Migrants and South Asian Food in Singapore

Food is a unifying force for immigrants. South Asian food in Singapore has been typically identified as Tamil, that being one of the nation-state’s national languages, and South India as a larger community being embedded in Singapore’s cultural legacy. However, the contemporary reality in Singapore is far different from previous iterations of being from South Asia. While groups from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh are prominent, within these segments is expressed stark heterogeneity. To add to the complexity, no more are South Asians arriving in Singapore from solely one kind of economic class or specific area. Many are, in fact, coming in as well-heeled, well-travelled expats, immigrants who are making a conscious choice to relocate for reasons of jobs, friends or simply to explore living in Southeast Asia. Add to this individuals from B-towns who shift with preconceived notions of traditionalism and/or gender bias, and a certain kind of nostalgia which is instrumental in othering them, which they sometimes even appear to encourage. Patterns of consumption have thus been transforming in Singapore over the past decade, and nowhere is this best seen than in terms of food. This paper examines the changing food landscape in Singapore and how it engages with memory, nostalgia and the practicalities of obtaining ingredients that may be “new” to the average Singaporean’s palate. This suggests a reflection of the food revolution that has swept through South Asia with an expansion of travel, study and work possibilities abroad, making for fresher kinds of cultural heritage.