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Hawker centre | |||||||
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Chinese name | |||||||
Traditional Chinese | 小販中心 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 小贩中心 | ||||||
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Malay name | |||||||
Malay | Pusat penjaja | ||||||
Tamil name | |||||||
Tamil | ஹாக்கர்மையங்கள் |
A hawker centre or cooked food centre is an often open-air complex commonly found in Hong Kong,Malaysia and Singapore. They were built to provide a more sanitary alternative to mobile hawker carts and contain many stalls that sell different varieties of affordable meals. Dedicated tables and chairs are usually provided for diners.
Such centres are usually managed by a governing authority which maintains the facility and rents out stores for hawkers to ply their goods.
In Hong Kong,most cooked food centres (熟食中心;or cooked food markets,熟食市場) are either located in market complexes of residential districts,or as a standalone structure (this being the case in most industrial areas),with only a few exceptions (e.g. Mong Kok Cooked Food Market is located in the lower levels of Langham Place Hotel). Cooked food centres are managed by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Most of the stalls from hawker centres are converted from former dai pai dong (cooked food stalls) by strict regulations and management;the Hong Kong Government regarded the provision of cooked food centres as a way to eliminate traditional dai pai dongs from local streets in the 1970s. During the industrial boom in the 1960s and 1970s,the government also built cooked food markets in industrial areas to serve the catering needs of the working class in major industrial centres such as Kwun Tong,Tsuen Wan and Fo Tan.
Stalls in cooked food centres usually provide local cuisine,with those selling exotic delicacies a minority.
While many cooked food centres in Hong Kong are open-air,many others are indoor air-conditioned complexes,owing to Hong Kong's periods of extreme humidity.
During the 1950s,the British were concerned about the economic influence of the hawkers and kept them under surveillance. In response to the government's plan to curb the activities of the Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association,its members threatened to take up arms and participate in the Malaysian Emergency against the government,leading the latter to back down. [1]
In the next decade,the association became part of the system and actively promoted the hawkers' interests where necessary. By the 1960s,however,the authorities began to crack down on illegal activities and unlicensed hawkers. Health and safety considerations also became paramount to the authorities as the hawkers had little sanitary considerations and frequently occupied the streets with their wares,even after being fined. [1]
In 1967,the first two hawker centers in Malaysia were built in Kuala Lumpur as part of a programme to improve hygiene standards and clear the roads of streetside stores. While initially reluctant,the hawkers eventually moved to these facilities. [1] However,many continue to operate in other areas,with operation in hawker centres being one of seven types of hawker licences issued by Kuala Lumpur. [2]
In the state of Penang,most hawkers were also moved into fixed locations as hygiene and traffic concerns grew. Some temporary or mobile fixtures remain,however licences to do so can only be renewed,with no new licences for mobile hawking being offered. [3] Moving to fixed locations is often unpopular with hawkers,who fear losing customers and the higher fees needed. [4] Labour shortages in the 1980s and 1990s led to many hawker centres being staffed by foreigners. In 2014,after it was reported that in 68 hawker centres 119 foreign cooks were identified,a law banning foreign cooks was proposed and gathered support,finally being passed in 2016. This was purported as a move to protect Penang's heritage,and 13 dishes were declared by the government as heritage dishes;10 were of Chinese origin,2 of Tamil origin,and 1 of Malay origin. Foreigners were still able to work as assistants,or as cooks in restaurants. [3]
Cooks working in hawker centres are mainly older individuals,challenging the sustainability of the business. Hawking is viewed,including by many hawkers,as low-status and low-paying. [5] The COVID-19 pandemic led to further challenges. [6] The Penang government pledged to restore the Gurney Drive hawker centre,considered the most well-known,which had previously relied on both domestic and international tourists. [7] Overall business in Penang's hawker centres decreased by 50%,as national regulations limited their opening hours. [8]
Hawker centres sprang up in urban areas following the rapid urbanisation in the 1950s and 1960s. In many cases,they were built partly to address the problem of unhygienic food preparation by unlicensed street hawkers. [9] More recently,they have become less ubiquitous due to growing affluence in the urban populations of Malaysia and Singapore. Particularly in Singapore,they are increasingly being replaced by food courts,which are indoor,air conditioned versions of hawker centres located in shopping malls and other commercial venues.
