Culturally-Sensitive Food Services

What better way is there to curb discrimination than through providing most primordial sustenance of all. 

The food industry is a billion dollar industry for good reason. Everyone eats. Regardless of economic or social class, people it. But this does not necessarily meant people eat anything. Aside from matters of personal preference, food choices are significantly affected and determined by cultural upbringing, social beliefs, personal philosophies or advocacies and of course, religious principles.  

In Singapore, the Asian country with the largest population in the world and host to the most number of religions, the food industry is in perpetual finding the dietary and culturally appropriate food for group events can either be a joyful or traumatic experience and nothing in between. On the one hand, Singapore boasts of one of the most active commercial centers in the world and there is therefore an array of dining establishment and catering services in Singapore that provide an extensive range of choices for the most health conscious individual and most religiously devout group. On the other hand, prices of special food arrangements can be quite costly. 

There are more than 200 dining establishments, restaurants, food joints, and bars on top of events venue and catering services around Singapore and it is easy to think that one can options in meals, prices and extent of services when arranging catering services for family, corporate or group affairs.  

A quick survey of Singaporean catering services would show that the most popular buffet packages for weddings, birthdays and corporate affairs are European supper, Mediterranean luncheon and American breakfast set. European lunch sets include crab nuggets, Italian baked chicken, golden prawns, fish fillet, sausage croissant, mixed vegetable, bread and butter pudding, salted egg puffs, chocolate eclairs and fruit punch.  Meanwhile, Mediterranean lunch buffet meals include Lamb tagine with currants, almonds and yoghurt, beef kofta with spicy tomato, feta and pine nuts, Portuguese roast chicken drumettes with mint yoghurt, caramelized onion, feta and semi-dried tomato tartlets, Couscous, tomato and mint salad, roast rosemary and garlic chats, Caesar salad with glazed lemon tart best served with berry compote as beverage. And finally, American breakfast buffet is a combination of assorted bread like croissant, white baguette served with served with butter and jam, hot entrée like scrambled eggs, chicken chipolata, turkey bacon slices, sautéed potato served with white onion, grilled tomatoes or herbs, salads like Caesar or fresh vegetable salad and orange juice or brewed coffee.  

But for those with more particular diet and religious considerations, Singaporean catering services are now providing more and more buffet packages to choose from. Those with dietary restrictions can chose from among healthy meal sets that include premium oat rice, mixed grain rice, evergreen vegetables, steamed fish, vegetable chopsuey, tofu, broccoli, whole grain noodles and mushroom.  

Sensitivity has become not just a modern-day buzzword but a contemporary state of mind as increasing number of social and political policies are being set up in in recognition of and respect for diversity. 

This is felt resolutely in Singapore which is considered the most religiously diverse nation in the world.  A small city-state populated by no more than 6 million people, Singapore is home to at least nine major religions including Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, Christianity and Islam. Given this historical diversity, religious tolerance is considerably high in the country. In fact, while discrimination against Muslim seem to be at its all-time high elsewhere in the world particularly the West, the trend seem to be running the other direction in Singapore. 

At present, 15% of Singaporeans are Muslims and there is marked increase of Islamic migrants and converts in the last five years. In fact, there are predictions that Singapore’s Islamic population will eventually outnumber its Christian population in the near future. Not surprisingly, the 75 existing Muslim mosques in the country is expected to double in the next decade. 

The low religious discrimination in the country is found not just in its political and social agenda but also in its commercial environment as more and more restaurants and food outfits have opted to offering halal viands. Some have even specialized in providing extensive halal food catering services. There are now a broad menu to choose from as various food catering services in Singapore offer full buffet catering packages that usually include 1 appetizer, 7-9 main dishes, 1 dessert and 1 beverage.  Asian halal comes with rice, noodles, vegetable, fish, poultry, finger food, pastry, dessert and beverage. Western or International halal on the other hand come is usually a combination of crab nuggets, Italian baked chicken, golden prawns, fish fillet, sausage croissant, mixed vegetable, bread and butter pudding, salted egg puffs, chocolate eclairs and aloha fruit punch. 

There are also more regionally specific halal sets like Vietnamese variants offered as bento boxes, like the Shanghai platter, a combination of spring rolls, fresh rice paper rolls with chicken, imperial rolls, BBQ beef in betel nut leaves & mango salad and the Hanoi platter, a mixture of rice paper rolls with prawn, BBQ chicken skewers, butterfly prawns, minced chicken on lemon grass and mango salad.  The Japan halal buffet normally includes sushi served with shuyu and wasabi, chicken katsu, tempura prawns, teriyaki, curry vegetables, and green tea.  Malaysian halal are meals packaged around the nasi lemak, Malaysian coconut-infused rice and comes with fried chick, sambal, fresh anchovies, peanut, fried egg and cucumber. More healthy options normally include choices from among premium oat rice, mixed grain rice, evergreen vegetables, steamed fish, vegetable chopsuey, tofu, broccoli, whole grain noodles and mushroom. 

Prices for Bento-style catering usually range from 9 to 20 USD while more special packages can cost up to 45 USD per person. Buffet-style catering for complete meals and courses costs around 600 to 800 USD,  All catering services however are inclusive of table, skirting and floral centerpiece set ups. Disposable utensils, plates, cups and cutlery are also included in the packages. 

For those with religious or cultural restrictions, specifically Muslims, there are now various halal catering service meal sets with special regional variety.  There are Vietnamese halal food sets composed of spring rolls, fresh rice paper rolls with chicken, BBQ beef in betel nut leaves and mango salad, rice paper rolls with prawn, BBQ chicken skewers, butterfly prawns, minced chicken on lemon grass and mango salad. The Thai halal is commonly made up of seasoned vegetable honey chicken, fish fillet, stir fry vegetable, chicken kung po, baby kalian with oyster sauce served with Thai noodles or common arranged with common white rice, special rice with minced chicken and basil leaf or the culturally distinct pineapple fried rice or tom yum seafood rice.  Finally, there is the Malaysian halal food buffet set of coconut-infused rice and comes with fried chick, sambal, fresh anchovies, peanut, fried egg and cucumber.