ICYMI, Singapore's hawker culture is now on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which should not come as a huge surprise, given how our hawker culture is such a big part of Singapore's identity.
To celebrate Singapore's first attempt at making this UNESCO list, here's a look at some interesting facts behind Singapore's hawker culture and some of our favourite hawker foods!
Hainanese Chicken Rice
\
One of our nation's favourite dishes, the Hainanese chicken rice was brought to Singapore by Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island, and the original version was made with bony Wenchang chicken, rice thick with oil, chilli sauce, ground ginger and a mix of oyster sauce and garlic.
In Hainan, the dish is made with stock from both pork and chicken bones, but here in Singapore the stock is made only from chicken.
The chicken rice was listed as one of the 50 best foods in the world by CNN in 2011, and the dish has been raved about by celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and the late Anthony Bourdain. Chef Ramsay even took on Tian Tian Chicken Rice in his Hawker Heroes challenge in 2013, but lost to the renowned stall.
Youtiao
Youtiao might be a sinful but delightful breakfast indulgence for many of us, but did you know that there is a macabre tale behind it, intertwined with political intrigue?
The youtiao was actually created to represent a couple despised by the general masses in the 12th century Song dynasty. The imprisonment and execution of General Yue Fei was ralied against as he was framed by the fabrications made up by Song dynasty chancellor Qin Hui and his wife, Lady Wang. The two dough strips – originally human-shaped and symbolising Qin and wife – were joined and fried in hot oil resulting in the dish we know today.
Laksa
Laksa with maggots and earthworms, anyone?
Did you know that in the 1950s, earthworms were added to laksa for saltiness, as well as maggots to “eat away bacteria”? Thankfully, the dish we know and love today has none of the creepy crawlies and is made with much more appetising ingredients such as prawns, cockles, fish cake, taupok, beansprouts and hard-boiled egg.
World's Cheapest Michelin Dish
...Is right here in Singapore! The Soya Sauce Chicken Rice from Liao Fan Hawker Chan is the cheapest Michelin star meal and will set you back just $5. The Michelin-starred dish consists of glazed chicken, raw cucumber, half a hard-boiled egg, toasted soybeans and rice with soy sauce.
If you haven't tried it, you can visit one of their four outlets in Singapore. Don't be surprised if you see a queue!
Satay
The satay we know and love come from kebabs, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Did you know that in the 60s and 70s, satay was actually served by unlicensed hawkers at bus terminals, such as in Beach Road, at makeshift portable stalls? Hygiene standards were very different back then and left much to be desired – customers would often dip their satay skewers in a communal pot of sauce!
Popiah
Meaning “thin pancake” in Teochew, popiah is usually enjoyed as a snack or side dish in Singapore.
In 2002, a Guinness World Record was set for the world’s longest popiah, measuring at 108m! The impressive popiah was made by over 500 grassroots leaders and residents at the Thomson Community Club.
Roti John
A story from the 1960s has it that an Englishman had asked a Malay hawker in Sembawang for a hamburger. Since hamburgers weren't available at that time, the hawker put minced mutton, onions and an omelette between sliced halves of a french loaf.
The anonymous hawker then told the customer, "Silakan makan roti John", which, depending on punctuation, could be interpreted as "Please eat this bread (roti), John" or “Please eat this dish, John’s bread”.