Travel: Singapore - A focus on Little India and China Town

What I remember most about Singapore is its diversified culture molded and presented into one. Influences from the British, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan Cultures are very evident when you go around Singapore. Foreigners in Singapore play a very important role in influencing its culture as a matter of fact 42% of Singapore’s population is alien.

Zephyrs of Food

Singapore’s cuisine strongly reflects its diverse culture, with the food being largely influenced by their neighbour, Malaysia. However, the Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and the Western Cuisines seem to also be the predominant influence over the Singapore Cuisine. The globalization of the Singaporean cuisine allows an intermingling of cuisines, allowing chefs to use ingredients that are common to a culture to make unique dishes. For example a Chinese chef may use Indian ingredients to create a unique dish and Indian chef may do the same, using ingredients unique to the Chinese culture. Due to this globalization of the cuisine, the cuisine significantly proves it to be a major cultural attraction.

Most prepared food made outside home is usually eaten at either the hawker centres or food courts. “Food Courts seem to be packed during the weekdays due to may families having their meals there; however, though it is packed, one gets to enjoy the variety of food that Singapore offers under one roof,” explains Aakash, who had visited Singapore.

The Singaporean Tourism Board has often promoted food as an attraction for tourists or as a association it brings with shopping. Food in Singapore is viewed as a crucial national identity and as a unifying cultural thread; while the country’s Literature proclaims eating as a national past time and food as an national obsession. With food being this important, it often becomes a topic of discussion among the Singapore Residents. To celebrate the multiculturalism and diversity of the Singaporean Cuisine, the government organizes a Singapore Food Festival in July every year. The various cuisines suiting to everyone’s needs according to their budget throughout the day and year makes Singapore a “Food Paradise”. As a result, everybody is able to relish the flavours of Singapore.

Little India and Chinatown

One of the most oft visited places in Singapore is Little India – it is an ethnic neighbourhood with Tamil cultural elements. During the weekends, one can find many Indians thronging the streets of Little India to do grocery shopping, meet friends or spend a day with their family. Little India lies to the east of the Singapore River – across from Chinatown – and Kampong Glam. It was reportedly to have developed around a former settlement for Tamil convicts. Several Hindu temples, Mosques and other places of worship are the most prominent in this place. Seragoon is the most commercial place of Little India and houses the wll known Mustafa Centre. It intersects Rochor Canal Road and Bukit Timah Sungei Road.

“When I visited Singapore, I loved how the food was easily available, especially that of Indian. It was great to a have a bit of home with me while travelling to the tourist spots across the country,” says Sanya, who traveled to Singapore recently.

When I talk of Chinatown today with my mother today, I would remind her of the pungent smell of food that would ‘irk’ our noses as we walk through it. It is an ethnic neighbourhood featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements and a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population. Chinatown is located within the larger district of Outram. The Chinese constitute the largest portion of Singapore’s population, comprising approximately 75%; Chinatown is considerably less of an enclave than it once was. However, the district does retain significant historical and cultural significance.

The flavours of Singapore are experienced in every small nook and corner. This enables the tourists to experience Singapore to its truest sense and would probably feel one among them within minutes of experiencing it. The fact that one can shop without missing out the local food would give Tourists a sense of completeness without regretting of missing out something.

Travel: Singapore - A focus on Little India and China Town