“singapore’s food heritage: eat it, share it, save it?” · to hawker food & culture •...

Cuisine: Legacy, Transformation and Transmission

“Singapore’s Food Heritage:Eat it, Share it, Save it?”

Presented by:Daniel CHIA

Slow Food (Singapore)

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference

Nanyang Technological UniversitySchool of Art, Design and Media

26th January 2016

Today’s Presentation

1. A Very Brief Introduction to Slow Food (Singapore)

2. Singapore: A Historical & Cultural Overview

3. Singapore’s Food Heritage.

4. Singapore’s Food Trends through the lens of Bordieu’s Food Space.

5. Challenges in maintaining Food Heritage.

6. Our work: Eat it, Share it, Save it?


Introduction to Slow Food (Singapore)

• Established as a Non-Profit Community Organisation and wasauthorised by the Singapore Registry of Societies on 30th October2013.

• The local chapter of the international Slow Food movementfounded in Italy, in 1989.

• One of the main objectives for Slow Food (Singapore) is tosafeguard Singapore’s Food Cultural Heritage through thepromotion and preservation of traditional knowledge by:

• organising meals, tastings, forums, talks, seminars, lectures,shows, recreational and study trips and other like events, so asto help educate its members and the public;

• preparing, publishing and disseminating such books, periodicals,pamphlets, photos, articles and drawings as well as producesuch films, videos and recordings in whatever form, electronic orotherwise, as may be necessary or relevant to educate itsmembers and the public;


Singapore: a historical & cultural overview

• A centre along southeast Asian trade routes since at least the 1st century

• Populated since the early common era by peoples from the Malay peninsula, and migrants from south and southeast Asia

• Claimed by Sir Stamford Raffles as a British outpost in 1819

• Gained self-governance in 1959 and national independence in 1965

• Just over 5.5 million people live on just over 700 square kilometres

• Very little agriculture: vast majority of food produce is imported

• Four official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil

• Multicultural harmony a crucial part of national identity


Singapore: a historical & cultural overview

• Food culture & history braided with Chinese, Malay, Indian, southeast Asian & Western influences: immigration & an evolving expat population continue to add new & different voices to the mix

• Unique regional cuisines, natural fusions arising from historical intermarriages: Peranakan - Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Indian & some colonial influences Eurasian - Portuguese, Dutch, Malay, Indian & Chinese influences

• Formerly teeming with itinerant street hawkers, which were moved into roofed hawker centres from the 1970s onwards

• Hawker centres a central part of gastronomy in public life: each one spans multiple cuisines, ethnicities & kinds of dishes

• Well-established, dynamic hospitality & restaurant industry which attracts many international chefs & cuisines: Singaporean chefs are frequent medallists in international culinary competitions


Singapore’s Food Heritage


Food Traditions

Family Food Customs, Practices & Recipes

Community Food Traditions & Festivals

Unique Dishes & Adaptations

Copyright © 2015 Christopher Tan.

All rights reserved.



Foods Media

Private Recipe Journals

Heritage Food Blogs

Cookbooks & Food History Books

Food Magazines

Food Television

Copyright © 2015 Christopher Tan.

All rights reserved.




Foods Businesses

Farms & Food Producers

Restaurants Hawker Stalls

Bakeries & Confectioneries

Food Brands & Food Stores

Food Manufacturers & Processors




Foods Spaces

Hawker Centres & Food Courts

Wet Markets

Supermarkets & Hypermarkets

Community Centres

Kopi Tiam (Local Coffee Shops)

Shopping Malls

Provision Shops

Gourmet Grocery & Specialty Stores

Cooking Schools

Community Spaces – Tents on Fields

Pasar Malam (Night Markets)


Food Traditions

Family Food Customs, Practices & Recipes

Community Food Traditions & Festivals

Unique Dishes & Adaptations

Foods Media

Private Recipe Journals

Heritage Food Blogs

Cookbooks & Food History Books

Food Magazines

Food Television

Foods Businesses

Farms & Food Producers

Restaurants Hawker Stalls

Bakeries & Confectioneries

Food Brands & Food Stores

Food Manufacturers & Processors

Foods Spaces

Hawker Centres & Food Courts

Wet Markets

Supermarkets & Hypermarkets

Community Centres

Kopi Tiam (Local Coffee Shops)

