The bak kut teh is a must-try at the Singapore food festival. Photo Provided to China Daily

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Essence of Singapore

A Singapore food festival held in the Hotel Indigo Xiamen Harbor, which ends on April 12, presents a variety of the island's mouth-watering street fare.

Chef Xu Jing, who has been training in Southeast Asian cuisine for about two decades, says the menu reflects Singapore's multiculturalism.

"As Singapore has immigrants from different countries, Singaporean food is also a blend of diverse flavors," Xu says.

For instance, the slightly sweet-and-spicy prawn noodle is shared with Malaysian cuisine, and the salmon fish curry with steamed rice is part of an Indian culinary tradition, Xu says.

Among the menu items, the bak kut teh (pork-rib soup), a Singaporean signature dish, is a must-try. Known for enhancing blood circulation and restoring energy, the soup is one of the healthiest options at Singapore's street stalls.

Boiled for hours with spicy white peppercorns, plenty of garlic, spices and medicinal herbs, the meat on the long premium ribs becomes silky-soft.

To enrich the texture, it is common to mix rice with the aromatic broth. A cup of warm tea sometimes is used to counter the fats of the meaty pork.