Eh, you notice or not? Seems like more and more China food stalls popping up everywhere, while our beloved local hawker fare vanishing faster than free parking. Worried? You should be! Let’s talk about why our Singaporean food culture is at risk and what we can do to chiong ah!
Local Food Scene Now
- Singapore is seeing a surge in mainland Chinese eateries, from MLXG to Roujiamo, while traditional dishes are becoming harder to find.
Can’t go past 1km of a neighborhood without seeing mainland China food or restaurant here while our local unique cuisine like kuehs, kway chap, bak kut teh, local wanton mee are getting harder to find.
- Hawker culture, a vital part of Singapore’s identity, faces challenges as older hawkers retire and younger generations are less inclined to take over.
The truth is the old generation hawkers are slowly dying out and some of them have difficulties passing the businesses to the next generation.
- The increasing number of People’s Republic of China (PRC) citizens is influencing food preferences and demand. Some estimate near 1:1 ratio of local chinese and PRC chinese.
Why Local Food Struggles
- Hawker businesses face high rental costs and long working hours, making it difficult to sustain, especially compared to businesses with lower food costs and higher markups.
Being a hawker is hard work and the sky-high rental makes it hard to justify for the labour and long hours…while mala shops with low-food cost extorbitant prices do well.
- Market forces favor popular and often cheaper options, leading to a decline in demand for traditional dishes that may require more expensive ingredients or labor-intensive preparation.
You like a certain ‘local’ dish, but are you willing to pay a decent premium for it such that whoever can cook that dish have enough confidence to open a stall to sell them with enough traffic to make it a sustainable business?
- Many Singaporeans are also starting to develop a taste for mainland Chinese food, further impacting the demand for local cuisine.
How to Save Our Food
- Actively support local hawkers by patronizing their stalls and recommending them to friends and family. Every dollar counts!
Then don’t support by not patronizing them lor
- Consider paying a slightly higher price for local dishes to ensure hawkers can sustain their businesses and continue offering authentic flavors.
Been doing my best to support local, but it definitely doesn’t look good for the local scene so far.
- Explore initiatives that support hawker culture, such as government grants or community programs, and encourage younger generations to consider hawker careers.
- Share your love for local food on social media and with new citizens. Help preserve the OG culture.
