With immigrants from a varied variety of countries including India, Indonesia, China and Malaysia to name a few, Singapore is one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the world. Be it tourism or infrastructure, Singapore always stays ahead of its competition in every which way you could think of. Amusement Parks, Greenery, Shopping, Food, Electronics and more – there’s so much to do for everyone.
But why food? Is it even important? The food in a country defines its culture and daily life. It defines the habits and persona of the people. As immigrants from different countries stream in one after another, they bring a taste of their country along with them. Haven’t you heard of the Kaya Toast or the Roti Prata or even the Icecream Sandwich? What are you waiting for? Read on!
I was in Singapore on a work assignment for more than 6 months and I must say that I was totally lost for choice seeing the food options on offer. Despite the variety of cuisines to taste, I have narrowed my list of favourites to the below 5 ones.
Icecream Sandwich
Source: https://amansfood.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/img_0545.jpg
Street vendors across Singapore sell ice-cream in a variety of ways. If you are not happy with having your ice cream in a regular cone, you can opt for having it with a wafer or even by keeping the bar of ice-cream between a loaf of bread and gobbling it up. Doesn’t sound anything great, does it? Try it if you get a chance. You’ll end up licking your fingers.
Roti Prata
Source: https://rockabitebaby.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/p7053698.jpg
Thinking about Roti and Paratha? Yeah, you are right. This one has evolutionized from the Roti and Parathas we are so used to having in the subcontinent. But this one additionally comes in a variety of flavours like chocolate, chicken, egg etc. and is served with Chicken or Fish Curry. A delightful meal awaits.
Kaya Toast with Kopi / Teh Tarik / Milo
Source: https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3772/9575232043_e6c16ebaa5_b.jpg
Kaya is a spread made out of eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan. Kaya on Toast along with Kopi (Coffee), Teh Tarik (Tea with Milk) or Milo (widely regarded as Singapore’s national drink) is the favourite breakfast or evening snack for Singaporeans. During my stay, I was never far from a coffee shop selling Kaya Toast.
Satay
Source: http://www.manusmenu.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2-Satay-Chicken-3-1-of-1.jpg
This is a dish which has its roots in Indonesia and Malaysia. It’s basically meat which has been skewered, grilled and seasoned and served on a stick along with Peanut sauce. The meat comes in different forms including beef, chicken and even mutton thus satisfying everyone’s liking and taste. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?
Char Kway Teow
Source: https://onthelampowell.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/dsc05908.jpg
A dish which originated in Singapore and Malaysia, Char Kway Teow consists of flat rice noodles along with shrimp, prawns, soya souce, sprouts and a couple of other ingredients for flavouring. Over the years Char Kway Teow is also being made with chicken, eggs, duck and the likes. Since a lot of people have found it to be quite unhealthy due to the high saturated fat content, more healthier versions of the dish have sprung up consisting of a lot more veggies.
Singaporeans love their food and I am sure you will love too. Whenever you visit the country, make it a point to taste their indigenous cuisines. I am sure there would be something for each one of you to gorge on.
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Written for the Indiblogger Takeaway Level: Singapore Contest
Linking to NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month – March – My post no 9 for this month.
Saru (@BaawriBasanti)
Right, food says a lot about the culture, habits and lifestyle of a place. Great 5 picks, that ice-cream sandwich is a must have.
aseemrastogi2
Singapore is surely a foodie’s delight. Some fantastic variety of food to choose from :). The icecream sandwich is surely yummilicious 😀 :D.
Mayuri6
You’ve nailed it! Singapore is known for a lot of things and food is certainly one of them. The ice cream sandwich, Kaya Toast and Roti Parota are my must haves !
transitionofthoughts
Yes these are the best among the food items there. We were very regular with Kaya Toast for breakfast day in and day out during our stay there :).