Shopping Malls

Provision Shops

Gourmet Grocery & Specialty Stores

Cooking Schools

Community Spaces – Tents on Fields

Pasar Malam (Night Markets)

Foods Events

Trade Fairs & Food Expositions

Farmers’ Markets

Cooking Competitions

Culinary Awards Presentations

Food Festivals


Bordieu’s Food Space Singapore Context 1960s to 1980s

ECONOMIC CAPITAL -

ECONOMIC CAPITAL +

CULTURAL CAPITAL -

CULTURAL CAPITAL +

MOTHER’S COOKING

ELIZABETHAN GRILL

TROIKA RESTAURANT

CHESA

HUGO’S

ANGLO-HAINANESE

GRILL ROOMSNEIGHBOURHOOD KOPI TIAM

TRADITIONAL BAKERIES

STREET SIDE HAWKERS

“HOME BAKERS”

HAN’S

SILVER SPOON

COLBAR EATING HOUSE

COLD STORAGE MILK BARS

WESTERN STYLE BAKERIES

Sweet

White

Salty

Fried

Upmarket

Refined

Western Flavours

Colonial

Local Flavours

Homecooked

Rice/Porridge

Mostly Vegetables

Starch on Starch

Meat on Special Occasions

Dim Sum

Wedding Banquets

Live Seafood

Sharks Fins

Kopi Tiam Kopi

Traditional Piah

Kueh Kueh

Rum Balls

Swiss Rolls

Milk Shakes

Banana Splits

Club Sandwich

Mushroom Soup

Continental Cuisine

Roast Beef on Wagon

Flamed Dishes

Crepes Suzette

Cheese Trolley

Liqueur Trolley

Hot Plate Steaks

CATHAY RESTAURANT

DRAGON PHOENIX

SIN LEONG

LAI WAH

RED STAR

LOCAL SEAFOOD EATERIES


Bordieu’s Food Space Singapore Context 1980s to 1990s

ECONOMIC CAPITAL -

ECONOMIC CAPITAL +

CULTURAL CAPITAL -

CULTURAL CAPITAL +

MOTHER’S COOKING

HOTEL CANTONESE RESTAURANTS

HOTEL JAPANESE RESTAURANTS

HOTEL GRILLROOMS

TRADITIONAL BAKERIES

WESTERN STYLE BAKERIES

NEIGHBOURHOOD KOPI TIAM

HAWKER CENTRES

PONDEROSA

SIZZLER

DENNY’S

CHAIN JAPANESE

EATERIES

DELIFRANCE

SUBWAY

SWENSENS

DUNKIN DONUTS

FAST FOOD BURGERS

FAST FOOD FRIED CHICKEN

Sweet

White

Salty

Fried

Upmarket

Refined

HK & Japan Trends

Western FlavoursLocal Fusion

Local Flavours

Rice with dishes

Dim Sum

Sharks Fins

Hot Plate Steaks

Hawker Food in

Aircon Comfort

Ribeye Steaks

Salad Buffets

Multi-grain Loaves

Baguette Sandwiches

Croissant

Fresh Brewed Coffee

Jam Donuts

Hamburgers

HK CHEFS

Live Seafood

HOTEL WEDDINGS

Peking Duck

Nouvelle Cuisine

Roast Prime Rib

Visiting Celebrity Chefs

ANGLO-HAINANESE GRILL ROOMS

TRADITIONAL RESTAURANTS

LOCAL SEAFOOD EATERIES

FOOD COURTS

Hawker Fare in Aircon

Traditional White Loaf

Rum Balls

Swiss Rolls

Kopi Tiam Kopi

Traditional Piah

Kueh Kueh

HOTEL COFFEE HOUSE

THEMED BUFFETS

LES AMIS (1995)

