Expat Wife, Local Life
It’s that time of year when stores in Singapore flip from Christmas to Chinese New Year. Red and gold decorations with a side of faux cherry blossom branches have been hung. The Christmas puddings have been cleared and Chinese New Year goodies line all the shelves. Singapore is a city obsessed with food so you… Continue reading
What is the Mid-Autumn Festival? At it’s heart, it is a harvest festival that occurs right around the time of the harvest moon. Historically, it brought family and friends together to give thanks for the year’s harvest. There is an added element of moon worship with offerings made to the moon goddess, Chang’e. Ancient Chinese emperors (3000 years ago!) would worship the harvest moon, to bring a bountiful harvest in the next year. Over time, the tradition passed to the upper classes and then eventually became common practice around the year 1300. Mooncakes were popularized shortly after.
I don’t know about you but I find hawker centers pretty intimidating and I’ve been visiting them for years! I married into a Singaporean family so I was blessed with helpful local guides to order for me and introduce each dish to me. If it weren’t for them, I would have been completely lost. I’ve… Continue reading
One of the many benefits of being an expat living with my local in-laws is that I get exposed to more traditional and cultural dishes than I would ever encounter on my own. I enjoy trying new foods, but it’s hard to try foods when I don’t even know they exist. Thankfully, my mother-in-law and… Continue reading