In the 1950s and 1960s,hawker centres were considered to be a venue for the less affluent. They had a reputation for unhygienic food,partly due to the frequent appearance of stray domestic pets and pests. Many hawker centres were poorly managed by their operators,often lacking running water and proper facilities for cleaning. More recently,hygiene standards have improved,with pressure from the local authorities. This includes the implementation of licensing requirements,where a sufficient standard of hygiene is required for the stall to operate,and rewarding exceptionally good hygiene. [10] [11] A score of 85% or higher results in an A,and the lowest grade is a D,which ranges from 40 to 49% passing standards. These grades are required to be displayed on hawker stands. Upgrading or reconstruction of hawker centres was initiated in the 1990s in Singapore.
In 1987,a point demerit system was introduced to account for stand's food and personal handing hygiene. Six demerit points yield a US$400 fee (HK$2470). Individual fines will be solicited for larger violations such as putting unclean materials in contact with the food. Failure to display issued license will result in a US$200 fine. [11]
The hawker centres in Singapore are owned by three government bodies,namely the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the parent Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE),Housing and Development Board (HDB) and JTC Corporation. All the centres owned by HDB and NEA,in turn,are regulated by NEA with the individual Town Councils managing the HDB owned centres. JTC owned centres are self-managed. [11]
In 2011,Singapore announced plans to develop 10 hawker centers,which equates to 600 stalls in the next decade. This will stabilise food prices and reduce rent of hawker stands over time. [11]
As of 2016,two Singaporean food stalls,both located in hawker centres,became the first street food vendors to be awarded a Michelin Star for excellence in eating. The two stalls are Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. [12] [13] (Unfortunately,Hawker Chan lost its star in 2021,so only one hawker in Singapore currently has a Michelin Star.) [14] As of 2019,more than 40 hawker stalls were awarded Michelin Star and Bib Gourmand in Singapore. In 2023,they already constituted the majority of the list. [15]
In 2019,Singapore submitted its nomination to inscribe its hawker culture on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. [16] Inscription was announced on 16 December 2020,when UNESCO described the hawker centre as "‘community dining rooms’where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast,lunch and dinner." [17]
With effect from 1 September 2021,it is a littering offence now to leave behind food trays,crockery,used tissues,wet wipes,drink straws,food wrappers,drink cans,plastic water bottles,food remnants and any other litters at hawker centres. First-time offenders will be issued a written warning. Second-time offenders will face a composition fine of $300 and subsequent offenders may face court fines under the Environmental Public Health Act. [18]
On September 21,2022,a Singaporean-style hawker centre opened in Manhattan,New York City. It was first mooted in 2013 by American chef Anthony Bourdain after visiting Singapore,and he collaborated with Singaporean chef K.F. Seetoh. Seetoh took up the mantle after Bourdain's death in 2018. [19] Known as the Urban Hawker,it consists of traditional Singaporean dishes,with most of the vendors hailing from Singapore. [20] [21] [22]
Nasi lemak is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. It is also a native dish in neighbouring areas with significant ethnic Malay populations such as Singapore and Southern Thailand. In Indonesia, it can be found in several parts of Sumatra, especially the Malay regions of Riau, Riau Islands and Medan. It is considered an essential dish for a typical Malay-style breakfast. Nasi lemak is featured as a national dish in Malaysian tourism brochures and promotional materials.
Hokkien mee, literally "Fujian noodles", is a series of related Southeast Asian dishes that have their origins in the cuisine of China's Fujian (Hokkien) province.
A shophouse is a building type serving both as a residence and a commercial business. It is defined in the dictionary as a building type found in Southeast Asia that is "a shop opening on to the pavement and also used as the owner's residence", and became a commonly used term since the 1950s. Variations of the shophouse may also be found in other parts of Asia; in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau, it is found in a building type known as Tong lau, and in towns and cities in Sri Lanka. They stand in a terraced house configuration, often fronted with arcades or colonnades, which present a unique townscape in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and South China.
Petaling Street is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The whole vicinity is also known as Chinatown KL. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists.
