Erosion of Local Food Cultures

Mr David Ong asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what is being done to prevent the further erosion of local food cultures, especially the individual ethnic and dialect delicacies.

Mr Lawrence Wong: Food is something that resonates with many Singaporeans. It is an important part of our shared heritage.

The National Museum has a Food Gallery which showcases our local food culture through audio-visual installations and displays of the everyday tools used to prepare local foods. It is one of the most popular galleries in the museum with children, adults, locals and even foreigners.

Beyond the National Museums, NHB also showcases our food heritage around the island through travelling exhibitions. These exhibitions trace the origins of Singapore's signature dishes, and showcase famous food venues of the past and their evolution.

We also have heritage trails, which highlight significant food finds in the different communities. For example, the Ang Mo Kio Trail highlights well-loved hawker stalls, including Ang Mo Kio's favourite fish soup, prata, mee rebus, satay bee hoon and kway chap stalls.

NHB has also supported the publication of many food-related books, including one by food blogger Dr Leslie Tay, the person behind the very popular ieatishootipost blog.

My Ministry, as well as NHB and its museums, will continue to do our part to promote and celebrate our local food culture. We see this as an important aspect of our intangible heritage. But this cannot just be the work of Government agencies. It is a shared responsibility. So, I would like to encourage companies and all food enthusiasts to also chip in and help to keep alive our uniquely Singaporean food culture.