Chapter 4 Food Culture

Chapter 2 Food PresentationChapter 4 Food Culture

AT A GLANCE

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

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• Identify different ethnic and global influences on the development of food

• Distinguish the dishes used in various cultures and ethnic groups

• State some examples of fusion food from different cultures and ethnic groups

• Identify different kinds of dining experiences and the appropriate table setting and dining etiquette


• Singapore is a multi-racial society with people from different cultures and ethnic groups

• Each culture and ethnic group have their unique culinary traditions:• Traditional dishes• Common ingredients• Methods of cooking• Table setting and dining etiquette

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Ethnic influences on Singapore food culture


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Chinese culinary traditions

• Chinese culinary traditions are influenced by the Southern dialect groups such as Teochew, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka and Hainanese.

• Some traditional dishes include:

Fish ball noodles (Teochew) Balls of fish paste served with noodles in soup or served dry

Bak kut teh (Hokkien/Teochew) Pork ribs boiled with herbs and spices


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Char siew (Cantonese) Skewered meat cooked by roasting

Suan pan zi (Hakka) Pieces of yam dough stir-fried with cuttlefish, mushroom and minced meat

Kaya toast (Hainanese)Toasted bread with Hainanese kaya


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Some common ingredients used in the cooking of Chinese dishes include:

Sauces (e.g. soya sauce, oyster sauce, black bean sauce) to marinate meat and flavour dishes

Herbs and spices (e.g. ginger, onion, cloves, star anise, coriander leaves) are used in the cooking of dishes

Condiments (e.g. rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil) to flavour dishes


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Methods of cooking• Stir-frying – small cuts of vegetables

and meat are stir-fried with sauces and herbs

• Steaming – meat, fish, dim sum• Boiling – soups

Festive food• Chinese New Year – steamboat,

yusheng• Mid-Autumn Festival – mooncake • Dragon Boat Festival – rice dumplings


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Table setting and dining etiquette• Chopsticks are commonly used• Do not use your own chopsticks to take food

from the shared dishes• Do not stick chopsticks vertically into your

food as they would look like joss sticks. When not eating, rest the chopsticks on the bowl or chopstick rest

• When eating noodles, hold chopsticks in one hand and soup spoon in the other. It is inappropriate to slurp noodles


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Malay culinary traditions

• Malay culinary traditions are influenced by Indonesia and Malaysia.


Nasi lemakRice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves and served with ikan bilis, peanuts, eggs and sambal chilli

RendangMeat simmered with coconut milk and spices until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is tender


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SataySeasoned meat skewered and grilled and served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onions and ketupat

Soto ayamChicken soup served with noodles or ketupat


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Some common ingredients used in the cooking of Malay dishes include:

Coconut milk gives dishes a rich taste and creamy texture

Spices such as chilli and turmeric give intense and spicy flavours in dishes

Belacan is a fermented shrimp paste used as a base for sambal sauce


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Methods of cooking• Frying – chicken, keropok, fruits• Grilling – satay, whole chicken• Boiling – soups• Preparation of Malay dishes

follows Islamic practices – no pork or alcohol

Festive food• Hari Raya Puasa – ketupat,

rendang, sayur lodeh, kuih


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Table setting and dining etiquette:• Dishes with gravy are served with a

spoon while dry dishes are eaten by hand

• Wash your hands with water from a teapot called teko before eating

• Malays traditionally eat with their right hand due to hygiene purposes


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Indian culinary traditions

• Indian culinary traditions are influenced by the different regional cuisines from India.


Roti prataA flour-based pancake cooked over a flat grill. It is usually served with curry.

Chicken curryChicken simmered with a variety of spices and coconut milk.


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Nasi briyaniRice cooked with spices and served with different types of meat

VadaiA savoury deep-fried fritter snack


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Some common ingredients used in the cooking of Indian dishes include:

Pulses such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans are used to make dhal.

Spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander seeds are used to flavour dishes.

Ghee is a clarified butter used to prepare main dishes and sweets.


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Methods of cooking• Grilling on flat iron pans – roti prata,

thosai• Deep-frying – meat, fish, Indian sweets• Stewing – pulses, meat• Using tandoor – tandoori chicken, naan• No beef is used as most Indians are

Hindus which believe that cows are sacred. Vegetarianism is also common.

Festive food• Deepavali – laddu, jalebi, other Indian

sweets


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Table setting and dining etiquette• Traditionally, Indian food is served on

clean banana leaves• Indians use their right hand to eat for

hygiene purposes• When eating roti, use the roti to scoop the

curry to prevent the gravy from touching your hand

• Fold the banana leaf in half after the meal to show that you have finished your meal


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Eurasian culinary traditions

• Eurasian culinary traditions are derived from a blend of Portuguese, Dutch and British food cultures infused with local ingredients.


Devil’s curryA rich and fiery hot dish cooked with mustard powder, turmeric powder, vinegar, candlenuts and lots of chillies.

