🍜 Singapore Food Explorer

Singapore's hawker culture was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020 — the first and only street food culture to receive that recognition. This game explains why. You'll learn what wok hei actually means and why it can't be replicated at home, why Singapore carrot cake contains no carrot, how to order kopi without pointing at anything, and what makes a plate of char kway teow either street food or art depending on who's cooking it.

Each of the 20 dishes on the board has a question about its ingredients, origins, or the cultural context that made it what it is. Bak kut teh traces to Chinese immigrant labourers. Roti prata traces to South Indian Tamil workers. Hainanese chicken rice traces to — you'll find out. The food tells the immigration history.

Your Foodie Certificate ranges from Kitchen Tourist (you've heard of chicken rice) to True Foodie (the aunties recognise you). Questions include dialect vocabulary, cooking technique, hawker centre culture, and the practical knowledge that makes the difference between eating well and eating expensively.

Free to play · No sign-up · ~10 minutes · Works on mobile and desktop