SINGAPORE – Singaporeans love the combination of different influences in their food, and such overlap comes quite naturally in the city’s beloved dishes.
But this crossing of influences can be further nurtured in the various cultures here, which will result in a more confident sense of Singaporeans’ shared identity, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Dec 31.
In his New Year message, President Tharman said the beauty of Singapore is that people here can all learn and enjoy one another’s cultures, and he highlighted how some here are already doing so.
In a three-minute video filmed at an urban greenhouse in Punggol East called Kebon Dapor, he noted how laksa is a dish that draws on several influences, such as Peranakan, Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines.
Singaporeans love the different combinations of influences that have resulted in its different varieties – such as classic Nonya laksa, Asam laksa, Siglap laksa with its more distinct fish flavour, and curry laksa with cockles.
Beyond food, he noted that some here have also found it rewarding to explore other cultures, such as Ms Wong Yong En, 26, a singer trained in Western classical music but who is also a practising Odissi dancer.
