Page 54 - Our Hawker Stories

Hawker culture in Singapore is a vibrant, popular, and
essential part of daily life. We can find many aromatic
foods and meals in Singapore. Amongst these fascinating
recipes, I think many popular dishes capture the essence
of nourishment. If we are looking for a popular, iconic,
and aromatic area for a meal, Singapore is the best place
to look for these hawker centres.

It was a lovely Friday night. My mother accompanied
me to Kopitiam Square to have a hearty meal. We found
a pleasant and clean table beside the drinks stall. The
aromatic dishes displayed on the stalls brought a smile
to my face. We immediately lined up in front of Su Man
Yuan, the stall selling my favourite, ke kou mian. Ke
kou mian is not healthy if eaten in excessive amounts.
However, it will boost your energy and make you
stronger. She showed me a small pouch given to her by her
grandparents. It looked ancient, but she always kept it
Ke kou mian’s main ingredient is eggs. The eggs in ke kou with her.
mian contain vitamin B for energy metabolism. People
across Singapore eat ke kou mian. People line up to taste Ke kou mian is more than just a meal. It is a comforting
this delicious dish. The eggs added to it also make it dish that has become a staple for many Singaporeans.
creamier. Ke kou mian is often referred to as Koka instant Many ancestors who were hawkers passed down their
noodles. love for the dish to younger generations. Ke kou mian has
many secret ingredients that only some senior hawkers
The hawker selling ke kou mian told me the noodles know about. I cannot wait to discover the secrets of
provide enough energy to last at least 20 hours! The their dish!
protein from the eggs also keeps you awake when
feeling tired, especially when doing sports. The hawker
also adds a lot of spice to her ke kou mian to give it a “Ke kou mian isn’t just noodles — it’s a
spicy kick. It is usually made with pork, but I ate it with dish passed down from grandparents to
tofu and some vegetables instead as a vegetarian. hawkers, filled with love, spice, and stories

The hawker had been working in that stall for many, many from the past.”
years. She said that she wanted to carry on the tradition
of hawkers, as her grandparents were also hawkers. Charvi Raghu
Her stall name, Su Man Yuan, means satisfaction and P6.3
perfection. Her dishes were always made with precision. North Spring Primary School

50 Our Hawker Stories