Ang JovitaPhoto Essay
Singaporeans are immune to headlines like “Singapore’s first in…” or “Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world – again”. But scratch beyond the superficial news and we face a harder truth about the rich-poor dichotomy – Singapore has one of the widest Gini coefficient in the world at 0.478 according to a report in The Straits Times last year. The closer the figure is to 1, the more unequal the distribution of income between the citizens of the country.
Bread and butter issues are literally faced by Singaporeans every day besides the inconsequential material pursuit of luxury goods. While some Singaporeans remain grateful over a loaf of Gardenia on the table, other fortunate ones could be snacking on organic kale chips and feasting on Waygu sliders. It’s a reality Singaporeans are slowly sinking in.
The point is what we eat reflects our socioeconomic situation. Do we have enough to eat? How much is enough? This photo essay looks at a variety of individuals and families – locals and foreigners – living in Singapore and their eating habits and behaviors, and examines the correlation between what we eat and how we live.
Wuping, 23, has been studying in Singapore since she arrived from Fuzhou in 2003.
“I miss the handmade noodles my mum would always make,” said Wuping, an undergraduate in a tertiary institution.
Nourishment comes in the form of takeaway dinners, instant noodles or a bowl of green bean soup cooked in her mini rice-cooker seen here.
Her husband is a scientist, the brainchild behind Urah, a micellar glucosamine cream. This medical invention brings them about $10,000 a month worth of revenue. Mrs Josephine Obajae moved from Nigeria to Singapore with her husband 15 years ago.
Their spartan consists of large amount of starch, beans, and spices. When this writer visited, Mrs Obajae was cooking a curry out of black eye beans in red gravy, lavishly seasoned with tomatoes, chilies and onions. The Nigerians adore their ball of cooked semolina flour.
“We pinch how much we think our mouth can hold, dip it in the gravy, and swallow it down. No chewing,” she shared.
She gave birth to 6 children but had to make a painful decision to give 2 away due to her financial abilities then. Today, Madam Tan Yoke Kee, 80, lives with 2 of her daughters who provides for her, and a granddaughter.
Madam Tan doesn’t cook every day but when her daughters and granddaughter are coming home for dinner, she would make a trip to the market for fresh vegetables and fish or meat.
Most grandmothers love to have a morning soup or brew, but not Madam Tan. Ever since she had a can of stout, she couldn’t stop. Guinness stout is her daily kick of caffeine. “It makes me feel energetic. I’ve been drinking one every day since I was 55!” she exclaimed.
Mrs Doris Tan, 50 and her husband, 47, are retired. They own a freelance investment firm that brings them 5-figure earnings every month.
The Tan family loves fish. Here in the giant refrigerator, we see enough stash of fish to feed the family of 6 for months. Mrs Tan reveals their most expensive buy was a fresh seawater Barramundi for $300.
“If I go to the market late, I would request to have all the fish left at the stall. But fishes have their season, so when the price gets too high, I don’t buy them. My family won’t eat fish then!” said Mrs Tan, who broke out into laughter.
The Tan family has a huge collection of cooking oil and condiments from Japanese sesame dressing, BBQ sauce, sambal belachan, garlic chili to even balsamic vinaigrette if you’re feeling a little Italian.
It’s hard to visit the Tan family without feeling hungry. Food is almost everywhere. Fancy a snack or 2? Choose from their huge variety of nuts, cuttlefish, dried fruits, ginseng sweets and butter cookies, including coated nuts flew in from Taiwan.
A knee injury forced her to stop working. Now, she takes on small jobs like frying up a fresh pot of sambal belachan for her friends or deep-frying shallots. Her health isn’t in her favor hence Madam Rose Lee, 73, has to rely on her 3 children.
Circumstances have led her to be extremely thrifty. A typical meal would be a cube of beancurd preserve with porridge, or steamed with rice and soya sauce.
It’s evident that the food we eat is largely dependent on cultural characteristics, and most importantly, socioeconomic status. You may be discarding your leftovers from a dinner party, but the neighbor could be saving aside every morsel for his or her lunch the next day.
So, what will you be eating tonight?