Presentation

Cuisine: Legacy, Transformation and Transmission

“Singapore’s Food Heritage: Eat it, Share it, Save it?”

Presented by: Daniel CHIA Slow Food (Singapore)

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Nanyang Technological University School of Art, Design and Media

26th January 2016 Today’s Presentation

1. A Very Brief Introduction to Slow Food (Singapore) 2. Singapore: A Historical & Cultural Overview 3. Singapore’s Food Heritage. 4. Singapore’s Food Trends through the lens of Bordieu’s Food Space. 5. Challenges in maintaining Food Heritage. 6. Our work: Eat it, Share it, Save it?

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Introduction to Slow Food (Singapore)

• Established as a Non-Profit Community Organisation and was authorised by the Singapore Registry of Societies on 30th October 2013. • The local chapter of the international Slow Food movement founded in Italy, in 1989. • One of the main objectives for Slow Food (Singapore) is to safeguard Singapore’s Food Cultural Heritage through the promotion and preservation of traditional knowledge by: • organising meals, tastings, forums, talks, seminars, lectures, shows, recreational and study trips and other like events, so as to help educate its members and the public; • preparing, publishing and disseminating such books, periodicals, pamphlets, photos, articles and drawings as well as produce such films, videos and recordings in whatever form, electronic or otherwise, as may be necessary or relevant to educate its members and the public; 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Singapore: a historical & cultural overview

• A centre along southeast Asian trade routes since at least the 1st century

• Populated since the early common era by peoples from the Malay peninsula, and migrants from south and southeast Asia

• Claimed by Sir Stamford Raffles as a British outpost in 1819

• Gained self-governance in 1959 and national independence in 1965

• Just over 5.5 million people live on just over 700 square kilometres

• Very little agriculture: vast majority of food produce is imported

• Four official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil

• Multicultural harmony a crucial part of national identity

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Singapore: a historical & cultural overview

• Food culture & history braided with Chinese, Malay, Indian, southeast Asian & Western influences: immigration & an evolving expat population continue to add new & different voices to the mix

• Unique regional cuisines, natural fusions arising from historical intermarriages: Peranakan - Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Indian & some colonial influences Eurasian - Portuguese, Dutch, Malay, Indian & Chinese influences

• Formerly teeming with itinerant street hawkers, which were moved into roofed hawker centres from the 1970s onwards

• Hawker centres a central part of gastronomy in public life: each one spans multiple cuisines, ethnicities & kinds of dishes

• Well-established, dynamic hospitality & restaurant industry which attracts many international chefs & cuisines: Singaporean chefs are frequent medallists in international culinary competitions

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Singapore’s Food Heritage

Food Traditions Family Food Customs, Practices & Recipes Community Food Traditions & Festivals Unique Dishes & Adaptations

Foods Media

Cookbooks & Food History Books Private Recipe Journals Heritage Food Blogs Food Magazines Food Television

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Singapore’s Food Heritage

Foods Businesses

Farms & Food Producers Restaurants Hawker Stalls Food Manufacturers & Processors Bakeries & Confectioneries Food Brands & Food Stores

Foods Spaces

Hawker Centres & Food Courts Wet Markets Provision Shops Kopi Tiam (Local Coffee Shops) Supermarkets & Hypermarkets Gourmet Grocery & Specialty Stores Shopping Malls Cooking Schools Community Centres Pasar Malam (Night Markets) Community Spaces – Tents on Fields

Food Traditions Foods Spaces

Family Food Customs, Practices & Recipes Hawker Centres & Food Courts Community Food Traditions & Festivals Wet Markets Provision Shops Unique Dishes & Adaptations Kopi Tiam (Local Coffee Shops) Foods Media Supermarkets & Hypermarkets Private Recipe Journals Gourmet Grocery & Specialty Stores Heritage Food Blogs Shopping Malls Cooking Schools Cookbooks & Food History Books Community Centres Food Magazines Pasar Malam (Night Markets) Food Television Community Spaces – Tents on Fields

Foods Businesses Foods Events Farms & Food Producers Food Festivals Restaurants Hawker Stalls Farmers’ Markets Food Manufacturers & Processors Cooking Competitions Bakeries & Confectioneries Culinary Awards Presentations Food Brands & Food Stores Trade Fairs & Food Expositions

