Food: Yeo Min, Anugerah Murni, and Vasunthara Ramasamy talk with Toffa Abdul Wahed | Jom

Yeo Min, Anugerah Murni, and Vasunthara Ramasamy spoke with Toffa Abdul Wahed at the inaugural Jomfest, held at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore on May 19, 2026. Who gets to define “Singapore food”? Which cuisines are elevated as national symbols, and which are pushed to the margins? What is preserved, celebrated, and claimed; and by which communities? What gets flattened, neglected, or excluded? The canon is well-established: chilli crab, fishhead curry, Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, nasi lemak, roti prata. Yet do they truly reflect the tastes, traditions, and histories that shape Singapore’s culinary landscape? Min, Murni, and Vasun, guided by moderator Toffa, explored how Singapore’s gastronomic character is shaped: by markets and media, state narratives and social aspiration; by chefs and hawkers, home cooks, diners, and diasporas. They also examined the pressures on Singapore food today: trends, homogenisation, and the tension between cultural and commercial value. Plus, delved into how younger generations might renew rather than simply inherit food traditions; adapting old practices, flavours and meanings.