UNESCO is a world recognition for Education, Scientific and Cultural and has added our hawker culture to the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
What is the Hawker culture?
Singapore hawkers have a long history spanning almost a hundred years.
Families recipes passed down for generations, and charcoal cooked food is getter scarce.
Our hawkers reflect Singapore living heritage and are an integral part of everyone’s daily lives in Singapore regardless of age, race or background.
Unesco has Singapore hawkers emerged from our cultural heritage.
Adding Singapore street food to the Unesco heritage list has given our hawkers a timely boost after a precarious year. It is a recognition to the community of vendors who cook and sell meals in the 114 hawker centres across Singapore.
What are the hawker centres?
The hawker centres are a treasure trove of world cuisines from a multi-racial harmonious society. Known as a culinary haven by locals and tourists alike, hawker centres are the food embodiment of Singapore food.
The hawker centres are located throughout Singapore and near where people live and work. You can find dozens to hundreds of food stalls in each hawker centres.
Back in the day, hawkers centres are food havens for locals to rest at and dine in. It is a place full of humble beginnings, and every hawker has a history of its own. Each hawker has its food story, slowly perfecting its signature dishes over time.
How did the Hawker Centres start?
Hawkers trade have been as long as Singapore history, starting from portable stalls of food peddlers. People’s Park Food Centre is known as one of Singapore’s pioneer hawker centres, been built-in 1923.
This permanent location provides a cleaner accessible place for both the vendors and customers to dine in. Hawker centres are almost a daily must-do for locals and a perfect place for tourists to get the ‘Singapore taste’.
Here are some hawker culture tips
- Be prepared for the stall to be closed, and this is because different stalls have their rest days. However, not to be disappointed, chances are that you can find another good food you have not tried before.
- You will need to bring your tissue paper because the food stall does not provide it.
- The most chaotic time to visit would be lunchtime, and you can easily find a seat avoiding this peak period.
- There will be a long queue with popular stalls, and this indicates the food is good.
Find more hawker food.
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