Netflix's 'Street Food': Does it really show representation of each country's cuisine?

You hear Singapore Street Food, what comes to mind? Because 'Putu Piring' definitely wasn't the first thought. What did they miss out on? Read on for my thoughts on 'Street Food'.

When Netflix premiered ‘Street Food’ back in April 2019, I was super excited just to lay in, grab my chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and binge this whole series. Of course I did, and it was a whole rollercoaster ride with my spacebar being pressed every few minutes for my parents and I to rant together.

Unfortunately, the foodie and patriotism in me started to vent, when I reached Episode 8: Singapore.

The episode opens with a familiar sight of pandan leaves, which my mother and I use regularly to make kueh or Malay desserts. It gave me a comfortable, warm, fuzzy feeling and then that was it.

I expected to see colourful kueh lapis or ice kacang, but instead the series focused on a partial part of the Malay cuisine which was putu piring, which is a rice cake that is steamed with palm sugar and coconut (Loh 2019).

Now, I’m not saying putu piring is disliked or that I am disregarding it as a ‘street food’, but amongst all the other options of Singapore’s street food, it seemed to be the most unconventional food item to choose to represent Singapore.

Additionally, I agree with Denise Tan in Genevieve Sarah Loh’s article (2019), where she says you won’t be able to please every single person because there’s too many places and foods of a country to fully grasp the nation’s cuisine, especially in such a short amount of screen time.

Loh also discusses the different reactions towards the series, stating that there was a lack of focus on the food but rather on the background stories of each sub-story in the episodes. I agree on this point, wherein if the title says ‘Street Food’, you expect to be drooling over sizzling chicken skewers over charcoal, the precise cuts of sashimi to fried foods galore. But the focus of the Singapore episode specifically swayed more towards the “sacrifices and challenges” that these individuals faced (Loh 2019, para. 11).

On the other hand, I half-agree with the approach taken by the directors of Street Food. Empathy and back-story is important in understanding the importance of each food to a nation.

Only if, it is synonymous with the general public of Singapore.

Another viewer stated that it was a “missed opportunity” to showcase what Singapore really has to present to the world, especially as a nation of diverse culture and rich history (Goh as cited in Loh 2019, para 12). And I couldn’t agree more.

As I watched on, the episode did bring back memories from my childhood as it showcased hawker centres and streets that I used to walk with my father when we would visit for holiday. Unfortunately, the food showcased in the episode did not spark any fond memories, except the Hainanese Chicken Rice (which is on top of my list of favourite foods!)

But, that’s not to say I don’t recommend watching the show or the episode in particular. The series only showed a sliver of what my country has to showcase and it missed out on a lot of amazing food shots and backdrop of our Singapore culture. Though it did show the unconventional and part of the conventional (i.e. our famous Chili Crab and Chicken Rice), I hope that it sparks more interest and curiosity into what else my island can offer to satisfy your tastebuds. Whether that would be Geylang Serai’s night markets or the Mid-autumn festival, in every season of the year, Singapore always has something to fill your tummies at food festivals or bazaars.

References:

“Best traditional Malay desserts”. 2019. Smart Bite, January 17, 2019. https://trysmartbite.com/blog/best-traditional-malay-desserts

Loh, Genevieve Sarah. 2019. “Singaporeans react to Netflix’s Street Food: Does putu piring represent us?” Channel News Asia Lifestyle, May 8, 2019. https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/netflix-street-food-singapore-episode-putu-piring-11512206