March 11, 2019, 05:58 PM 
The Singapore Heritage Festival (SHF) 2019 will be back from March 15 to April 7.
This Bicentennial edition of the SHF will feature several interesting events relating to local food, food culture, and food history you might want to check out with your family and friends
1. Watch a free musical about hawker food
Courtesy of Singapore Heritage Festival.
Makan Dreaming is a musical that traces the evolution of hawking from the 1960s to our hawker centres today.
It boasts a diverse cast of characters including Kong, an early immigrant-turned-hawker, Rajesh Raj who sells syrup ice balls, Alice the town cleansing superintendent, and a fourth generation hawker called May Fang.
Where: Bedok Town Square
When: March 22 - 24, 2pm/4pm/6pm/7.30pm
Admission: Free
2. Unearth unique ingredients found in a market
Learn more about Nangka Lemak at this tour. Courtesy of Singapore Heritage Festival.
Do you know what is daun salam? How about kacang botol?
Unforgotten Foods will bring you around Bedok South Market to learn about these unique ingredients that you probably couldn't find in a supermarket.
After the tour, you will be treated to a light Peranakan lunch by private home chef Annette Tan.
Where: Main entrance of Block 16 Bedok South Market and Food Centre
When: March 26, 9.30am – 11.30am
Admission: S$68/pax (registration required)
3. Explore tea culture in Singapore
Via.
Tea Cultures of Singapore is a free exhibition which will explain various aspects of local tea, like the reason for "pulling" tea to make teh tarik or pairing Chinese tea with bak kut teh. Visitors can also learn about how the global tea trade influenced the way Singaporeans consume our tea.
Where: Asian Civilisations Museum
When: March 29 - April 21, 10am - 7pm
Admission: Free
4. Learn how we grow our own food
FOODPASS is a food trail that covers 15 different local farms stretching from the Kranji countryside to the high-tech factories in Orchard Road. Visitors can learn about food sources and how we grow our own food in Singapore.
Via Hay Dairies.
Participating farms include:
- Apollo Aquaculture
- Bollywood Veggies Pte Ltd
- Comcorp Pte Ltd
- Citizen Farm
- Hay Dairies Pte Ltd
- Jurong Frog Farm
- Hausmann Aquarium
- Quan fa Organics/ Mookata
- Nyee Phoe (Gardenasia)
- Qian Hu Fish Farm
- Nippon Koi Farm
- Pacific Agro Farm
- Kok Fah Vegetables, and more
Visitors do not need to sign up for the trail. All you have to do is turn up at the farms on April 6 and 7. Admission to the farms are free but certain farm activities might require payment.
Where: Various venues
When: April 6 - April 7, 10am - 5pm
Admission: Free
5. Talk to local farmers at a pop-up store in town
Mosscape, a pop-up concept store at Scotts Square, will be a rare chance for you to chat with local farmers, view their produce and listen to industry veterans explain more about the the local food industry.
Mr William Ho, a local quail farmer, will talk about eggs on April 6 while Ms Chelsea Wan, a local frog farmer, will share about farming innovation on April 7.
Where: Scotts Square
When: April 1 - June 30. (talks held on April 6 and 7, 3pm)
Admission: Free
6. Enjoy real farm-to-table experiences
If you're a fan of real farm-to-table dining experiences, then you might want to check out these two dining events held at local farms.
First, Nyee Phoe (Gardenasia) is hosting a "Farm to Table" steamboat with a menu specially curated by farm cafe's resident chef. There you can indulge in Singaporean favourites made with fresh produce from local farms amidst a rustic countryside setting.
Where: Nyee Phoe (Gardenasia)
When: April 6 (10.30am - 10.30pm), April 7 (10am - 5.30pm)
Admission: S$58.80++ for 2, call 6898 9111 or email [email protected] to reserve.
Via Gardenasia.
Alternatively, you can visit the Bollywood Veggies Pop Up Heritage Hawker and Farmers' Market where you can find local heritage hawker fare and artisanal products curated specially for the Singapore Heritage Festival.
Via Bollywood Veggies.
Where: Bollywood Veggies
When: April 6 - 7, 11am - 3pm
Admission: Free
If you enjoy using herbs, you can also learn more about the herbs grown at Koh Fah Technology Farm in their Herbs Workshop.
This is a sit-down sharing session where the farm owners will share the benefits of herbs that are grown there. Additionally, visitors will get to try a tea which is uniquely designed for them.
Where: Kok Fah Technology Farm
When: April 6 - 7, 9am - 9.30am, 1pm - 1.30pm
Admission: S$5.50 per pax (registration here)
You can find out more about SHF's programmes here.
Happy exploring!
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