Heritagefest 2005: Untold Stories

Overview | Performances | Right After Birth
Food Prints Of Singapore

Food Prints Of Singapore

Singapore food is not only a matter of place and taste; it is also about packaging, mode of transportation and sounds associated with it. Food Prints of Singapore takes you on a journey tracing the evolution of Singapore's food culture over the last 40 years - a journey of places, sounds, taste, touch and stories.

FOOD MAP
Dancing by the light of the silvery moon at Paradise in Pasir Panjang, feasting on Chilli Crabs at Bedok Beach, dodging the famous transvestites at Bugis Street - we'll take you on a trail of Singapore's various food places since the 1960s.

FOOD TASTES
Chillies came with the Portuguese in the 17th century. Chinese herbs and soya sauce were introduced by the Chinese. Dhal and asafetida were brought by the Indians. Lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and belacan were native to Singapore. Together, these spices and ingredients created a "Singaporean taste". Visit the spice and herb garden and our kitchen and pantry to find out more.

FOOD QUENCH
Green Spot, sugarcane juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, soya bean milk, bandung, teh tarik, kopi O, campur, and of course, our very own, made-in-Singapore Tiger Beer. Find out more about Singapore's iconic beverage experience.

FOOD SOUNDS
The sounds of the arrival of the tick tok mee man, the satay man calling out to his customers, and the ice-cream man's bell form part of our memories of Singapore's food culture. Find out more about these sounds from this interactive, pictorial and audio showcase.

FOOD TRAVELS
The food came in carts, bicycles, tricycles, and even carried on shoulders. Eating out in Singapore was a moveable feast in the 1960's when all you had to do was sit back, relax, and a whole plethora of food hawkers would pass you by all day and night. Discover how satay was sold in the past, and how some food are still sold from bicycles today.

FOOD PACKS
Instead of the commonly-seen styrofoam and plastic packaging of today, food used to be packed in a large variety of nature's innovative takeaway containers - banana leaves, bamboo leaves, coconut leaves, au peh leaves, lotus leaves and pandan leaves. Other packaging materials came in the form of pages of the telephone book, greaseproof paper, empty milk cans, and yes, beer bottles. Discover how the different packaging gave the food its special aroma and taste.

Today, much of Singapore's culinary heritage is being preserved and revived and we take a look at modern takes on Singapore's FoodPrints. Come, enjoy a culinary journey with us!