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Bordieu’s Food Space Singapore Context 1960s to 1980s ECONOMIC CAPITAL + CATHAY RESTAURANT Upmarket DRAGON PHOENIX ELIZABETHAN GRILL Dim Sum Refined SIN LEONG TROIKA RESTAURANT Wedding Banquets Continental Cuisine LAI WAH CHESA Live Seafood Roast Beef on Wagon RED STAR HUGO’S Sharks Fins Flamed Dishes LOCAL SEAFOOD EATERIES Crepes Suzette Cheese Trolley Kopi Tiam Kopi ANGLO-HAINANESE Liqueur Trolley NEIGHBOURHOOD KOPI TIAM Traditional Piah GRILL ROOMS TRADITIONAL BAKERIES Kueh Kueh Hot Plate Steaks CULTURAL CAPITAL + STREET SIDE HAWKERS Local Flavours “HOME BAKERS” Western Flavours Homecooked Colonial CULTURAL CAPITAL - Rice/Porridge Rum Balls Mostly Vegetables Swiss Rolls Starch on Starch Milk Shakes Meat on Special Occasions Banana Splits HAN’S SILVER SPOON Sweet Club Sandwich MOTHER’S COOKING Mushroom Soup COLBAR EATING HOUSE White COLD STORAGE MILK BARS Salty WESTERN STYLE BAKERIES Fried

ECONOMIC CAPITAL -

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Bordieu’s Food Space Singapore Context 1980s to 1990s ECONOMIC CAPITAL + Upmarket HOTEL CANTONESE RESTAURANTS  ANGLO-HAINANESE GRILL ROOMS Refined HK CHEFS HOTEL JAPANESE RESTAURANTS TRADITIONAL RESTAURANTS Dim Sum Live Seafood HOTEL GRILLROOMS  LOCAL SEAFOOD EATERIES Sharks Fins HOTEL WEDDINGS Peking Duck LES AMIS (1995) Hot Plate Steaks THE ITALIAN WAVE FOOD COURTS Nouvelle Cuisine Hawker Food in Roast Prime Rib HOTEL COFFEE HOUSE Aircon Comfort CULTURAL CAPITAL - Visiting Celebrity Chefs THEMED BUFFETS Local Fusion HK & Japan Trends Local Flavours Western Flavours CULTURAL CAPITAL Hawker Fare in Aircon Ribeye Steaks + Traditional White Loaf Salad Buffets PONDEROSA TRADITIONAL BAKERIES Rum Balls Multi-grain Loaves SIZZLER WESTERN STYLE BAKERIES Swiss Rolls Baguette Sandwiches DENNY’S Kopi Tiam Kopi Croissant NEIGHBOURHOOD KOPI TIAM Traditional Piah Fresh Brewed Coffee Sweet CHAIN JAPANESE HAWKER CENTRES Kueh Kueh Jam Donuts White EATERIES Rice with dishes Hamburgers Salty DELIFRANCE MOTHER’S COOKING Fried SUBWAY SWENSENS ECONOMIC CAPITAL - DUNKIN DONUTS FAST FOOD BURGERS FAST FOOD FRIED CHICKEN 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Bordieu’s Food Space Singapore Context 2015/2016 ECONOMIC CAPITAL + HOTEL GRILL ROOMS STEAK HOUSES Refined SAN PELLIGRINO TOP 50 LIST HOTEL CHINESE RESTAURANTS Healthy ORGANIC MICHELIN STARS SUNDAY BRUNCH BUFFETS Dim Sum Umami Nose to Tail OMAKASE SUSHI RESTAURANTS CELEBRITY RESTAURANTS HOTEL BUFFETS Chinese Tea Herbs Foraged Herbs Live Seafood BESPOKE COCKTAIL BARS TRADITIONAL RESTAURANTS GLUTEN FREE Sharks Fins WHISKY & CIGAR BARS CONVEYER BELT SUSHI Heirloom Varieties Peking Duck CHAIN COFFEE JOINTS Heritage Breed Meats Hot Plate Steaks CHAIN ASIAN EATERIES Modernist Cuisines SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL CAPITAL + Familiar Favourites Sous-vide Convenience Foods Heirloom Artisanal CULTURAL CAPITAL Food Court Western Ramen - Kopi Tiam Kopi Truffle Fries Economy Rice Small Plates HOME ENTERTAINING FAST FOOD Nasi Bryani Craft Beers FOOD COURTS Kaya Toast Single Origin Coffee FOOD TRUCKS RAMEN JOINTS HAWKER CENTRES Kueh Kueh Sweet Wagyu Burgers NEIGHBOURHOOD KOPI TIAM Roti Prata Eggs Benedict HIPSTER CAFES Tiger Beer White GOURMET BURGER BARS HOME COOKING Zi Char Salty D.I.Y. PRIVATE DINING CLUBS Fried GOURMET COFFEE JOINTS ARTISANAL ICE-CREAMERIES ECONOMIC CAPITAL - OTHER EXOTIC ETHNIC RESTAURANTS

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Challenges

To gastronomic identity & home cooking • Fast-evolving food culture & trends • Dining out is convenient & popular • Home cooking less common as a family and bonding activity than in previous eras • Multicultural food heritage & culture not easy to explain and interpret to the wider world

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Challenges To hawker food & culture • Rising stall rental costs • Staff & heir shortages • Hawker profession seen as menial, laborious, low-profit • Challenging for young hawkers to amass capital & recognition • Public expectations of unsustainably low prices • Younger generations more interested in foreign food

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Challenges

To traditional food businesses & stores • Supermarkets displacing wet markets • Local producers of artisanal traditional foods few & far between • Traditional foods less understood or appreciated • Traditional ingredients & equipment increasingly difficult to source • Staff & heir shortages

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Eat it!

