Colourful illustrations keep memories of wartime food alive

Pineapple soup with dried prawns, a delicious mix of sweet and salty, was a dish Reverend Michael Teo looked forward to on rare Sunday afternoons during World War II.

- Goh Yan Han

It was a refreshing change from a watery mix of tapioca and rice, a daily staple for his household of 12.

Recollecting the war remains painful for the retired Catholic priest, now 87, though memories of the sweet soup his mother made in the 1940s bring a smile to his face.

These moments have been transformed into colourful illustrations by illustrator and arts educator Julia Tay in her project Wartime Food SG.

Over several months, Ms Tay interviewed more than 20 individuals who survived the war. She put their stories, coupled with her drawings, on her website wartimefoodsg.com. It was launched in November 2024.

"These drawings revived my memories," said Father Teo on Dec 9, when Ms Tay presented a framed illustration of his favoured dish to him in his home in Siglap.

The two have known each other since Ms Tay was a kindergartener attending catechism school in his parish at the Church of the Holy Family in Joo Chiat.

"I never thought I would see some of these dishes again," said Father Teo. "We must perpetuate these stories because the young are not able to find these any more."