--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: Sustaining Singapore's culture through the Hawker experience image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac3c4015e970f845/6a4b5236a09d9f36095e91df/2DF1A746552241D0BEB79F15A3A3B978.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # Sustaining Singapore's culture through the Hawker experience  Whether we travel for adventure, relaxation, to seek out works of art, or delve into a rich history, it’s the local food that leaves a long-lasting taste of a newly discovered location. If a country’s cuisine is its culture, food is the fastest way to get to the heart and soul of Singapore. But this is more than sampling a tasty meal; traditional food culture is fundamental in preserving Singapore’s local heritage, identity, and legacy. For locals, enjoying local food is an everyday communal experience; for travelers, it is an intimate discovery of Singapore’s history and heritage. In the 19th century, Singapore transformed into a thriving port city, welcoming new visitors from all over the world including China, India, and Malaysia. Soon, push-carts flooded the streets with new flavors adapted with a Singaporean twist. These street chefs, known as hawkers, became so popular that it led to the creation of hawker centers – dedicated spaces for the vendors to set up shop with access to proper amenities.  Bustling with life, the centers encapsulate the many stages of a Singaporean's life: from busy office workers grabbing lunch on the go to elders gathering over traditional dishes while staying connected with their community. Today, over 100 hawker centers are spread across the island, from the city and recreational districts to the public housing estates where 80 percent of the population lives. But this is more than just a place to grab a bite to eat – hawker centers have become markers of Singapore as a multicultural city-state and serve as the community dining rooms of Singapore, promoting cultural diversity while bringing people of all ages, ethnicities, gender, and religion together under one roof. Hawkers take inspiration from the melting pot of cultures including Chinese, Malay, and Indian, adapting dishes to local tastes and contexts and serving up dishes such as fish head curry, chilli crab, [and more](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://www.visitsingapore.com/dining-drinks-singapore/local-dishes/ "undefined"). Tasty, affordable, and fresh, several hawker eateries have even won a Michelin star, such as Hawker Chan in Chinatown and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles.  Professor Lily Kong, President of Singapore Management University and author of _Singapore Hawker Centres: People, Places, Food_, explains the magic of this tradition to [UNESCO](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://youtu.be/KOJLVclAY%5F4?t=120 "undefined"), “Hawker Culture is about people, it's about a place, and it's about food - it's about a community space that allows people to come together. A typical hawker center is made up of a variety of stalls that line the sides of the center and in the middle is an open space with seats. The wonderful thing is that this open common space allows for interaction, communication, and relationships to be built between the hawkers and their customers.” Hawkers spend years honing their culinary techniques to perfect their signature dishes and these skills are passed down from one generation to another. However, this beloved institution was in danger of disappearing forever. Although locals love to eat at hawker centers, few dream of running a stall of their own. Passionate about saving this endangered food tradition, in 2019 Singapore’s National Heritage Board put the hawkers forward for UNESCO recognition. “It’s about more than the hawkers and their food,” says Singaporean street food guru, K.F Seetoh, when interviewed by [National Geographic](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2021/01/singapores-iconic-but-endangered-street-food-now-has-unesco-status "undefined"). “It’s about the government’s play, the private sector’s part, and people’s affinity for it.”  It is indeed a combined effort to keep this historical tradition alive – community organizations, non-governmental organizations and educational institutions play a significant role in promoting and sustaining hawker culture through training programmes, events and documentation projects. Hawker centers are more than eateries; they are social spaces that embrace people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, playing a crucial role in enhancing community interactions, strengthening the social fabric and keeping the history of Singapore alive. This passion and dedication was rewarded when Hawker Culture was successfully inscribed as Singapore's first element on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020\. The Intergovernmental Committee unanimously gave their support towards the inscription and hawker culture is now safeguarded as an intangible cultural heritage practice. Historians and food lovers hope that the UNESCO recognition will help raise the status of hawkers, highlight the vital need for conservation, and inspire budding chefs to step into the kitchen and create new dishes that will last a lifetime.  Ready for a taste of Singapore? Here are six[ hawker centers](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://www.visitsingapore.com/editorials/the-street-food-of-singapore/#dining "undefined") to tantalize your tastebuds: * Old Airport Road Food Center * Maxwell Road Hawker Center * Tiong Bahru Market Hawker Center * Adam Road Food Center * Newton Food Center * Amoy Street Food Center Here are ways you can learn more about hawker culture: * Take part in a local cooking class! Cookery Magic's [Kampong Cooking Escapade](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://cookerymagic.com/pulau-ubin-cooking-classes/ "undefined") and Palate Sensations' [tourist cooking class](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://www.palatesensations.com/book-classes/tourist-classes "undefined") are two fantastic options * Join a [walking tour](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA&prx%5Fr=https://www.betelboxtours.com/tour/joo-chiat-katong-food-walk "undefined") to learn about hawker culture directly from the communities that helped to create this tradition * Ask questions! Ask hawker stalls about their family heritage and how their dishes were created [](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA) Singapore is more than its tourist attractions. It’s constantly evolving, reinventing, and reimagining itself, with people who are passionate about creating new possibilities. It’s not just about what you can do here, it’s about what you can be. [Find Out More](https://jadserve.postrelease.com/trk?ntv%5Fat=4&ntv%5Fui=449dead5-eb86-463f-a851-3bd1e9d21368&ntv%5Fa=tCoIAre1bAtV4SA&ntv%5Ffl=H8%5FNIX%5FfVs0Ik5QLWe2EYHNVaVl9Z%5FoPpSo7HNtthPuxnPMUinohHwEZVsC%5FKIvoC3marVAe04PLsb5gW1Ehsf%5Fl0qLRhx5oola1Ft7j8iwUsTOp8FSO9ZkZZpvUWycnD0OglZ8c%5FvbQBclaq5ZAXXUmc4wpv8hUYVU-psWP2OY5zksKXu8lup1JApV2zrc54oE2FRUqWNyWba8gP4naNRF6Es-q2QB1%5FJI57kjjC5l3d9OG3OD4Eicvz8EAWKXGR5prxHrE6rH3PYyYafFkiFySh%5FN2M6Z8T%5FVPk5CtjBNNK1Aldqc0GT78tHxLlSRMvqM-hS9CnKVYfndFmSUGRqFN3KdGg5PD1EFxaAaQHMoSYQ3eRujpJr88reeEQvmRc3Bh8AOFcn-9Cf0d5-iJY4IOB80r8lbiTHbFvRoFTCRrfPmhQwNAtsbrL4WQTJDcvfDpqbc9ZuqxXD-rXyJ95jDCsjrrBjEJA4xiOi6xXy7ovlvkLZMLqvOtkY5lAMNksuCmPtcA449sITuynr5eEQ6ZdZrPAb5hPWOUW7gey7Q=&ord=264611991&ntv%5Fht=y6UJagA) Sustaining Singapore's culture through the Hawker experience ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/singapore-tourism-board/sustaining-singapores-culture-through-the-hawker-experience/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/singapore-tourism-board/sustaining-singapores-culture-through-the-hawker-experience/"},"headline":"Sustaining Singapore's culture through the Hawker experience","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:35.271Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:28:09.071Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/singapore-tourism-board/sustaining-singapores-culture-through-the-hawker-experience/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/singapore-tourism-board/sustaining-singapores-culture-through-the-hawker-experience/","name":"Sustaining Singapore's culture through the Hawker experience"}}]}] ```