Singapore

The Asian Food Capital


Basmati Bismi
Bismi brand basmati rice dispenser next to your truck box.
Red X-Plosive
Chillies are one of the essential ingredients in many Singaporean dishes.
change time
Malay women shop at a food market in Singapore's Tekka Mall.
men's task
Ethnic Tamil Singaporeans buy vegetables at a street stall in Little India.
lively night
Singapore's Chinatown street is lively and full of people savoring the small nation's specialties.
other flavors
Austrian cook sells Wiener sausages on the streets of Singapore's Chinatown, to date of photography, with huge success.
Decoration and signs
The astrological relationship has not been proven, but a scale lies next to an aquarium on a stand in the Tekka Mall food market.
flavor silver
Detail of one of the traditional dishes served at Hawker Centers in Singapore.
Tian Yuan
Owner of a Hawker Center stall stocked with ingredients and a bilingual menu posted.
jelly fruit
Detail of a dessert as colorful as it is simple that combines pudding with gelatin.
Durion-flavored architecture
A detail of the Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay, the most emblematic cultural building in Singapore, inspired by the national fruit, the durian.
Lunch break
Rickshaw driver recovers his energy by devouring a home-cooked meal.
Vegetable's Chias
Women at a vegetable stand in Little India
There were 4 ethnic groups in Singapore, each with its own culinary tradition. Added to this was the influence of thousands of immigrants and expatriates on an island with half the area of ​​London. It was the nation with the greatest gastronomic diversity in the Orient.

Os hawker centers they are a kind of Singaporean institution.

We felt officially desperate at the abundance of indoor stands twinned in several rows and with their specialties and menus arranged in a similar way.

We were hungry but we limited ourselves to going around that aromatic area of ​​the Teka Mall. With that, we only fueled the enormous indecision, made even more ridiculous by the simultaneous nods and appeals of the counter employees of the closest establishments:

“Come here, try my specialties! They'll love it!” or "It's my food they're looking for, I'm absolutely sure!"

Singapore is one of the most orderly nations on Earth, there is no doubt but these shopkeepers had to do for a living and the vision of two outsiders trying to decide was stronger than the most uncomplex.

Lost in the Menus and Flavors of the Teka Mall, at the Doors of Little India

We ended up giving in to the call of one of them, of Malay ethnicity. We approached his window and unleashed a list of questions about what consisted or contained this or that.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, Chillies

Chillies are one of the essential ingredients in many Singaporean dishes.

Enlightened, we ended up asking for a fried rice (fried rice with pieces of meat and vegetables) and a large mommy (a soup of noodles rich and quite spicy).

When the food was ready, the lady served us without big smiles at the table where we had been seated.

It took us forever to share the two dishes, largely due to the potency of the soup that we weren't prepared for.

Then we tried a glass of chendol.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, Jelly Fruit

Detail of a dessert as colorful as it is simple that combines pudding with gelatin.

We celebrated when we saw how similar it was to the halo halo desserts that we had devoured countless times in the Philippines, made from coconut milk, rice flour, gelatin, palm sugar and, as with the chendol ahead of us, often fortified with red beans.

More than satisfied, it occurred to us that this was a real food court. It's not that Singapore didn't have them in large numbers, too, in its countless shopping centers that are little or nothing different from what we have here.

Already a covered area, huge like that, with hundreds of mini-restaurants side and side, grouped by ethnic groups, to avoid as much as possible quarrels and confusion, serving a little of everything, that we were not used to seeing.

Hawker centers like Teka and dozens around the island are not just for lunchtime meals during the week. Even when Singaporeans dine out in groups, they prefer them to conventional restaurants.

Thus, they take advantage of its convenience, much lower prices and the endless diversity of offer that had left us so confused.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, banking market

Owner of a Hawker Center stall stocked with ingredients and a bilingual menu posted.

The Historical, Ethnic and Gastronomic Wealth of Singapore

Singapore has always been a key Asian port served by a population largely from elsewhere.

Over time, the cuisines of the Malay natives and that of the island's largest ethnic group, the Chinese, mingled with each other and with those of the Indian ethnic groups – especially Tamil -, the Peranakan of Chinese descendants for a long time. installed in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore itself.

The ethnic spice did not stop there.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, Chinatown

Singapore's Chinatown street is lively and full of people savoring the small nation's specialties.

The genetic fusion of the Portuguese who dominated the spice market for two centuries and continued to inhabit Malacca and Singapore with the natives, English, Dutch, Chinese and Indians gave rise to the Kristang group.

Its cuisine also enjoys great prestige.

As was to be expected, in addition to a countless number of ingredients and dishes from all those places as well as their variations, many other recipes today considered hybrid or multicultural have also appeared on the island.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, Snack

Detail of one of the traditional dishes served at Hawker Centers in Singapore.

