East Meets West – The story of Singapore Noodles

Singapore Noodles, known for its savoury and slightly sweet taste, is a stir-fried dish, popular in Chinese food and restaurants. Made with curry flavoured rice vermicelli, scrambled egg and a combination of proteins and vegetables, this is a dish that has a little something for everyone. The name suggests the history of the dish, with many presuming that the name of this stir-fried meal is a direct result of its origins, but this is a common misconception.

Are Singapore noodles really from Singapore?

Answer, no. This dish did not originate from Singapore, in fact, it is not even a well-known meal in Singapore. So, where did it come from? Let’s take a look at the history of Singapore noodles.

The History of Singapore Noodles

During World War II curry powder was introduced to China through the British trade routes. Following the war, Cantonese chefs developed a new recipe as a way of using this new ingredient, the dish they created was Singapore Noodles. It is believed that Singapore Noodles originated in Cantonese restaurants located in Hong Kong.

Why are Singapore Noodles named after a country they did originate from? Well, we do not know for sure, but there are two common theories. The first is that Singapore Noodles sounded more exciting and intriguing than Hong Kong noodles, making them more appealing to Western Palates. The second theory is that the name is a nod to Singapore’s reputation of serving spicy dishes and their fusion of Indian and Chinese flavours.

What are Singapore Noodles?

The main ingredient in Singapore Noodles is vermicelli a traditional type of pasta. While Italian vermicelli is thicker and made from durum wheat semolina and eggs, Asian and US vermicelli is thin and made from rice flour or mung bean starch. Rather than boiling the noodles, vermicelli (also known as rice sticks) is cooked by soaking them in hot water. The soft vermicelli is coated in curry powder and turmeric, giving it a rich and somewhat spicy, yet sweet, flavour.

Scrambled egg (cooked separately) is commonly added to vermicelli, along with a selection of other protein and vegetables. One of the most common ingredients in Singapore noodles is shrimp, marinated in oil and fish sauce and Char siu, a Cantonese-style barbecued pork known for its sweet and savory flavour. Prawns are also a commonly used seafood, as is chicken, beef and a variety of other commonly used meats. Beansprouts are a commonly used vegetable, as well as onions, red bell peppers, snow peas and carrots.

Cooking Singapore Noodles

A variety of herbs and spices are used to flavour the dish, including garlic, white pepper, sugar, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. When cooking this dish at home, you can add whichever vegetables and meat or seafood you prefer, this is a dish that you can tailor to your tastebuds.

All protein and vegetable ingredients are fried in a wok, with oil, and coated in curry powder, once cooked, they are removed from the wok. The cooked vermicelli is then added to the wok and fried for a few seconds before fish sauce and curry powder are added to it. The cooked ingredients are returned to the wok and mixed with the vermicelli, the dish is then ready to serve.