NUSWhispers – Confession #73646

Hello everyone, I am a French girl currently on exchange at NUS, and I would like to share with you a bad experience that I had at one of the hawker centres on campus soon after I arrived, as I would like to know what Singaporeans would think about it. I am quite a health conscious girl, and I pay a lot of attention to what I eat, especially regarding the quality and sourcing of the primary ingredients; I want to know where the food comes from and for example for meat, in what conditions the animals were reared, for vegetables and rice if the producer uses organic and environmentally friendly farming methods, for eggs if they are free range, etc... So when I ordered some chicken rice at a stall, I asked the lady if she could tell me where the rice and the chicken came from, how they were reared, and if she knew the producer. She seemed really angry after I asked her the question, and started scolding at me in Singlish, and unfortunately (or fortunately maybe) I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I interpreted it as “you are insulting me and my food, and if you are not happy, you can go find food elsewhere”. I want to make clear that I asked the question very politely and in a friendly way, and that I didn’t intend to hurt that lady in any way. However, don’t you think that it is normal to want to know where the primary ingredients of the food that you are eating are coming from? I mean food is your body’s fuel, and as Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” I don’t understand her reaction, and I wanted to know if from a Singaporean point of view, my questions were seen as rude. In France, even in a small and simple family restaurant, asking this kind of question is not seen as rude at all, quite the opposite, as it shows the chef that you are interested in his work and appreciating his food by wanting to know more about it, and he/she will happily tell you about it. It is also quite frequent that restaurant owners, especially in the countryside, directly source their primary ingredients from the producer. Also, I noticed that food culture in Singapore is very important (which is great, as it is the same in France, and I love that!), however, it seems to me that Singaporeans don’t pay a lot of attention to the origin and quality of the primary ingredients, which is a paradox to me as from good ingredients results tasty and healthy food. So to all Singaporeans, what do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Thanks for reading my long post, and don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments what you think about all that, and if you can relate to my experience! From a French girl who loves Singapore, Singaporean food, and NUS!