The Indigenization and Hybridization of Food Cultures in Singapore

137 Pages·2019·8.395 MB·English

by  Tai Wei Lim

The Indigenization and
Hybridization of Food
Cultures in Singapore
Tai Wei Lim
The Indigenization and Hybridization of Food
Cultures in Singapore
Tai Wei Lim
The Indigenization
and Hybridization
of Food Cultures
in Singapore
Tai Wei Lim
Singapore University of Social Sciences
Singapore, Singapore
ISBN 978-981-13-8694-7 ISBN 978-981-13-8695-4 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8695-4
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C
ontents
Part I 1
1 Introduction 3
2 Food Vessels: A Brief Historical Survey of Ceramics Use
for Food Consumption in Singapore’s Hawker Centres
and Coffee Shops (kopitiams) 7
3 Diversity in Southeast Asian Serving Vessels 21
4 Late Modernity: Food-Serving Vessels Used in the
Mid-Twentieth Century 49
Part II 71
5 Promoting Singapore-Japan Ties Through the Soft
Cultural Power of Food Diplomacy: The Hybridization,
Cross-Pollination and Indigenization of Contemporary
Japanese Food Culture in Singapore 73
6 The Korean Wave in Singapore’s Multi- cultural Food
Scene: Indigenization, Localization, Hybridization and
Cross-Pollination 89
v
vi CoNTENTS
Part III 107
7 Conclusion 109
A A
bout the uthor
Tai Wei Lim is a senior lecturer at the Singapore University of Social
Sciences (SUSS) and a senior research fellow adj. at the National University
of Singapore (NUS) East Asian Institute (EAI). He teaches world history
and East Asian history-related courses at the SUSS and researches on heri-
tage issues as well as industrial technological changes. He has also done
research on the ceramics industries and mass production in Jingdezhen
(China), Arita (Japan), Yingge (Taiwan) and urban pottery clusters in
Hong Kong. He has an interest in the history of export porcelain wares
from Jingdezhen/Arita.
vii
L f
ist of igures
Fig. 2.1 The lacquerware set on raised platform still in use in Japan
today, taken out for the occasion of the New Year celebrations.
(Photo taken on 1 January 2019) 8
Fig. 2.2 (a) This is the traditional lion dance that is performed during
the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities. (Photo from author’s
collection, dated 24 April 2015.) (b) The Chinese Lunar New
Year celebrations in Singapore’s Chinatown in the Year of the
Horse in 2014. (Photo from author’s collection, dated 24
April 2015.) (c) The pineapple décor, a Nanyang-style Lunar
New Year (LNY) decoration that is a play on homophones.
“Wang lai” in Cantonese means “pineapples” or “the arrival of
prosperity”. Sometimes, the pineapple is turned topsy-turvy to
literally mean “the arrival of prosperity” given that the
homophone “dao” can mean “arrival” or “turned upside
down”. (Photo from author’s collection, dated 24 April
2015.) (d) There are foodstuffs commonly consumed by all
dialect groups in Singapore. For example, the mandarin
orange and pomelos are popular fruits consumed during the
Lunar New Year regardless of dialect group. (Photo from
author’s collection, dated 24 April 2015) 12
Fig. 2.3 Examples of large-sized communal dishes for mixing and
consuming Yusheng. A wide plate is needed due to the spillage
of ingredients and food onto the table during the tossing
process. (Photo taken on 1 February 2019) 13
ix
x LIST oF FIGURES
Fig. 2.4 (a) Another local innovation—the Hainanese toasted bread
with kaya jam. While normally associated with the Hainanese
community in Singapore, in fact, is a Nanyang Southeast Asian
food innovation, probably not originated from or found in
Hainan Island but developed in Singapore and Malaysia
through the kopitiam (coffee-shop) culture that was associated
with the Hainanese community in Singapore. (Photo dated 24
April 2015.) (b) The Hainanese curry rice, a dish in Singapore
that may not be found in this exact form in Hainan Island,
China. It is a good example of local interpretation of Chinese
migrants to Singapore. (Photo dated 24 April 2015.) (c) The