THE ITALIAN WAVE


ECONOMIC CAPITAL -

ECONOMIC CAPITAL +

CULTURAL CAPITAL -

CULTURAL CAPITAL +

FAST FOOD

FOOD COURTS

HAWKER CENTRES

NEIGHBOURHOOD KOPI TIAM

HOME COOKING

SAN PELLIGRINO TOP 50 LIST

MICHELIN STARS

OMAKASE SUSHI RESTAURANTS

CELEBRITY RESTAURANTS

BESPOKE COCKTAIL BARS

WHISKY & CIGAR BARSTRADITIONAL RESTAURANTS

CONVEYER BELT SUSHI

CHAIN COFFEE JOINTS

CHAIN ASIAN EATERIES

HOME ENTERTAINING

FOOD TRUCKS

RAMEN JOINTS

HIPSTER CAFES

GOURMET BURGER BARS

PRIVATE DINING CLUBS

GOURMET COFFEE JOINTS

ARTISANAL ICE-CREAMERIES

OTHER EXOTIC ETHNIC RESTAURANTS

Sweet

White

Salty

Fried

Refined

Healthy

Umami

Herbs

Sous-vide

Heirloom

Artisanal

Familiar Favourites

Convenience Foods

HOTEL GRILL ROOMS

STEAK HOUSES

HOTEL CHINESE RESTAURANTS

SUNDAY BRUNCH BUFFETS

HOTEL BUFFETS

Food Court Western

Kopi Tiam Kopi

Economy Rice

Nasi Bryani

Kaya Toast

Kueh Kueh

Roti Prata

Tiger Beer

Zi Char

Dim Sum

Chinese Tea

Live Seafood

Sharks Fins

Peking Duck

Hot Plate Steaks

Ramen

Truffle Fries

Small Plates

Craft Beers

Single Origin Coffee

Wagyu Burgers

Eggs Benedict

D.I.Y.

ORGANIC

Nose to Tail

Foraged Herbs

GLUTEN FREE

Heirloom Varieties

Heritage Breed Meats

Modernist Cuisines

SUSTAINABLE

Bordieu’s Food Space Singapore Context 2015/2016


Challenges

To gastronomic identity & home cooking

• Fast-evolving food culture & trends

• Dining out is convenient & popular

• Home cooking less common as a family and bonding

activity than in previous eras

• Multicultural food heritage & culture not easy to explain

and interpret to the wider world


Challenges

To hawker food & culture

• Rising stall rental costs

• Staff & heir shortages

• Hawker profession seen as menial, laborious, low-profit

• Challenging for young hawkers to amass capital &

recognition

• Public expectations of unsustainably low prices

• Younger generations more interested in foreign food


Challenges

To traditional food businesses & stores

• Supermarkets displacing wet markets

• Local producers of artisanal traditional foods few & far

between

• Traditional foods less understood or appreciated

• Traditional ingredients & equipment increasingly difficult

to source

• Staff & heir shortages


Our Work: Eat it!

Members’ Events

•Slow Food Day 2014

• Potluck Dinner of Heritage Dishes.

•1st Anniversary Dinner 2014

• Spring Court Restaurant in Chinatown.

•Terra Madre Day 2014 – Heritage Heroes Trail

• Visited 2 of our Heritage Heroes, Poh Guan Cake House and Thye Moh Chan.

•“Slow Hei” and Lunar New Year Dinner 2015

• At Dragon Phoenix Restaurant operated by Masterchef Hooi Kok Wai

• Held a traditional toss of “The Original Yu Sheng” and a sumptuous dinner

•Slow Food Day 2015 – Dim Sum Brunch

• Red Star Restaurant.

•2nd Annual General Meeting & Dinner

• Dinner was held at Manhill Restaurant.

•Hungry Ghost Festival Auction Dinner

• Held under a large marquee at Lorong 7 Toa Payoh.

•2nd Anniversary Dinner

• Hua Yu Wee Restaurant, the last remaining seafood restaurant on what used to be a stretch of seafood restaurants situated by the seaside.


Our Work: Share it!

Research & Advocacy

Heritage Hero Awards Programme

• To increase awareness and appreciation ofthe various local and traditional kueh typesfound in Singapore.

• To encourage the cooking of the variouslocal and traditional kueh, so that recipesand skills are transmitted for futuregenerations.

• Our inaugural programme in 2014 receivedgood media coverage which led us to beinvolved in many other activities.

