Singapore’s history is something to behold. The island nation is city-sized. Yet, it’s one of the most advanced countries in Asia. It started as a humble fishing village and has transformed into a booming metropolis that people yearn to visit. 

Every country has its traditions. Singapore revolves around its street food culture. Throughout the country, you’ll come across numerous open-air food centers. These centers have closet-sized stalls serving as home to street hawkers. The term street hawker generally refers to people who cook and sell food to passersby on the street. Often, they’ll shout to advertise their fares to people.

Many tourists see these hawker centers as large food courts and often overlook them. However, they’re an iconic part of Singapore’s culture and heritage. People from all walks of life gather at these centers for lunch. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a single available seat in one of these hawker centers during lunch or dinner time. However, more interestingly, you’ll find these street hawkers represent their origins and Singapore’s culture through food. Singapore is a diverse land. It’s home to people of Chinese, Indian, and Malay descent. Resultantly, you’ll find different offerings at these hawker centers. It’s not uncommon to see a hawker selling Nasi Lemak while the vendor next door prepares some sweet dumplings. These hawker centers are reminiscent of the country’s mixture of cultures, as Malays, Indians, and Chinese gather to eat their respective cuisines here.

The Story Behind Singapore’s Hawker Culture

The British first established a trading post in 1819 in modern-day Singapore. The region was home to approximately 1,000 Malays. Within a decade, thousands of Chinese emigrated to the island to work in plantations and docks. Indians also accompanied the Chinese to work in construction or the military. Eventually, the island’s population skyrocketed.

The influx of workers resulted in people needing access to quick meals. Most of these workers were men, and many didn’t know how to cook. Hence, came a proliferation of street hawkers. They would carry baskets on their shoulders and pushcarts featuring stoves. They would wander around town, selling hot meals at various settlements across the island. Remarkably, this tradition led to the workers experiencing different cultures. It wasn’t uncommon for Indian hawkers to sell fares to the Chinese workers. Likewise, the Malays would sell their meals to the Indian and Chinese enclaves. Eventually, exposure to different cuisines would result in the creation of Singaporean cuisine. 

In the early twentieth century, the number of hawkers exploded. Eventually, they would congest the commercial areas along the Singapore River. The congestion would cause massive problems, leading the municipal government to allocate six temporary markets for the hawkers to occupy. Following the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War 2, the Japanese allowed the hawkers to continue selling at these markets.

A Thriving Practice

Although street food was booming before the second world war, it thrived following Singapore’s independence from the British empire in 1965. Singapore’s limited land meant the government had to be creative with its housing projects. The government created new towns away from the city center. Each community also featured hawker centers. The idea was that as Singapore industrialized, people would need access to food because they wouldn’t have time to cook.

An Endangered Food Tradition

Singapore’s rapid development endangered the hawker culture. Although people loved eating at hawker centers, they associated street hawkers with low-level trade. The government realized the danger the hawker tradition faced. Hence, in 2019, Singapore’s National Heritage Board put hawkers forward for UNESCO recognition. The campaign was successful, and hawker centers were added to the 2020 UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Learn More About Food and Culture with Irina Bukatik

IrinaBukatik is a licensed sommelier, travel enthusiast, and gastronome. She has extensively traveled the world, combining her passion for food and travel. Her love for food led her to discover more about different cultures and countries. She aims to share her experiences with her readers on her food blog, Wanderlust Food.