Delicacies and local dialect cuisines has been and is integrated as part of our society, of which we are recognised internationally. Starting back when the inaugurated festival first took place in 1994, the Singapore Food Festival aims to bring a satisfying dining experience to our diverse culture and spectacular cuisines, themed “A Walk Down Memory Lane” this year.
More about the various events happening across Singapore here: https://melicacy.com/?p=7382
Kick starting the festival is Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Feast at Chinatown Food Street, bringing nostalgia of old Singapore while patrons savour up to 20 dishes unique to their Chinese dialect.
Red Glutinous Wine Chicken
Featured Hakka dishes include the Red Glutinous Wine Chicken, aromatic from the classic use of Glutinous rice wine, ginger and sesame oil. Well prepared and marinated, the meat is tender off the bones and easily enjoyed by both the elderly and young children, with only subtle hints of the spice from the rice wine.
Traditional Hakka Yong Tau Foo
Gao Ji Food contributes to the Hakka cuisine with their authentic traditional Yong Tow Foo. “Tow Foo” refers to bean curd and “Yong” is a simplification of the Hakka dialect “Ngiong” which means ‘to stuff’. This dumpling symbolized ‘abundant wealth and prestige’ and has since the times of immigrants, Yong Tow Foo evolved as a Hakka heritage food passed down through the generations.
Abacus seeds, not to be mistaken as wooden beads, are little round pieces of yam balls dimpled in the centre, fried with diced shrimps, mushrooms and minced pork, known also as ‘Suan Pan Zi’. With much resemblance to the abacus, which was used to calculate money, Hakkas were believed to be good with money and thus no Hakka meal would be complete without Abacus beads.
Hainanese having few of the more commonly known dishes, put forward their Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls. Most of us can recall the fulfilling experience from Malacca’s Jonker street chicken rice balls, and now to have the goodness revived here locally is a delightful gastronomical privilege.
Other Hainanese dishes featured are the Herbal Mutton Soup, Vermielli with Cuttlefish and Chives. Hakka has their Salted Egg Steam Meat and Stir-fried pork wrapped in lettuce. Deep Fried Taro Dumpling, Paper Wrapped Chicken, Pig Trotter with Vinegar and Ginger by regional uniqueness of the Cantonese. Well loved Kong bac pau, the homely tapioca starch Kwan teow, wa kueh, and rickshaw noodles ties in with the Sweet & Savoury glutinous rice, pork Aspic, and yam paste represents the Hokkien and Teochew cuisines respectively.
The Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Feast brings visitors an opportunity to walk down memory lane with its unique hawker heritage, talented chefs offering colourful culinary and creative dishes from 11 to 20th July 2014.
Deep Fried Taro Dumpling
Paper Wrapped Chicken
For more reasons to delight the palette, please visit www.singaporefoodfestival.com.