• The programme was repeated in 2015 andwill be expanded to cover Heritagerestaurants in 2016.

Heritage Hero

Decal & Certificate

issued to awarded

Outlets


Our Work: Share it!

Research & Advocacy

Singapore Food Memories Programme 2014

• Slow Food (Singapore) planned an Essay Writing Competition open to students fromsecondary schools and institutes of higher learning.

• Essays were to be based on food memories of contestants’ relatives who lived inSingapore and centered on the foods that were prepared, cooked and eaten duringfestivals celebrated in Singapore from the period of 1945 to 1995.

• The aim was to collect the essays as a form of Oral History, which could then be usedfor record and for academic purposes.

• It was planned that an anthology of selected essays will be printed and titled;“Singapore Food Memories – An Anthology of Essays on Celebrating Festivals andFeasts in Singapore from 1945 to 1995”.

• However, no entries were received, so the program was shelved.


Our Work: Share it!

Partnerships

Balastier Makan Heritage Race 2015

• In partnership with Web In Travel (WIT), Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park, Society of Tour Guides Singapore, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and other stakeholders, Slow Food (Singapore) was the co-organiser of the “Balestier Makan Heritage Race”, an “Amazing Race” type event centred on Food Heritage in the Balestier District.

• Held on Saturday, 4th July 2015.

• There were 141 participants and the event raised $13,600 for the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.


Copyright © 2015 Daniel Chia. All rights reserved.

Our Work: Share it!

Partnerships

Kueh Appreciation Day 2015

• Slow Food (Singapore) organised its inaugural “KuehAppreciation Day” on Sunday, 26th July 2015 at the ToTTStore on Dunearn Road.

• The event showcased hand-made local kueh from the variouscultures in Singapore and included 3 kueh-makingdemonstration classes.

• This was a partner event of the Singapore Food Festival2015 organised by the Singapore Tourism Board.

• The event was covered by more than 30 local and regionalmedia outlets, and was attended by more than 400 people,with 180 attending the classes.

• We are currently working with the Singapore Tourism Boardto discuss Kueh Appreciation Day as a key event for theSingapore Food Festival in 2016 and beyond.


Our Work: Share it!

Lectures & Workshops

Yale-NUS College – Week 7 Program

• On 28th September 2014, Slow Food (Singapore)organised for the Yale-NUS College Week 7Project on Singapore Foodways, a visit toHeritage Hero HarriAnn’s Delights.

• The participating freshmen were introduced tothe history and culture of Nyonya Kueh. As partof their visit, they were treated to ademonstration on kueh making and were giventhe opportunity to make their own Ondeh Ondeh.

• Later the same day, Slow Food conducteda livelyand interactive workshop to discuss “PreservingSingapore’ Food Cultural Heritage in the 21stCentury”.

• 24 undergraduate freshmen and 3 facultymembers attended the visit and workshop.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Copyright © 2015 Christopher Tan. All rights reserved.

Our Work: Share it!

Lectures & Workshops

Temasek Polytechnic Special Interest Tourism – Guest Lecture

• On 1st December 2014, our presidentconducted a lecture on Food HeritageTourism to 160 students from the 3rd yearof the Hospitality & Tourism Managementcourse at Temasek Polytechnic.

At the Museum!

• On 31st January 2015, Slow Food(Singapore) presented at the NationalMuseum of Singapore, as part of their “ALighter Side of History” series, a talk titled,“Preserving Singapore’s Food Heritage in the21st Century” and a demonstration of atraditional “lo hei” by Master Chef Hooi KokWai of Dragon Phoenix Restaurant, one ofthe creators of Singapore’s Yu Sheng.

• 160 people attended the event.3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference


Our Work: Share it!

In The Public Arena

Food & Hotel Asia 2014

• Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA was invited by the ItalianTrade Commissioner to make a presentation and tocontribute to the FHA 2014 Italian Pavilion Booklet.

• The presentation was a seminar on Italian Cheeses, whichincluded an introduction to the work done by Slow FoodInternational to preserve and promote Italian FoodProducts and Culture through the Presidia products, andto introduce Slow Food (Singapore), its aims andprograms for Singapore.

