With a large Chinese population Chinese cuisine tends to predominate. While influences of Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Cantonese and Hakka cuisine is very evident, Singapore Chinese cuisine has its own identity. Chinese immigrants adapted their traditional dishes to suit local conditions in addition to the regional influences that made Singapore Chinese cuisine distinct from that in the mainland. No visitor to the city state leaves without savouring distinctly Singaporean Chinese dishes such as Singapore Chili Crab, bak, tuk teh pork rib soup, clay pot chicken rice, curry chicken noodles, fish head soup with rice and noodles, fried rice and Hainanese chicken rice which is almost the national dish of the country among other unforgettable offerings.
Head to Little India to try Indian Singaporean cuisine; even there the influences of several ethnic groups are evident. Infused with cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander and chili the flavours of their homeland, Indian Singaporean dishes that include roti paratha the local version of the Indian roti, nasi biryani a variant of the Pakistani rice dish, mamak rojak a salad with South East Asian influences, various spiced soups of South Asian origin and a host of other dishes display distinct multi ethnic influences.
Malay and Indonesian dishes with their generous use of coconut milk, spices and peanut sauce, while denoting their heritage, have adapted to local tastes.
Peranakan or Nonya food is what one might call truly Singaporean, a blend of Malay, Chinese and Indonesian flavours. The laksas, a savoury and hot noodle soup garnished with chicken or seafood, the chicken dish ayam buah keluak, popiah a stuffed rolled crepe, rojak a vegetable salad with a dark prawn paste, several hybrid rice, noodle and meat dishes, distinct desserts and seasonal fruits are found in food courts and hawker centres in the city. This is the closest to an authentic Singaporean cuisine and is eaten daily by many. Kopi Tiams or the local coffee shops serve coffee and tea the way the locals like it. The interweaving of the names of various food and drink preparations is indicative of the cuisine’s multicultural roots.
Although it may not be strictly local cuisine, western style food and food from Asian countries other than its neighbours have come to be accepted and appreciated in the city state.
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