Our Hawker Culture is now UNESCO protected
Singapore hawker food has this week been granted UNESCO world heritage status. Yesterday the 24 member international committee of UN delegates voted unanimously to grant the status on our unique food scene. It comes after a 3 year campaign which will now hopefully protect our hawker culture for future generations.
How will Singapore hawker food benefit?
Now that hawker food is on the list of intangible cultures the Singapore government are required to promote and protect it. Every 6 years the UN will perform surveys and checks to make sure that we are doing all we can to keep this unique culture. It will mean that something we are all used to and even take for granted must now be given more care and respect. Whereas in the past we have seen many older generation hawkers close up and their shops disappear. Now we will hopefully see younger chefs being encouraged and assisted to keep the heritage dishes going.
It will hopefully see students across Singapore being given the chance to learn more about our hawker culture.
Why is Singapore hawker culture so important?
In Singapore we are lucky to have so many different cultures living side by side. In such a small country we have one of the most varied choice of cuisines in the world. Our hawker culture is key to this harmonious way of life. Walking through any hawker centre and we can taste and smell dishes from our Indian, Peranakan, Malay, Eurasian and other communities. The communal seating and laid back atmosphere provides us with a perfect arena to meet, make friends and bond. Our hawker centres and the food they create are often described as the glue that holds us all together. A lot of visitors who enjoy our food tours comment about how they wish they has similar hawker centres in their countries.
How you can celebrate Singapore hawker food’s UNESCO status.
If you are lucky enough to be in Singapore at the moment, what better time than now to go out and visit your favourite hawker. 2020 has been a difficult year for these guys so every dollar spent is important.
If you’re reading this from overseas, fear not. Our food tours are now back up and running and once our borders are opened further we will be here waiting to show you why Singapore hawker food is so important. Not just to us but to the world.
