Singapore Culture - Multicultural Influences

Multicultural Influences

:: Peranakan
Peranakan or Nonya food is the closest Singapore has to an indigenous cuisine. The Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese immigrants who married local Malay women. Peranakan food combines Chinese, Malay and other influences into its own unique blend. By blending Chinese ingredients with Malay herbs and spices, Peranakan dishes are imaginative, tasty and often extremely subtle. Chillies, 'belachan' and coconut milk are central to the unique flavors of Peranakan dishes. To taste the delights, try specialty restaurants off Tanjong Pagar and Jalan Sultan.

Recommended: Buah Keluak (Indonesian black nut, often served with chicken), Chendol (green jelly in coconut milk with brown sugar), Itek Tim (duck in salted vegetables soup), Nonya Kueh (local cake), Otak-Otak (minced fish wrapped in coconut or banana leaf)

:: Chinese
To most Chinese, asking "che pao le mah?" or "Have you eaten?" is the same as asking "How are you?" This is because to the Chinese, eating or rather eating well is a way of life. This is reflected in their distinctive cooking which varies from one dialect group to another. Almost all the Chinese regions are represented in Singapore, with certain culinary delights having household reputations. One thing worth noting is that the Chinese are particular about gesticulating with chopsticks - pointing them at anyone at the meal table or leaving them 'standing up' in a bowl of food is considered rude and should be avoided.

Recommended: Dim Sum, Fried Kway-Teow (flat noodles), Fried Hokkien Mee (noodles), Hainanese Chicken Rice, Peking Duck, Fried Carrot Cake, Curry Chicken with Rice, Steamboat, Teochew Porridge, Yong Tau Foo (vegetables stuffed with minced fish in clear soup).

:: Indian
Oddly enough Singapore's most famous Indian dish, the Fish Head Curry, is not Indian. A regional creation if you will, the Fish Head Curry reflects Indian cooking through the complex use of spices (not all hot and spicy) with delicate flavoring. The main difference between northern and southern Indian cuisine is that northern food is less spicy and more subtly spiced than southern food. Southern Indian food is also distinctive in its use of curry leaves and mustard seed, with coconut milk, yogurt and oil used rather than the northern cream and ghee. Southern dishes called Korma are generally mild, although anything prefixed by Masala is likely to be rather hot.

Recommended: Nasi Briyani (rice cooked with spices), Fish Head Curry, Dosai (thin crepe-like pancake stuffed with vegetables), Roti Prata (a crisp-crusty pancake served with curry gravy), Tandoori Chicken, Teh Tarik (tea, hand-pulled so as to aerate for flavor).

:: Malay
The Malays of Singapore have the distinction of skillfully combining the cooking methods of their northern and southern neighbors - the Thais, the Malaysians and the Indonesians. Many of their dishes are enriched with tasty coconut milk sauces. Another vital ingredient is 'belachan', a dried shrimp paste which, together with pounded fresh chillies, has become the national favorite Sambal 'Belachan'. A wide range of spices and herbs like lemon grass, tamarind and coriander contribute to Malay cuisine, especially their delicious curries.

Recommended: Beef Rendang (beef in spicy coconut gravy), Mee Goreng (fried noodles), Mee Siam (spicy vermicelli), Nasi Padang (rice cooked with spices), Satay, Soto Ayam (chicken soup).

:: Herbal
Herbal food reflects the Chinese approach to health and its delicate balance of Yin and Yang. Start your discovery at the Imperial Herbal Restaurant located at the Metropole Hotel (behind Raffles Hotel). The restaurant has created a distinctive, gourmet cuisine that not only tastes good, but also has medicinal properties.

At the Imperial Herbal, master chefs work with herbal doctors to create recipes that may provide a new age, yet time-proven, answer to a variety of medical problems - from poor circulation, stress, and fatigue to sexual enervation, high blood pressure, and cancer. The Imperial Herbal offerings draw upon the ancient Chinese principals of Yin (passive) and Yang (active) that continue to be followed by many Singaporeans in their daily lifestyle.

Creating a distinctive cuisine that restores the body's harmony is the goal of the Imperial Herbal. Entrees, prepared with international cooking techniques, range from foods more familiar to the Western palate such as the perfectly balanced Yu Shan Fu Gui Ji (Baked Chicken with Eight Treasure Herbs) to specialty dishes that include Stuffed Bean Curd with Assorted Seafood and Orange-Peel Sauce (orange peels regulate energy and help remove phlegm and congestion) and Box-thorn Vegetables with Wolf-Berries (improves vision and is a tonic for the liver and kidneys).

More exotic dishes also are featured, such as Deep-Fried Drunken Scorpions with Asparagus (a good tonic for the nerves, convulsions, and muscle spasms) to Double-Boiled Soft-Shell Turtle Soup with Cordycep (an energy tonic that is believed to strengthen the immune system and prevent cancer). To complement these restorative meals, diners at the Imperial Herbal can also choose from a wide variety of Chinese herbal wines - each with its own special medicinal benefit.

(c) Provided by Tourism Authority of Singapore