The National Museum of Singapore recently reopened after a major renovation, and the most popular of their four new Lifestyle Galleries is the Food Gallery. The Food Gallery takes a unique look at the history of street food in Singapore.
In fact, it started in the 1900’s out of necessity. There was a 10:1 male-female ratio in Singapore then, and so, with no one to cook their meals, the male population was forced to eat out. The answer was street food – hot, comforting and cheap.
On display are various cooking implements including a vintage street food cart. Today, Asian street-foods have become mainstream favorites, such as Hainanese chicken rice , satay (barbecue), bah kut teh (pork in hot broth), laksa (spicy noodle soup with prawn and coriander) and roti (flat breads).
There’s an interesting section in the Food Gallery which looks like a mad science laboratory filled with rows upon rows of smoky jars illuminated in various hues. It’s actually a showcase of the spices, condiments and fruits typical to Asian cuisine. Visitors can smell the lemongrass, screwpine (pandan), star anise, curry, chilis. [Inquirer Lifestyle (Philippines)]
I’ve also included a video below showing a lot of the street food found at the night market in Singapore.
