Come on Britney, our food will definitely drive you crazy
To Singaporeans, food is life. No really, it is.
Food defines and builds the Singaporean identity – whether it comes from our famous hawker centres, our respectable coffee shops or our small but growing cafe scene – local food is something Singaporeans will fight tooth and nail to defend.
Which is why when iconic pop musician and personality Britney Spears spoke out that she was less than interested in our local food, Singaporeans were naturally triggered.
In a phone interview with The New Paper, the pop icon said:
“I am not really an ethnic food person, so I am not keen on trying your local food. I am more of a mac and cheese person.”
Hawker Food Best Food
In contrast, famous TV personality and chef Anthony Bourdain sang praises about Singapore’s hawker centres at the recent World Street Food Congress held in Manila.
Specifically, in a complete reversal of Spears’ “Mac and Cheese” comment, Bourdain said:
“Singapore understood that street food is a good thing…They (Singapore) have this understanding that street vendors are multi-generational operations of people who have more or less been doing the thing they are doing very well over time.
“That this is something worth saving and preserving, [in the face of] the terrible onslaught of generic fast food chains.”
With our Michelin starred and award winning hawker food, food is certainly our pride, and Singaporeans might be already sharpening their culinary pitchforks for when Spears arrives on 30 June.
To be fair to Spears, her disinterest is understandable. The thought of eating a prickly, smelly fruit might seem off-putting, along with the idea of eating a dark coloured drink called “grass jelly”.
In recent years, however, famous personalities and celebrities from all across the globe have given our local food a shot, and based on their reviews, Spears might want to change her mind.
Of Nasi Goreng and Chicken Feet
For example, her compatriot and famous actress Jessica Chastain feels completely differently. In fact, the Hollywood actress of Zero Dark Thirty fame is a huge fan of durian, and was in Singapore last year to eat the thorny fruit.
In fact, she even smuggled an entire durian back to America to give TV host Jimmy Kimmel a taste on an episode of his talk show, Jimmy Kimmel live.
Chastain absolutely loved it, calling it the “blue cheese of fruit” and describing it as “onion and garlic and avocado and pineapple, kind of like, in a custard”. On the other hand, Kimmell wasn’t as impressed though.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand was also in Singapore back in September last year for the F1 Grand Prix, where he professed his love for Nasi Goreng on twitter.
That said, it caused a minor storm of controversy when Singaporeans and Indonesians wrestled online over the origins of the tasty rice dish.
Also, while British actress Jessica Henwick – who is half Singaporean – resides in the UK most of the time, she certainly hasn’t forgotten her culinary roots.
The Game of Thrones star still remains a huge fan of Singapore’s hawker centres. When she was in Singapore two years ago, she made it a point to visit her favourite haunts like People’s Park Complex, Long Beach, and Newton Food Centre.
If that’s not enough, she showed her true red and white colours when she indulged in local delicacies like siew mai, roasted duck, and even chicken feet (even I don’t eat that).
Seafood And Eat It
The love for Singapore’s food is not just limited to Westerners. East Asians, who have a slightly different taste palate, have also fallen in love with our exotic cuisine.
When Kpop idols Super Junior’s Leeteuk and SHINee’s Onew made a random visit to Singapore, they surprised Singaporean fans when Onew posted an Instagram photo of him preparing for a hearty seafood meal at our very own Jumbo Seafood Restaurant.
In fact, celebrities like Korean actor-singer Jang Su-won of Sechs Kies is such a huge fan of local hawker food like cereal prawns that it inspired him to open two Singapore-themed restaurants – called Yummy Kampong – in Seoul and Songdo.
Even Obama’s In On It
Finally, if you need any more reason to appreciate Singaporean food, we have also been endorsed by the (formerly) most powerful man in the world, former American President Barack Obama.
When he was in Singapore for a state visit last year in August, Obama spoke of rojak, chili Crab, and the Singapore Sling in his speech:
“Now, we all know how seriously Singaporeans take their food. In Singapore, even the street vendors — the hawker stalls — earn Michelin stars, which creates some pressure this evening.
“We have a lot to live up to. We were tempted to offer each of you a “Singapore Sling” or some chili crab. However, for those of you who know its unmistakable scent — which never seems to go away — you’ll understand why we are not serving a fruit known as durian here in the White House.”
Give It A Chance
So dear Britney, while we understand that our local food might seem a little daunting, we promise it won’t be toxic. In fact, it might make you stronger.
If you find our food too outrageous, don’t worry, we have been approved by actors, singers, and even your former president.
Ultimately, it’s still your prerogative, and we respect that. You are after all, no longer a girl, and you can’t really say you’re not yet a woman.
So, when you arrive in Singapore in a couple of days on 30 June, do give our local cuisine a chance. There’s a good chance it will drive you crazy.