A Multi-Ethnic Nation with a Multi-Awarded Food

We only need to move from the localized but delicious and invigorating world of Hawker centers to the world of international prestige to see the popularity of Singaporean cuisine.

In 2011, CNN decided to conduct an online election of the “50 Most Delicious Foods in the World".

Four of the most popular dishes were idolized in Singapore: Hainan Chicken Rice, Crab Chili, Laksa (Perakanan noodle soup) and Roti Prata, usually served with meat or vegetable curry and which can be cooked with cheese, onion , banana, beans, chocolate, mushrooms, eggs or others.

Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay, Lunch Break

Rickshaw driver recovers his energy by devouring a home-cooked meal.

Ingredients like these are obtained in different markets conveniently adjacent to the hawker centers.

There are those of meat, fish, vegetables, etc, etc., in which several restaurant owners maintain other businesses and where everyone is supplied.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, banking market

Malay women shop at a food market in Singapore's Tekka Mall.

After that meal and others in similar places, we almost never resist wandering through its confusing corridors.

Among housewives wrapped in saris, under hijabs or in Western and modern dresses, attended by butchers, fishmongers, and other merchants, given body and soul to the trades.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, Basmati Bismi

Bismi brand basmati rice dispenser next to your truck box.

Wandering through Singapore's Prolific Markets

A large part of their purchases are dedicated to almost secular homemade meals, sometimes shared by groups of different religions, in this case, paying attention to the restrictions of each one: the pork for the Muslims, the cow for the Hindus, preferably poultry or vegetarians if both are seated at the table.

On any other day, we were walking through the neighborhood of little india when we came across the strange scene of dozens of Indian Singaporeans on a terrace, almost all of them with lassis in hand, watching what looked like a Bollywood classic.

Outdoor Theater, Little India, Sari Singapore, Singapore

Spectators at an open-air cinema session in Little India.

Curious, we sat down, ordered two and watched the last moments of the noisy feature film. In the end, we found ourselves chattering away with a haughty Sikh and infectious speech.

We spoke to him about the phenomenon of lassis and ended up getting involved in a long three-way debate that involved the Singaporean political system and the true importance of Indian ethnicities in the country. But it also obviously went through the food.

“What are you guys, by the way? Catholics, Protestants? Are they nothing? Ah, OK, that's it, those are free thinkers no god or gods, I get it.

The Role of Gastronomy in Singaporean Complex Identity

Well, anyway, you have to understand that here in Singapore, things have been working like this for a long time”, sought to enlighten us, Singh, who was increasingly excited by the interest we showed and the depth that the conversation took on.

“We coexist with our ethnicities and religions but the rivalry between ethnic groups remains.

One of the ways to prevent our identity from being lost in that of others or, worse, simply in the West, is to respect traditions. Those weary and gastronomy in general plays an unavoidable role in Singapore.

It only takes some money for a family from here to cross the entire island to get to a restaurant with food they really like, whatever the time.

In fact, it's even common for Singaporeans to return home earlier than they thought from abroad just because they miss their favorite dishes.”

The dissertation continued. It left us convinced and more attentive to the matter.

In the last days of our visit, we explored the Marina Bay area, at the mouth of the Singapore River.

Singapore Asian Capital Food, Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay

A detail of the Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay, the most emblematic cultural building in Singapore, inspired by the national fruit, the durian.

We found that even the architecture of Esplanade – Theaters on The Bay, the main arts center in the country, is reportedly inspired by the durian, the malodorous national fruit that the authorities had to ban from the public transport network.

São Tomé and Principe

Cocoa Roças, Corallo and the Chocolate Factory

At the beginning of the century. In the XNUMXth century, São Tomé and Príncipe generated more cocoa than any other territory. Thanks to the dedication of some entrepreneurs, production survives and the two islands taste like the best chocolate.
Singapore

The Island of Success and Monotony

Accustomed to planning and winning, Singapore seduces and recruits ambitious people from all over the world. At the same time, it seems to bore to death some of its most creative inhabitants.
Suzdal, Russia

The Suzdal Cucumber Celebrations

With summer and warm weather, the Russian city of Suzdal relaxes from its ancient religious orthodoxy. The old town is also famous for having the best cucumbers in the nation. When July arrives, it turns the newly harvested into a real festival.
Enxame Mozambique

Mozambican Fashion Service Area

It is repeated at almost all stops in towns of Mozambique worthy of appearing on maps. The machimbombo (bus) stops and is surrounded by a crowd of eager "businessmen". The products offered can be universal such as water or biscuits or typical of the area. In this region, a few kilometers from Nampula, fruit sales suceeded, in each and every case, quite intense.
Little India, Singapore