Members’ Events •Slow Food Day 2014 • Potluck Dinner of Heritage Dishes. •1st Anniversary Dinner 2014 • Spring Court Restaurant in Chinatown. •Terra Madre Day 2014 – Heritage Heroes Trail • Visited 2 of our Heritage Heroes, Poh Guan Cake House and Thye Moh Chan. •“Slow Hei” and Lunar New Year Dinner 2015 • At Dragon Phoenix Restaurant operated by Masterchef Hooi Kok Wai • Held a traditional toss of “The Original Yu Sheng” and a sumptuous dinner •Slow Food Day 2015 – Dim Sum Brunch • Red Star Restaurant. •2nd Annual General Meeting & Dinner • Dinner was held at Manhill Restaurant. •Hungry Ghost Festival Auction Dinner • Held under a large marquee at Lorong 7 Toa Payoh. •2nd Anniversary Dinner • Hua Yu Wee Restaurant, the last remaining seafood restaurant on what used to be a stretch of seafood restaurants situated by the seaside. 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

Research & Advocacy Heritage Hero Awards Programme • To increase awareness and appreciation of the various local and traditional kueh types found in Singapore. • To encourage the cooking of the various local and traditional kueh, so that recipes and skills are transmitted for future generations. • Our inaugural programme in 2014 received good media coverage which led us to be Heritage Hero involved in many other activities. Decal & Certificate • The programme was repeated in 2015 and issued to awarded will be expanded to cover Heritage Outlets restaurants in 2016.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

Research & Advocacy

Singapore Food Memories Programme 2014

• Slow Food (Singapore) planned an Essay Writing Competition open to students from secondary schools and institutes of higher learning. • Essays were to be based on food memories of contestants’ relatives who lived in Singapore and centered on the foods that were prepared, cooked and eaten during festivals celebrated in Singapore from the period of 1945 to 1995. • The aim was to collect the essays as a form of Oral History, which could then be used for record and for academic purposes. • It was planned that an anthology of selected essays will be printed and titled; “Singapore Food Memories – An Anthology of Essays on Celebrating Festivals and Feasts in Singapore from 1945 to 1995”. • However, no entries were received, so the program was shelved.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

Partnerships Balastier Makan Heritage Race 2015

• In partnership with Web In Travel (WIT), Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park, Society of Tour Guides Singapore, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall and other stakeholders, Slow Food (Singapore) was the co- organiser of the “Balestier Makan Heritage Race”, an “Amazing Race” type event centred on Food Heritage in the Balestier District. • Held on Saturday, 4th July 2015. • There were 141 participants and the event raised $13,600 for the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

Partnerships Kueh Appreciation Day 2015 • Slow Food (Singapore) organised its inaugural “Kueh Appreciation Day” on Sunday, 26th July 2015 at the ToTT Store on Dunearn Road. • The event showcased hand-made local kueh from the various cultures in Singapore and included 3 kueh-making demonstration classes. • This was a partner event of the Singapore Food Festival 2015 organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. • The event was covered by more than 30 local and regional media outlets, and was attended by more than 400 people, with 180 attending the classes. • We are currently working with the Singapore Tourism Board to discuss Kueh Appreciation Day as a key event for the Singapore Food Festival in 2016 and beyond.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

Lectures & Workshops

Yale-NUS College – Week 7 Program • On 28th September 2014, Slow Food (Singapore) organised for the Yale-NUS College Week 7 Project on Singapore Foodways, a visit to Heritage Hero HarriAnn’s Delights. • The participating freshmen were introduced to the history and culture of Nyonya Kueh. As part of their visit, they were treated to a demonstration on kueh making and were given the opportunity to make their own Ondeh Ondeh. • Later the same day, Slow Food conducteda lively and interactive workshop to discuss “Preserving Singapore’ Food Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century”. • 24 undergraduate freshmen and 3 faculty members attended the visit and workshop.

Lectures & Workshops Temasek Polytechnic Special Interest Tourism – Guest Lecture • On 1st December 2014, our president conducted a lecture on Food Heritage Tourism to 160 students from the 3rd year of the Hospitality & Tourism Management course at Temasek Polytechnic.

