SINGAPORE – When eating is dubbed a national pastime, it’s easy to understand why Singaporeans crave for our local cuisine when we travel abroad. Find out what tantalises the Singaporean taste buds and which delicacy takes top spot in the must-have list for locals travelling overseas.
It comes as no surprise when survey conducted by Hotels.com reveals that Singaporeans simply can’t live without their spicy food. Sixty per cent of Singaporeans voted ‘chilli’ as the condiment they would miss the most when travelling overseas.
With the fiery ingredient taking reign in the hearts (or stomachs) of the Singaporean traveller, 80 per cent indicated that food is a key factor in determining a destination to travel to or a hotel to stay in when abroad. Seventy per cent of respondents also said that authentic local cooking was what they prefer to eat when travelling.
The survey, which involved over 27,000 travellers worldwide, also revealed that Asian cuisine is proving to be tough competition for traditional favourites French and Italian food. Although international travellers generally still favour Italian (32%) and French (24%) cuisines, with both coming in first and second respectively, dishes from Japan are gaining in popularity with more cosmopolitan palates. Eighteen per cent of all people surveyed favoured sushi, tempura, ramen and Japanese soba, particularly when it comes to fine dining.
The results hold true for many Singaporeans as well, with 34 per cent ranking Japan as the nation with the best overall local food, followed closely by Thailand (31%) and Taiwan (30%). Interestingly, the findings also show Singaporeans’ lack of penchant for Western and European cuisines. Italy was the only non-Asian country that managed to squeeze into the top 10, garnering a mere seven per cent of votes.
Singaporeans’ recommendations on must-try local dish
Position | Local Dish | Votes in % |
1 | Chilli Crab | 58% |
2 | Hainanese Chicken rice | 50% |
3 | Satay | 27% |
4 | Bak Kuh Teh | 24% |
5 | Fish head curry | 21% |
6 | Laksa | 21% |
7 | Sambal Stingray | 19% |
8 | Char Kway Teow | 18% |
9 | Roti Prata | 15% |
10 | Rojak | 12% |
Singaporean’s top ranked local cuisines:
Position | Country | Votes in % |
1 | Japan | 34% |
2 | Thailand | 31% |
3 | Taiwan | 30% |
4 | Malaysia | 27% |
5 | Hong Kong | 26% |
6 | South Korea | 11% |
7 | China | 11% |
8 | Singapore | 11% |
9 | Indonesia | 8% |
10 | Italy | 7% |
Global travellers’ top ranked local cuisines:
Position | Country | Votes in % |
1 | Italy | 32% |
2 | France | 24% |
3 | Japan | 18% |
4 | China | 13% |
5 | Spain | 11% |
6 | USA | 10% |
7 | Mexico | 8% |
8 | Thailand | 8% |
9 | Taiwan | 5% |
10 | India | 5% |