The Destination for Food Lovers

I am Xin Yi from Singapore and I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree in food material science. Recently, I participated in a Food Industry Tour aimed at showcasing Japan’s food value chain to promote the development of high technology food value chains in ASEAN. Following the tour, I am thankful to be invited to share about food in Singapore.

Due to its advantageous geographical location, colonial Singapore was a trading post under the British rule and today, still remains as a hub for air and sea cargo. Besides trade, Singapore also attracted many Malay, Chinese and Indian migrants from surrounding countries who worked and eventually, decided to settle in Singapore. The result of a society largely made up of immigrants is apparent in Singapore’s food culture. In essence, Singaporean cuisine is a unique collection of dishes with Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Peranakan and Eurasian influences that have evolved over the years to accommodate the availability of ingredients and appeal to the tastes of multiple immigrant communities. In this article, I will introduce three of my favourite Singaporean dishes: fried carrot cake, mee rebus and roti prata.

Also known as chai-tow-kway colloquially, fried carrot cake is made of tiny, cubed white radish cake that have been fried with preserved turnip, garlic, eggs and spring onions. This local favourite comes in two varieties, white and black. The white version is pan-fried on top of beaten eggs to form palm-sized pancakes while the black version has the beaten eggs stir fried along with other ingredients in dark soy sauce. Originally brought to Singapore by the Teochews, this dish is popular as a form of comfort food among Singaporeans that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Next, mee rebus is a Malay noodle dish served with a thick, spicy, sweet gravy along with beansprouts, fried bean curd and a hard-boiled egg. The gravy is prepared using tiny shrimps, flavoured using salt, sugar, herbs and spices like lemongrass, shallots and galangal and thickened with corn starch. The flavour is further enhanced with garnishes like green chilli, lime and fried shallots. Affordable and satisfying, this local favourite is usually enjoyed during breakfast but is also available all day.

Lastly, roti prata has origins from India and is essentially a fluffy, fried pancake. Fluffy layers in the pancake are usually made by folding a thin layer of dough inwards repeatedly before frying and clapping the pancake stacks after frying to crease the dough layers. While traditionally served either plain or cooked with eggs, innovative fillings like onions, cheese and butter have also gained considerable popularity over the years. The pancake is usually dipped in sugar or curry before consumption.

With such a wide variety of affordable, delicious food, Singapore is truly a paradise for food lovers. So what are you waiting for, come on down!

Fried carrot cake

Mee rebus

Roti prata