Embrace Singapore's evolving hawker culture, says Grace Fu | Deep Dive podcast

Key Concepts

Hawker centers, hawker culture, sustainability, environment, hawker livelihoods, toilet cleanliness, infrastructure upgrades, hawker succession scheme, heritage food, food affordability, social compact, new hawkers, food courts vs. hawker centers.

Hawker Centers and Long-Term Support

The Singaporean government is planning to invest a significant sum, $1 billion, in the long-term support of hawker centers. This investment spans decades (20-30 years) and aims to upgrade existing centers and build new ones. The goal is to create hawker centers that are relevant, convenient, and embraced by the community.

Key Points:

• Relevance: Hawker centers should be relevant to the people in the surrounding area.
• Infrastructure: Upgrades include high ceilings, ventilation fans, centralized collection points for cleaning, and accessibility features like lifts.
• Future-Readiness: Addressing climate change concerns like higher temperatures and extreme flooding through design and infrastructure.

Toilet Cleanliness in Hawker Centers and Coffee Shops

Toilet cleanliness is a significant concern. Annual surveys are conducted to assess the cleanliness of public toilets.

Key Points:

• Coffee Shops vs. Hawker Centers: Coffee shop toilets are generally worse than hawker center toilets.
• Infrastructure Issues: Lack of proper cleaning equipment storage, inadequate ventilation, and poor design contribute to the problem.
• Cleaning Regime: Cleaners may lack proper training and dedication to toilet cleaning.
• Enforcement: The government will enforce hygiene standards and suspend operations if necessary.
• Public Usage: Coffee shop toilets are often used by non-customers, placing a burden on operators.
• Solutions: Resource allocation, training for cleaners, and infrastructure improvements are needed.

Hawker Livelihoods and the Hawker Succession Scheme

Maintaining the livelihoods of hawkers is crucial. There's a concern that young people are not aspiring to become hawkers.

Key Points:

• Social Compact: A balance is needed between patrons, the government, and hawkers to ensure fair prices and affordable food.
• Affordability Perception: Hawker food is often expected to be very affordable, even as costs rise.
• Hard Work: Being a hawker is physically demanding and requires long hours.
• Succession Planning: Hawkers need to decide whether to pass their business to their children, sell it, or pass it on to someone else.
• Hawker Succession Scheme: This scheme helps master hawkers pass down their recipes and skills to disciples.
• Intangible Cultural Heritage: Singapore's hawker culture is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Encouraging New Hawkers

Efforts are being made to encourage new hawkers to enter the trade.

Key Points:

• Low Barrier of Entry: Making it easier for people to become hawkers, even if they have other skills or experience.
• Incubation Scheme: Providing new hawkers with low-cost investment opportunities to start their businesses.
• Rental Control: Restrictions are placed on hawker center rentals to prevent monopolies and ensure genuine operators.
• Growth and Expansion: Hawkers are allowed to grow their businesses, but should eventually relinquish their stalls if they outgrow them.

Heritage Businesses and Evolving Tastes

Keeping heritage businesses alive is a challenge, especially with changing tastes.

Key Points:

• New Dishes: New hawker centers often feature modern dishes like mala and bubble tea.
• Evolving Food: Hawker food has evolved over time to incorporate new flavors and ingredients.
• Support: Supporting heritage food businesses by patronizing them.
• Taste: Heritage food needs to taste good to attract customers.
• Innovation: Allowing hawker culture to evolve with new creations and innovations.

Hawker Centers vs. Food Courts

Hawker centers offer a unique experience compared to food courts.

Key Points:

• Owner-Operated: Hawker stalls are typically owner-operated, leading to distinctiveness and personalized service.
• Chains: Food courts often feature chains with standardized ingredients and preparation methods.
• Community: Hawker centers are community gathering places with relationships between customers and storeholders.
• Succession: The challenge is to ensure that hawker businesses can be passed on to the next generation.
• Low-Cost Entry: Hawker centers offer a low-cost way to start a food business and test out recipes and business skills.

Conclusion

The discussion highlights the importance of supporting Singapore's hawker culture through infrastructure upgrades, maintaining toilet cleanliness, ensuring fair livelihoods for hawkers, encouraging new entrants, and preserving heritage food while allowing for innovation. The key is to strike a balance between affordability, quality, and sustainability to ensure the long-term viability of hawker centers as community gathering places and cultural icons.