Singapore’s hawkers gets recognised by UNESCO

Asian street food has captured the imagination of the world, and now Singapore’s hawker food culture gets recognised by UNESCO. The hawker culture got inducted to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The hawker culture of Singapore has now joined the ranks of other cultural phenomenon from around the world, such as the tango of Argentina.

UNESCO recognises the hawker culture of the country, mentioning that community dining and culinary practices are prevalent throughout the country. The hawkers, who have had a bad year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, will finally get a ray of hope with such a high level recognition.
The hawker culture is not just pertaining to food, but goes way beyond it. These establishments are known as centres for socialising, communicating, and more. So besides eating, you will also find people busking, creating art, or even playing chess. These affordable dishes are incredibly popular among locals and tourists, and you can find the hawkers from morning to night.

Singapore’s multiculturalism reflects well through its street food, so you can find influences of Chinese Malay and Indian cuisines among other cultures. Some of these hawkers started way back in the 1960s, so this time and tested culture is certainly one one of the most sought after experiences here in Singapore.
On your next trip to Singapore, ditch the fancy restaurants and try the hawkers. You can find them at Chinatown Complex, Lau Pa Sat, Newton Food Centre, East Coast Lagoon food Village, Gluttons Bay, to name a few.