The Sari Singapore of Little India

There are thousands of inhabitants instead of the 1.3 billion of the mother country, but Little India, a neighborhood in tiny Singapore, does not lack soul. No soul, no smell of Bollywood curry and music.
Sentosa, Singapore

Singapore's Fun Island

It was a stronghold where the Japanese murdered Allied prisoners and welcomed troops who pursued Indonesian saboteurs. Today, the island of Sentosa fights the monotony that gripped the country.
Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, The Nation That Does Not Lack Bread

Few countries employ cereals like Uzbekistan. In this republic of Central Asia, bread plays a vital and social role. The Uzbeks produce it and consume it with devotion and in abundance.
World Food

Gastronomy Without Borders or Prejudice

Each people, their recipes and delicacies. In certain cases, the same ones that delight entire nations repel many others. For those who travel the world, the most important ingredient is a very open mind.
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, Wildlife, lions
Safari
NP Gorongosa, Mozambique

The Wild Heart of Mozambique shows Signs of Life

Gorongosa was home to one of the most exuberant ecosystems in Africa, but from 1980 to 1992 it succumbed to the Civil War waged between FRELIMO and RENAMO. Greg Carr, Voice Mail's millionaire inventor received a message from the Mozambican ambassador to the UN challenging him to support Mozambique. For the good of the country and humanity, Carr pledged to resurrect the stunning national park that the Portuguese colonial government had created there.
Braga or Braka or Brakra in Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 6th – Braga, Nepal

The Ancient Nepal of Braga

Four days of walking later, we slept at 3.519 meters from Braga (Braka). Upon arrival, only the name is familiar to us. Faced with the mystical charm of the town, arranged around one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist monasteries on the Annapurna circuit, we continued our journey there. acclimatization with ascent to Ice Lake (4620m).
coast, fjord, Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Architecture & Design
Seydisfjordur, Iceland

From the Art of Fishing to the Fishing of Art

When shipowners from Reykjavik bought the Seydisfjordur fishing fleet, the village had to adapt. Today, it captures Dieter Roth's art disciples and other bohemian and creative souls.
Adventure
Boat Trips

For Those Becoming Internet Sick

Hop on and let yourself go on unmissable boat trips like the Philippine archipelago of Bacuit and the frozen sea of ​​the Finnish Gulf of Bothnia.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Apia, Western Samoa

Fia Fia – High Rotation Polynesian Folklore

From New Zealand to Easter Island and from here to Hawaii, there are many variations of Polynesian dances. Fia Fia's Samoan nights, in particular, are enlivened by one of the more fast-paced styles.
4th of July Fireworks-Seward, Alaska, United States
Cities
Seward, Alaska

The Longest 4th of July

The independence of the United States is celebrated, in Seward, Alaska, in a modest way. Even so, the 4th of July and its celebration seem to have no end.
Meal
Markets

A Market Economy

The law of supply and demand dictates their proliferation. Generic or specific, covered or open air, these spaces dedicated to buying, selling and exchanging are expressions of life and financial health.
mini-snorkeling
Culture
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Back to Danny Boyle's The Beach

It's been 15 years since the debut of the backpacker classic based on the novel by Alex Garland. The film popularized the places where it was shot. Shortly thereafter, the XNUMX tsunami literally washed some away off the map. Today, their controversial fame remains intact.
Reindeer Racing, Kings Cup, Inari, Finland
Sport
Inari, Finland

The Wackiest Race on the Top of the World

Finland's Lapps have been competing in the tow of their reindeer for centuries. In the final of the Kings Cup - Porokuninkuusajot - , they face each other at great speed, well above the Arctic Circle and well below zero.
Homer, Alaska, Kachemak Bay
Traveling
Anchorage to Homer, USA

Journey to the End of the Alaskan Road

If Anchorage became the great city of the 49th US state, Homer, 350km away, is its most famous dead end. Veterans of these parts consider this strange tongue of land sacred ground. They also venerate the fact that, from there, they cannot continue anywhere.
Colonial Church of San Francisco de Assis, Taos, New Mexico, USA
Ethnic
Taos, USA

North America Ancestor of Taos

Traveling through New Mexico, we were dazzled by the two versions of Taos, that of the indigenous adobe hamlet of Taos Pueblo, one of the towns of the USA inhabited for longer and continuously. And that of Taos city that the Spanish conquerors bequeathed to the Mexico: Mexico gave in to United States and that a creative community of native descendants and migrated artists enhance and continue to praise.
sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
Cliffs above the Valley of Desolation, near Graaf Reinet, South Africa
History
Graaf-Reinet, South Africa

