Is laksa from Singapore or Malaysia? It does not matter, chef Damian D’Silva says
- D’Silva, who champions ‘Singaporean heritage cuisine’, talks about its similarities to European cooking and learning from his grandparents
Any time that laksa, nasi lemak or Hainan chicken rice is included in a “best foods” list anywhere in the world, there is an inevitable debate as to whether these dishes are Singaporean or Malaysian, with readers from each nation claiming them as their own.
Singaporean chef Damian D’Silva has this to say on the subject: “I laugh all the time when I hear things like Malaysian bak kut teh, Singapore bak kut teh or Malaysian chicken rice.
“I say, guys, it’s the same thing. What was Singapore before Singapore was Singapore? It was part of Malaysia, you know, and we embraced it. In my time, when you spoke about Malaysia, it wasn’t a different country. It’s very sad, what has happened – that we draw a line.”
While borders between countries may be easily drawn, the lines that separate the cuisines of Singapore, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia are less clear because of their shared Straits Settlements history.
Between the 14th and 17th centuries, Chinese immigrants arrived in huge numbers in Southeast Asia to seek their fortune. They formed part of the populations of the Portuguese trading ports that sprang up along the Strait of Malacca, including Malacca (now Melaka).
In the 19th century their descendants formed significant communities in British colonial ports along the strait, which included Malacca, Singapore and Penang and were part of the Straits Settlements.