Boon Lay is a neighbourhood located in the town of Jurong West in the West Region of Singapore. Its borders very roughly correspond to the URA subzone of Boon Lay Place, situated within the Jurong West Planning Area.
Singaporean cuisine is derived from several ethnic groups in Singapore and has developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes in the cosmopolitan city-state.
Dai pai dong is a type of open-air food stall. The term originates from Hong Kong but has been adopted outside Hong Kong as well. The official government name for these establishments is "cooked-food stalls". The more common name of dai pai dong literally means 'big licence stall' in Cantonese, referring to the stalls' license plates, which are larger than those of other licensed street vendors.
Banmian or pan mee is a popular Chinese noodle dish, consisting of handmade noodles served in soup. Other types of handmade noodles include youmian, or mee hoon kueh.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is a department of the Hong Kong Government, reporting to the Environment and Ecology Bureau. It is responsible for food hygiene and environmental hygiene. It replaced part of the role of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department, and the Regional Council and the Regional Services Department.
Bukit Bintang is the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It encompasses Jalan Bukit Bintang and its immediate surrounding areas. The area has long been Kuala Lumpur's most prominent retail belt that is home to many landmark shopping centres, al-fresco cafés, bars, night markets, food street, mamak stalls as well as hawker-type eateries. This area is popular among tourists and locals, especially among the youths.
Newton Food Centre (纽顿熟食中心) is a major hawker centre in Newton, Singapore. The food centre was promoted by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) as a tourist attraction for sampling Singaporean cuisine. It was first opened in 1971 and it closed down in 2005 as the government wanted to revamp the food centre. The food centre then went through a major renovation before reopening on 1 July 2006.
Economy rice or economic rice is a type of food or food stall serving many dishes accompanied by rice, commonly found in hawker centres, street vendors or food courts in Malaysia and Singapore. Specifically in Singapore, it is commonly known as cai png, from the Hokkien 菜饭; cài fàn; chhài-pn̄g. In recent times, due to COVID-19 restrictions and its associated economic impact, this concept has also become popular in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong street food is characterised as the ready-to-eat snacks and drinks sold by hawkers or vendors at food stalls, including egg tarts, fish balls, egg waffles and stinky tofu, according to the definition provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization. They can be found throughout the city, especially in the areas of Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Yuen Long, Tsuen Wan, and Kwun Tong.
Hawkers in Hong Kong are vendors of street food and inexpensive goods. They are found in urban areas and new towns alike, although certain districts such as Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, and Kwun Tong are known for high concentrations of hawkers.
Kweilin Street Night Market is a commercial and social activity in which unlicensed hawkers set up their mobile food stores and stalls to sell local street foods and groceries in Kweilin Street (桂林街), Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong.
Char kway teow is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Maritime Southeast Asia of southern Chinese origin. In Hokkien and Teochew, char means 'stir-fried' and kway teow refers to flat rice noodles. It is made from flat rice noodles or kway teow of approximately 1 cm or about 0.5 cm in width, stir-fried over very high heat with garlic, light and dark soy sauce, chili paste, whole prawns, shelled blood cockles, chopped Chinese chives, slices of Chinese sausage, and bean sprouts. Other common ingredients include fishcake and belachan.
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of poached chicken and seasoned rice, served with chilli sauce and usually with cucumber garnishes. It was created by immigrants from Hainan in southern China and adapted from the Hainanese dishes of Wenchang chicken and Wenchang chicken rice.
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle is a street food stall in Outram, Singapore. It is owned and run by Chan Hon Meng. In 2016, the stall became one of the first two street food locations in the world to be awarded a star in the Michelin Guide, although it lost its star in 2021. It has since become internationally franchised under the English name Hawker Chan.
Xenophobia in Malaysia refers to the fear or dislike of individuals or cultural groups perceived as foreign, often closely associated with racism. In Malaysia, xenophobia sentiments are frequently directed at foreign workers, particularly those from countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia. There is also notable xenophobia towards individuals from neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia. Additionally, discrimination has been reported against people of African descent and those from East Malaysia. It is observed that xenophobic attitudes are more prevalent in Peninsular Malaysia than in East Malaysia.