Eurasian smoreA beef stew cooked with carrots, potatoes and dark soya sauce.


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VindalooA hot and tangy dish cooked with mustard seeds and vinegar.

Sugee cakeA butter cake made with semolina flour and sliced roasted almonds.


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Some common ingredients used in the cooking of Eurasian dishes include:

European ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and vinegar gives flavour.

Herbs and spices such as nutmeg, chillies, candlenuts, tamarind and lemongrass give flavour and texture.

Semolina flour is a product of wheat that gives a unique texture in sugee cake.


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Methods of cooking• Stewing – devil’s curry, Eurasian smore• Baking – shepherd’s pie, sugee cake

Festive food• Christmas – roasted turkey, Christmas

pudding, Eurasian dishes


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Table setting and dining etiquette:• After being seated, unfold napkin and

place it on your lap• Place the napkin on the chair if you

need to leave your seat temporarily• Hold the fork with your left hand and

knife with your right hand• Place the cutlery together across the

centre of the plate when you finished your meal. If you are just taking a break, criss-cross the cutlery


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Singapore food culture

The different ethnic influences from early immigrants have led to the creation of many famous Singaporean dishes, such as:• Chicken rice• Chilli crab• Fish head curry• Laksa


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Chicken rice• Different versions – Hainanese, Malay • Method of cooking Hainanese chicken rice:

– Steam chicken till fully cooked– Fry raw rice with chicken fat

before boiling with chicken broth

and pandan leaves– Serve chicken and rice with

cucumber slices, soup and condiments (ground chilli paste, ginger paste and soya sauce)


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Chilli crab• Popular among the Chinese• Method of cooking chilli crab:– Cut hard-shell crabs into smaller pieces– Fry crab in oil– Cook crab with tomato paste, sambal and

lemon juice. Thicken gravy with corn flour and beaten eggs

– Serve with fried or steamed buns


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Fish head curry• Popular among the Chinese and

Indians• Usually served with rice• Method of cooking fish head

curry:– The head of a red snapper fish

is commonly used– Stew fish head in curry with

coconut milk, tamarind juice, spices and vegetables


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Laksa• Peranakan dish made of thick

rice noodles in curry gravy• Method of cooking laksa:– Boil thick rice noodles– Prepare gravy by heating spice paste with

coconut milk, ground dried prawns, chicken stock and water

– Serve rice noodles and gravy with other ingredients such as fried bean curd puffs, fish cake, shrimp and cockles


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Global Influences on Singapore food culture• Global influences have significant

effect on Singapore’s food culture• Two main causes of global

influences are:– The influx of foreign cultures

into Singapore– Increased instances of

Singaporeans travelling abroad• As a result, some traditional

dishes of other ethnic groups are now widely found in Singapore


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Global Influences on Singapore food cultureJapanese• Traditional Japanese meal – rice or noodles

with main dish, side dishes, soup and condiments such as wasabi

• Dishes can be served raw or cooked• Popular cooking methods – grilling, deep-

frying


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Global Influences on Singapore food cultureKorean• Traditional Korean meal – rice

or glass noodles with vegetables, meat, seafood, side dishes and soup

• Popular cooking methods – grilling, boiling


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Global Influences on Singapore food cultureVietnamese• Traditional Vietnamese meal – rice, rice

paper or noodles served with meat and condiments such as fish sauce, shrimp paste and soya sauce

• Popular cooking methods – boiling, steaming


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Global Influences on Singapore food cultureWestern• Western food – food from countries such as

Italy (pizza, pasta), France (baguette) and the United States of America (burger)


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Fusion food

• Global influence on Singapore’s food culture has led to the creation of fusion food

• Fusion food = dishes that are prepared using a combination of elements from different culinary traditions


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Fusion food

Fusion food Ethnic elements

Otak-otak burger Malay, Western

Chicken curry pasta Malay, Western

Cheese-baked dumplings

Chinese, Western

Chicken floss bun Chinese, Western

Cheese prata Indian, Western

Tandoori chicken in focaccia sandwich

Indian, Italian

Creamy spaghetti with fish roe

Italian, Japanese

Kimchi quesadilla Korean, Mexican


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Dining experiences

Fine Dining• Full range of table service• Serving staff highly trained and

dressed in formal attire• Guests follow a strict dress code• Pays attention to fine details such

as restaurant décor and food presentation

• Pricing is high• Menu

– Multiple courses for a set price per person

– Limited choices within each course


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Dining experiences

Casual Dining• Provides table service in a

relaxed and casual setting• Atmosphere is relaxed and

suitable for the entire family• Serving staff have no uniform

or the uniform is casual• Minimal or no dress code for

guests• Pricing is moderate• Menu is often fixed and have a

large variety of main courses and beverages


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Dining experiences

Fast Food Dining• No table service. Customers

go to the counter to order and pay for their food

• Atmosphere is casual• Emphasises the speed of

food delivery• Food is affordable• Menu

– Limited choices– Food often comes in set

meals

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Chapter 4 Food Culture