeeGoreng, yellow egg noodles stir fried with ghee, tomato sauce, some chilli, egg, vegetables and various meats and/or seafood.

11. Cross-cultural Cuisine (con’t) • Tutu Kueh, steamed rice flour pastries with a sweet shredded coconut/peanut filling • Satay bee hoon, thin rice vermicelli served with spicy satay sauce • Singapore-style Western food, Chinese interpretations of Western cuisine, although Malay versions also exist. Hainanese cooks in Singapore hybridised western dishes for local palates during the country's British colonial era, creating such dishes as stewed pork chop in tomato sauce served with green peas, and chicken chop - a sauteed chicken breast served with a soft bread bun and fries.

12. Popular dishes Seafood Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including crabs, clams, squid (known as sotongin Malay), stingray, oysters and lobsters. Favourite seafood dishes include: • Barbecued stingray ("hang hir" in Hokkien), smothered in sambal and served on banana leaf. It is also known as IkanBakar. Unique in Singapore and very common in Malaysia. • Chili crab, hard shell crabs cooked in a thick tomato and chili-based gravy. • Fried oyster or Oyster omelette, an oyster omelette mixed with flour and fried, garnished with coriander leaves. • Black pepper crab, hard shell crabs cooked in a black pepper sauce. Vegetarian • Another highly-noticeable trend in recent times is the growth of vegetarian eating places in Singapore. More people are changing their diet for a healthier lifestyle. The Singapore Vegetarian Society has a list of the vegetarian-food outlets in Singapore. Western food • Commonly seen dishes like Chicken Chop, Fish and Chips, mixed grills, cheese fries and etc., are generally popular in Singapore, typically spotted in hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts in Singapore.

13. Fruits • Fruits • A durian stall in Singapore • A wide variety of tropical fruits are available all year round, though most of them are imported from neighbouring countries. By far the most well-known is the durian, known as the "King of Fruits", which produces a characteristic odour from the creamy yellow custard-like flesh within its spiky green or brown shell. However, in spite of their popularity, durians are not allowed within public transport, many hotels and public buildings because of their strong odour. • Other popular tropical fruits include the mangosteen, jackfruit, longan, lychee, rambutan and pineapple. Some of these fruits are also used as ingredients for other dishes: iced desserts, sweet-and-sour pork, and certain kinds of salad such as rojak.

14. Desserts • Singapore desserts have a varied history and can be found in every hawker centre and food court in the region. A stall will usually have a large variety of desserts for sale, including but not limited to: • Almond jelly (杏仁豆腐), a smooth jelly made from almonds • Green bean soup • Honeydew sago, honeydewmelon cubes or balls, served in chilled coconut milk and sago. • Ice kacang, a mound of grated ice on a base consisting of jelly, red beans, corn and attapseeds, and topped with various kinds of coloured sugar syrups such as gulamelaka, rose syrup and evaporated milk • Kueh, also known as kuih. Small cakes or coconut milk based desserts that come in a variety of flavors, usually having fruit such as durian, banana, or sometimes pandan. "Kueh Lapis" is a rich, multi-layered cake-style kueh using a large amount of egg whites and studded with prunes. "Lapis Sagu" is also a popular kueh with layers of alternating color and a sweet, coconut taste. This dessert is common in Malay, Indonesian, and Peranakan cooking. • Mango pudding

15. Desserts (con’t) • Red bean soup (红豆汤) • Pandanchiffon cake, a fluffy light cake flavoured with pandan leaves and is a characteristic green colour • Pineapple tarts are made with pineapple jam in a pastry. • SugeeCake, a soft cake made with semolina flour and a high concentration of egg yolks. Served in Eurasian, Malay and Chinese cuisine • Tangyuan, glutinous rice balls (stuffings such as black sesame, red bean or peanut) served in soup. A variation known as "Ah Balling" also exists, often served with a peanut soup • Watermelon sago, watermelon cubes or balls, served in chilled coconut milk and sago.

16. Drinks • Drinks/beverages • A typical open-air kopi tiam in Singapore • Bubble Tea, is traditionally made by adding boba balls(made from a mixture of tapioca and carrageenan powder), large or small, to shaken milk black tea. • Horlicks Dinosaur, conventional Horlicks served with lots of Horlicks powder on top • Milo Dinosaur, conventional Milo served with lots of Milo powder on top • Milo Godzilla (aka Milo T-Rex), Milo Dinosaur with a scoop of ice-cream and optional whipped cream • Singapore Sling • Soya bean milk • Sugar cane juice • Tehtarik, tea mixed with evaporated milk, usually Carnation brand. This tea is unique in that during preparation, the tea is tossed repeatedly from one mug to another to create a thick froth (hence the name tehtarik, meaning '"pulled tea"). See picture here. • Tiger Beer

17. Local names for Coffee and Tea • Local names for coffee and tea • At kopi tiams, coffee and tea are usually ordered using their local names. • Coffee • Kopi, coffee • Kopi-gau, coffee (strong brew – "gau" is "厚" in Hokkien) • Kopi-po, coffee (weak brew – "po" is "薄" in Hokkien) • Kopi-C, coffee with evaporated milk • Kopi-C-kosong, coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar ('kosong" means empty in Malay) • Kopi-O, coffee with sugar only • Kopi-O-kosong, coffee without sugar or milk • Kopi-O-kosong-gau, a strong brew of coffee without sugar or milk • Kopi-bing or Kopi-ice, coffee with milk, sugar and ice • Kopi-xiu-dai, coffee with less sweetened milk • Kopi-gah-dai, coffee with extra sweetened milk • refers to Carnation, a brand of evaporated milk.

18. Local names for coffee and tea • Tea • Teh, tea with milk and sugar • Teh-C, tea with evaporated milk • Teh-C-kosong, tea with evaporated milk and no sugar • Teh-O, tea with sugar only • Teh-O-kosong, plain tea without milk or sugar • Tehtarik, the Malay tea described above • Teh-halia, tea with ginger water • Teh-bing, tea with ice, also known as Teh-ice • Teh-xiu-dai, tea with less sweetened milk • Teh-gah-dai, tea with extra sweetened milk • Drinks example lke the above list could be extra ordered adding more ice or more sugar or milk. For example, one can add the "bing"(Ice in mandarin) suffix to form other variations such as Teh-C-bing (tea with evaporated milk with ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather. • These names are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore as they are formed by words from different languages, and have become part of the lexicon of Singlish. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, bing is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C

19. Thank you! I hope you have enjoyed the presentation!