Global panel recommends Singapore's hawker culture be added to Unesco
HAWKER CULTURE SINGAPORE
Origins of Hawker
- Traces back to Early Immigrants, to be able to have a ready market of consumers with generally lower capital outlay without prerequisites of certifications.
- The mobility of the stalls gave rise to "Hawking" where it is defined as Touting to Attract Customer in a Portable Stall.
- Hawkers would gather in Cross Junctions to maximize the Traffic Coverage therefore "Hawker Centre".
- 1971 first Government Built Legal Official Hawker Centre to consolidate the Hawkers in 1 area to operate legally with license such that they do not have to face problems of "protection money" while cleaning up the Sanitation of Streets.
- Initially, people hated Hawker Centre Buildings as it lost the flexibility of travelling and have to travel far for Hawker Centre.
- It took us until 1986 before the last Hawker was resettled to a Hawker Centre
Characteristics of Hawker
- Caters to many Social Classes
- Becomes a Lifestyle
- Where humans interact and mingle
- Topic of Conversations
- Choice of Meeting Venue (social)
- Entrepreneur without Certification / Capital
- Innovative Creation of Food due to Space Constraints
- Laissez-Faire Economy
- Upholding Intangible Legacy
- Part of the Ecosystem of Agriculture Locally, Regionally and Internationally
Hawker as a National Identity
- 114 Hawker Centres today, dependency on it in a Socio-Economical sense
- Display of Globalized Nation with Innovative Amalgamation of Food Culture
- In a cacophony of sounds and action, Hawker has stitched into the social fabric of Singapore
- This represent cultural creativity, and cultural exchange of human values in the Oral Traditions of Culinary Art
- It involves through time, invites platforms for Hawkerpreneurs, for continuity through Upward Mobility
- Testimony of Urbanization (Sanitary, Facilities, Urban Landscaping, Employment)
- Fun Fact : Instant Food is one of the 1st item cleared during the Pandemic, partly due to dependency on Hawker
International Recognition of Hawker
- Culinary Skills (Gordon Ramsay Hawker Cook Off)
- Michelin Guide (Plate, Bib Gourmand, Star)
- BBC / Netflix / CNA Documentaries
- Submission for UNESCO
When Michelin is concerned, a Michelin Hawker strips all the fancy ambience and service to the bare minimum of "Good Food". Master of Culinary Skills, Understanding of Flavours, Unique Personality of the Dish, Consistency, are among the criteria. Food is not just about
UNESCO doesn't require the Contested Heritage Site to be original, because nothing in Singapore is truly original. But whether or not it defines our National Identity and therefore matches the criteria is probably more important. Can we Singapore survive without Hawker? Cost of Living will increase again, higher unemployment rates due to higher entry barrier for skilled labours, lost of Oral Traditions and Culture passed down through Hawker Food. What can we benefit from UNESCO? More recognition to attract tourists to give them a try, more support for Hawkerpreneur to operate and enjoy subsidized rental of stalls, more National Pride.
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