At the Museum! • On 31st January 2015, Slow Food (Singapore) presented at the National Museum of Singapore, as part of their “A Lighter Side of History” series, a talk titled, “Preserving Singapore’s Food Heritage in the Copyright © 2015 Christopher Tan. All rights reserved. 21st Century” and a demonstration of a traditional “lo hei” by Master Chef Hooi Kok Wai of Dragon Phoenix Restaurant, one of the creators of Singapore’s Yu Sheng. • 160 people attended the event. 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it! In The Public Arena Food & Hotel Asia 2014 • Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA was invited by the Italian Trade Commissioner to make a presentation and to contribute to the FHA 2014 Italian Pavilion Booklet. • The presentation was a seminar on Italian Cheeses, which included an introduction to the work done by Slow Food International to preserve and promote Italian Food Products and Culture through the Presidia products, and to introduce Slow Food (Singapore), its aims and programs for Singapore. Singapore Writer’s Festival 2014 • On 2nd November 2014, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA

was the Moderator for the Panel Discussion on “The future Copyright © 2015 Christopher Tan. All rights reserved. of our culinary scene” at the Singapore Writers Festival 2014 organised by the National Arts Council. • A fruitful discussion about current issues and future trends were discussed by the panel, which included food critic Wong Ah Yoke, food blogger Daniel Ang, and chef/restauranteur Bjorn Shen. 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

In The Public Arena NEA Clean & Green Hackathon 2014 • On 15th November 2014, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA was a Mentor for teams taking part in the segment on “Smart Hawker Centres” during the Clean & Green Singapore Hackathon 2014 organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Singapore Management University • In May 2015, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA was a collaborator at the Co-creation Workshop “Let’s Reduce Plate Waste in Singapore - Towards a Zero Food Waste Nation” organised by Singapore Management University’s Masters in Tri- Sector Collaboration programme. • The co-creation workshop was attended by, 60 people, from various sectors including government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector. Copyright © 2015 Daniel Chia. All rights reserved. 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

In The Public Arena Maritime Stewardship Council Asia Pacific Sustainable Seafood Business Forum 2015 • On 5th June 2015, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA attended the Forum and was interviewed for comments about MSC’s initiatives. • Parts of the interview were later broadcast as a news item.

National Youth Council • In 25th June 2015, Convivium Leader Daniel CHIA was a Panellist for the National Youth Council’s “YouthSpeak Panel on Food Security & Food Waste”. • Attendance at the panel discussion was 60 people.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Our Work: Share it!

Featured In Publication “Social Studies 2016 Express and Normal (Academic) Stream Coursebook” • Published by the Curriculum Planning and Development Division of Singapore’s Ministry of Education, this is the new Social Studies Coursebook for upper (year 9 and 10) secondary school students in Singapore. • The international Slow Food movement, Slow Food in Singapore, and its Heritage Heroes Program was highlighted as showcasing Singapore’s traditional food culture and celebrating hand-made heritage treats.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Solutions, goals & prospects: Save it?

• Encourage people to cook more at home, through events, competitions & media

• Encourage families to record, save, practise & share their handed-down recipes & traditions

• Teach younger generations about their family & ethnic food heritage

• Food-focused heritage fairs, exhibitions, walking trails, events

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Solutions, goals & prospects: Save it?

• Raise perceptions of hawker & traditional foods, at a public & institutional level

• Enlighten consumers that (high quality + cheap) food is often an unrealistic expectation

• Educate consumers about the true differences between artisanal handmade products & commercial products

• Recognise individual cooks & hawkers – not just food brands and companies – as heritage champions

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Solutions, goals & prospects: Save it?

• Refine regulations to help, not hinder, hawkers & heritage food producers

• Use online / social media to promote & explain heritage foods & businesses

• Help heritage food businesses to capitalise on trends & tech without compromising their core character

• Forge alliances & training schemes to allow hawkers & heritage food producers to share & pass on knowledge

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Eat it, Share it, Save it?

• Eat it! • Make traditional foods a relevant part of our lives and our children’s lives, starting from a young age. • If they don’t know the food, they won’t want to save it!

• Share it! • Encourage families to record, save, practise & share their handed-down recipes & traditions. • Use online / social media to promote & explain heritage foods & businesses. • Make traditional foods fashionable again!

• Save it! • If Singapore’s Food Heritage remains a relevant and valuable part of our lives, transmission will continue…

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference Acknowledgements

1. Christopher TAN • Cookbook Author, Photographer, Columnist, Chef Instructor • Slow Food (Singapore) Founding Executive Committee Member and Chairman of Heritage Hero Awards Program. • For allowing me to adapt and use this presentation which he originally prepared for the Slow Food Asia Pacific Festival 2015 in Seoul, Korea. 2. Conference Organisers - NHB & NTU • For inviting Slow Food (Singapore) to present at this conference. 3. Temasek Polytechnic • For giving me time off to attend and present at this conference.

3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference A formal photo portrait of my paternal grandmother with her nanny, circa 1920s. 3rd Singapore Heritage Science Conference