A Boer Spear in South Africa

In early colonial times, Dutch explorers and settlers were terrified of the Karoo, a region of great heat, great cold, great floods and severe droughts. Until the Dutch East India Company founded Graaf-Reinet there. Since then, the fourth oldest city in the rainbow nation it thrived at a fascinating crossroads in its history.
Ponta de Sao Lourenco, Madeira, Portugal
Islands
Ponta de Sao Lourenco, Madeira, Portugal

The Eastern, Somehow Extraterrestrial Madeira Tip

Unusual, with ocher tones and raw earth, Ponta de São Lourenço is often the first sight of Madeira. When we walk through it, we are fascinated, above all, with what the most tropical of the Portuguese islands is not.
Geothermal, Iceland Heat, Ice Land, Geothermal, Blue Lagoon
Winter White
Iceland

The Geothermal Coziness of the Ice Island

Most visitors value Iceland's volcanic scenery for its beauty. Icelanders also draw from them heat and energy crucial to the life they lead to the Arctic gates.
Cove, Big Sur, California, United States
Literature
Big Sur, USA

The Coast of All Refuges

Over 150km, the Californian coast is subjected to a vastness of mountains, ocean and fog. In this epic setting, hundreds of tormented souls follow in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and Henri Miller.
Jeep crosses Damaraland, Namibia
Nature
Damaraland, Namíbia

Namibia On the Rocks

Hundreds of kilometers north of Swakopmund, many more of Swakopmund's iconic dunes Sossuvlei, Damaraland is home to deserts interspersed with hills of reddish rock, the highest mountain and ancient rock art of the young nation. the settlers South Africans they named this region after the Damara, one of the Namibian ethnic groups. Only these and other inhabitants prove that it remains on Earth.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Lion, Elephants, PN Hwange, Zimbabwe
Natural Parks
PN Hwange, Zimbabwe

The Legacy of the Late Cecil Lion

On July 1, 2015, Walter Palmer, a dentist and trophy hunter from Minnesota killed Cecil, Zimbabwe's most famous lion. The slaughter generated a viral wave of outrage. As we saw in PN Hwange, nearly two years later, Cecil's descendants thrive.
UNESCO World Heritage
Castles and Fortresses

A Defending World: Castles and Fortresses that Resist

Under threat from enemies from the end of time, the leaders of villages and nations built castles and fortresses. All over the place, military monuments like these continue to resist.
Characters
Look-alikes, Actors and Extras

Make-believe stars

They are the protagonists of events or are street entrepreneurs. They embody unavoidable characters, represent social classes or epochs. Even miles from Hollywood, without them, the world would be more dull.
Cargo Cabo Santa Maria, Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde, Sal, Evoking the Sahara
Beaches
Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde

Boa Vista Island: Atlantic waves, Dunas do Sara

Boa Vista is not only the Cape Verdean island closest to the African coast and its vast desert. After a few hours of discovery, it convinces us that it is a piece of the Sahara adrift in the North Atlantic.
Aurora lights up the Pisang Valley, Nepal.
Religion
Annapurna Circuit: 3rd- Upper Banana, Nepal

An Unexpected Snowy Aurora

At the first glimmers of light, the sight of the white mantle that had covered the village during the night dazzles us. With one of the toughest walks on the Annapurna Circuit ahead of us, we postponed the match as much as possible. Annoyed, we left Upper Pisang towards Escort when the last snow faded.
Train Fianarantsoa to Manakara, Malagasy TGV, locomotive
On Rails
Fianarantsoa-Manakara, Madagascar

On board the Malagasy TGV

We depart Fianarantsoa at 7a.m. It wasn't until 3am the following morning that we completed the 170km to Manakara. The natives call this almost secular train Train Great Vibrations. During the long journey, we felt, very strongly, those of the heart of Madagascar.
Walter Peak, Queenstown, New Zealand
Society
New Zealand  

When Counting Sheep causes Sleep Loss

20 years ago, New Zealand had 18 sheep per inhabitant. For political and economic reasons, the average was halved. In the antipodes, many breeders are worried about their future.
Women with long hair from Huang Luo, Guangxi, China
Daily life
Longsheng, China

Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs

In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
Serengeti, Great Savannah Migration, Tanzania, wildebeest on river
Wildlife
Serengeti NP, Tanzania

The Great Migration of the Endless Savanna

In these prairies that the Masai people say syringet (run forever), millions of wildebeests and other herbivores chase the rains. For predators, their arrival and that of the monsoon are the same salvation.
The Sounds, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Fiordland, New Zealand

The Fjords of the Antipodes

A geological quirk made the Fiordland region the rawest and most imposing in New Zealand. Year after year, many thousands of visitors worship the sub-domain slashed between Te Anau and Milford Sound.