FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Chef Damian D'Silva of Rempapa makes a strong case for preserving and elevating our heritage cuisine, intricacies and all.

-  Damian D'Silva

I believe Singapore has developed too quickly, resulting in us embracing other cultures without really understanding our own.

The decade in which you were born affects your grasp of heritage cuisine. One group includes those raised by foreign help, so their working parents did not have the time to influence their experiences. As these Singaporeans matured, their children leaned towards fast food, with the occasional traditional meal prepared by their grandmothers or aunties.

With time, the elderly passed on and, unfortunately, some of us were too slow to compile their recipes - including unique meals for special occasions. There are two culprits responsible for changing our eating habits: instant noodles and fast food. I'm not against either of them, but eating them regularly conditions your taste buds to a peculiar flavour. Ultimately, this consumes you like a drug.