Hainanese chicken rice, an indigenous Singaporean dish that is
developed by Hainanese settlers to Singapore and attributed
to Hainan Island in name only, based on their adaptations and
imaginations of culinary culture in the place-name. (Photo
dated 24 April 2015) 13
Fig. 2.5 (a) The zhui kueh, a form of rice cake with vegetable pickles
normally associated with the Hokkien culinary culture in
Singapore. (Photo from author’s collection, dated 24 April
2015.) (b) The kuay chup, another Hokkien-inspired rice
noodle usually consumed with stewed bean-curds, egg
and pig intestines. (Photo from author’s collection.) (c) The
chai tow kueh, a Hokkien-style fried carrot cake that has
become the mainstay of Singaporean Chinese meals in hawker
centres and food courts. (Photo from author’s collection,
dated 24 April 2015.) (d) This is an outdoor alfresco
dining area popular with Singaporeans at the Marina
Bay area. The Hokkien Mee has become a mainstay of
Chinese-originated cuisines in Singapore with a local
Southeast Asian Nanyang innovation of belacan chilli
normally used in Malay or Peranakan cooking. This is a
good example of cosmopolitanism amongst the Chinese in
Singapore. (Photo from author’s collection, dated 24 April
2015) 14
Fig. 2.6 (a) The Teochew bak chor mee, a popular noodle dish
with Singaporeans. (Photo from author’s collection,
dated 24 April 2015.) (b) A Teochew seafood fish maw
dish in clay pot. (Photo from author’s collection, dated 24
April 2015.) (c) The soon kueh, a popular breakfast and
snack item. (Photo from author’s collection, dated 24 April
2015) 15
LIST oF FIGURES xi
Fig. 2.7 The above photos show typical Cantonese food items found
on Singapore Chinese dinner tables. (Dated 24 April 2015.)
(a) Cantonese egg tarts. A popular item in dim sum
experiences in Singapore. (Photo dated 24 April 2015.)
(b) Cantonese chee cheong fun rice rolls—now a popular
Singaporean breakfast dish. (Photo dated 24 April 2015) 15
Fig. 2.8 (a) The Lo Hei salad-like dish eaten in Singapore and Malaysia
during the Lunar New Year (LNY). Added into the mixture of
vegetable-based ingredients is smoked salmon or raw fish
meat. (Photo dated 24 April 2015.) (b) The tradition of
eating Lunar New Year titbits and snacks is retained in
Singapore. Such practices also include indigenous elements
such as having local confectionary such as spicy prawn rolls.
(Photo dated 24 April 2015) 16
Fig. 2.9 Examples of recent arrivals of Northeastern Chinese dishes
(dongbei cai) that have delighted Singaporeans at their dinner
tables. (Photo dated 24 April 2015.) (a) Tudoushi potato
strips, a characteristic Northeastern Chinese dish which has
appeared in eateries run by new Chinese migrants are gaining
some acceptance amongst Singaporeans willing to try new
cuisines. (Photo dated 24 April 2015.) (b) The
shouzhuayangrou hand-held grilled lamb ribs are also
characteristic of Sichuanese cuisine and found on the
Northeastern Chinese (dongbei) table; another relatively new
cuisine dish introduced by chefs and restaurateurs who are
amongst the new Chinese migrants making inroads into the
culinary culture of Singaporeans. Their businesses are
supported by new Chinese migrant customers as well as local
Singaporeans alike. (Photo dated 24 April 2015) 16
Fig. 2.10 Cantonese culinary culture is well-known for its dim sum
dishes. Due to the individually served dim sum dishes, the
serving vessels tend to be of smaller size than the typical
communal eating porcelains found in food courts, restaurants
and other kinds of eateries. or they are directly served using
bamboo steamers. (Photo taken on 29 November 2018) 19
Fig. 2.11 Teochew porridge cuisines served individually on small plates
with an accent on variety and diversity 20
Fig. 3.1 Simpur Ayer (also spelt Simpoh Ayer or Simpoh Ayer) is a
durable plant from the tropics, able to colonize a large area
quickly if the conditions are right and found extensively
throughout Southeast Asia. The photo on the left shows its
exploded figs scattering seeds around its perimeter, while the