Singapore Writer’s Festival 2014

• On 2nd November 2014, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIAwas the Moderator for the Panel Discussion on “The futureof our culinary scene” at the Singapore Writers Festival2014 organised by the National Arts Council.

• A fruitful discussion about current issues and future trendswere discussed by the panel, which included food criticWong Ah Yoke, food blogger Daniel Ang, andchef/restauranteur Bjorn Shen.



Our Work: Share it!

In The Public Arena

NEA Clean & Green Hackathon 2014

• On 15th November 2014, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA was a Mentor for teams taking part in the segment on “Smart Hawker Centres” during the Clean & Green Singapore Hackathon 2014 organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Singapore Management University

• In May 2015, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIAwas a collaborator at the Co-creationWorkshop “Let’s Reduce Plate Waste inSingapore - Towards a Zero Food WasteNation” organised by SingaporeManagement University’s Masters in Tri-Sector Collaboration programme.

• The co-creation workshop was attended by,60 people, from various sectors includinggovernment bodies, NGOs, and the privatesector.


Copyright © 2015 Daniel Chia. All rights reserved.

Our Work: Share it!

In The Public Arena

Maritime Stewardship Council Asia Pacific Sustainable Seafood Business Forum 2015

• On 5th June 2015, Convivium LeaderDaniel CHIA attended the Forum andwas interviewed for comments aboutMSC’s initiatives.

• Parts of the interview were laterbroadcast as a news item.

National Youth Council

• In 25th June 2015, Convivium LeaderDaniel CHIA was a Panellist for theNational Youth Council’s “YouthSpeakPanel on Food Security & Food Waste”.

• Attendance at the panel discussion was60 people.


Our Work: Share it!

Featured In Publication

“Social Studies 2016 Express and Normal (Academic) Stream Coursebook”

• Published by the Curriculum Planning andDevelopment Division of Singapore’sMinistry of Education, this is the newSocial Studies Coursebook for upper (year9 and 10) secondary school students inSingapore.

• The international Slow Food movement,Slow Food in Singapore, and its HeritageHeroes Program was highlighted asshowcasing Singapore’s traditional foodculture and celebrating hand-madeheritage treats.


Solutions, goals & prospects: Save it?

• Encourage people to cook more at home, through events, competitions & media

• Encourage families to record, save, practise & share their handed-down recipes & traditions

• Teach younger generations about their family & ethnic food heritage

• Food-focused heritage fairs, exhibitions, walking trails, events


• Raise perceptions of hawker & traditional foods, at a public & institutional level

• Enlighten consumers that (high quality + cheap) food is often an unrealistic expectation

• Educate consumers about the true differences between artisanal handmade products & commercial products

• Recognise individual cooks & hawkers – not just food brands and companies – as heritage champions



• Refine regulations to help, not hinder, hawkers & heritage food producers

• Use online / social media to promote & explain heritage foods & businesses

• Help heritage food businesses to capitalise on trends & tech without compromising their core character

• Forge alliances & training schemes to allow hawkers & heritage food producers to share & pass on knowledge



• Eat it!• Make traditional foods a relevant part of our lives and

our children’s lives, starting from a young age.• If they don’t know the food, they won’t want to save it!

• Share it!• Encourage families to record, save, practise & share

their handed-down recipes & traditions.• Use online / social media to promote & explain heritage

foods & businesses.• Make traditional foods fashionable again!

• Save it!• If Singapore’s Food Heritage remains a relevant and

valuable part of our lives, transmission will continue…

Eat it, Share it, Save it?


Acknowledgements

1. Christopher TAN• Cookbook Author, Photographer, Columnist, Chef Instructor

• Slow Food (Singapore) Founding Executive Committee Member and Chairman of Heritage Hero Awards Program.

• For allowing me to adapt and use this presentation which he originally prepared for the Slow Food Asia Pacific Festival 2015 in Seoul, Korea.

2. Conference Organisers - NHB & NTU • For inviting Slow Food (Singapore) to present at this conference.

3. Temasek Polytechnic• For giving me time off to attend and present at this conference.



A formal photo portrait of my paternal grandmother with her nanny, circa 1920s.

“singapore’s food heritage: eat it, share it, save it?” · to hawker food & culture •...

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