THE SLIPPERY CONCEPT OF AUTHENTICITY
Culinary purity has never really existed. Many dishes we consider local specialities draw on traditions beyond our shores: Hainanese chicken rice has roots in Hainan, while roti prata derives from Indian paratha. Over time, such foods adapted to local tastes and became part of everyday life.
A dish need not be radically transformed to acquire local significance. Hainanese Western food, for instance, is a familiar fixture in many kopitiams. A plate of chicken chop with fries, baked beans and brown sauce might resemble a meal in the West. Yet, for many Singaporeans, it is a familiar taste of home.
The same could be said of a more recent addition to Singapore’s food scene: mala xiang guo, a dish originating in China that has become a familiar sight in hawker centres. Its foreign origins do not make Singaporeans’ attachment to it any less real.
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