Is Singapore Losing Its Love for Traditional Food? How a School Project Became a Kueh Business

What happens when your final year school project becomes your business? In this episode, I sit down with Shiny, founder of Ah Mah Legacy, to talk about how she built a Teochew ang ku kueh business in Singapore from her grandmother’s influence, her own research, and a lot of hard work. Most people submit their final year project and move on. Shiny turned hers into a business. Her research looked at why younger Singaporeans have lost appreciation for traditional food, and that research became the foundation of the business. Today she makes handmade ang ku kueh with natural ingredients and still uses a traditional mould that was passed down from her grandmother. We talk about growing up in a Teochew kitchen, how she went from a home-based business to a physical store, and how she handles the cash flow pressure of a labour intensive F&B business. She also explains why handmade heritage food costs more, and where she draws the line between preserving tradition and trying something new. If you are an F&B owner, a home-based business owner, or someone curious about how heritage food businesses survive in Singapore, this episode is for you. What you will learn in this episode: 00:00:00 Intro & Meet Shiny, Founder of Ah Mah Legacy 00:03:04 Her Background & Growing Up in a Teochew Kitchen 00:06:41 Her Ah Mah & How a Final Year Project Became Ang Ku Kueh 00:13:24 Why Younger Singaporeans Are Losing Touch With Traditional Food 00:15:10 Getting Featured in 8 Days, Burnout & Going Full-Time 00:19:01 The Flavours, Natural Ingredients & Skins Behind Her Ang Ku Kueh 00:23:31 Tradition vs Innovation & Why Handmade Food Costs More 00:29:30 Her First Store, Hiring & Cash Flow Challenges 00:39:20 Teochew Culture, Community & What’s Next for Ah Mah Legacy 00:47:55 Quickfire Round, Business Lessons & Final Advice If you enjoyed this episode, hit that Like button, Subscribe, and share it with someone who loves local food or is building their own F&B business. More honest conversations coming your way.