We were speakers at the Monday Morning Lectures series at the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore. Invited by Friends of the Museum, we gave a live presentation on beef and its historical and cultural significance in Singapore on April 17, 2023.
Asian Civilization Museum artefacts featuring cattle
Water buffalo has an ancient history of being revered. This early Thai clay vessel is in the shape of a water buffalo. Vessels were found in burial contexts. Water buffalo came to symbolize strength and devotion.
The sacred ritual barrier is placed in the house to protect the aristocratic family from the dangers of death. The buffalo carvings are intricate and in the middle feature two buffalo. These are symbols of power, nobility, fertility, and abundance.
Early records of beef and cattle in Singapore
As early as 1831, cattle and beef were being imported into Singapore, making its way into iconic dishes like Beef Noodles and Beef Rendang. This import list shows barrels of American beef and tongue as well as horned cattle from Sydney.
Hock Lam Beef- one of the earliest beef noodle stalls
Along with imported goods, people brought their culture and food, such as beef noodles. The two main versions of beef noodles in Singapore are the Teochew and Hainanese versions.
The Teochew version has flat and broad noodles and served as soup, as opposed to the thick gravy of the Hainanese beef noodles. Traditionally, the beef extract Bovril was added to the stock. The bowl is made of noodles, slices of beef, beef tongue, and beef tripe. Chili sauce and salted vegetables come on the side.
One of the earliest beef noodle stalls was Hock Lam Beef, which was started in 1921 by Tan Chin Sia. The hawker stall’s name was derived from its location at Hock Lam Street.
Hock Lam Beef today
Edwin Tan, fourth generation of Hock Lam beef noodles, was only 18 when he started making beef noodles. The restaurant is currently located along North Canal Road. As we see, beef continues to be part of Singapore’s culinary history.
Historically, as Singapore became wealthier, more could afford buying meat. Higher income levels increased consumption of discretionary foods like beef.
Singapore is known for its love of food and wide variety of restaurants, from hawker centers to fine dining restaurants. Beef is often on the menu.
Singapore’s Current Meat Consumption
Singapore has relatively high per capita beef consumption among South-East Asian countries, despite it being a less frequently consumed protein in Singaporean daily diets compared to fish, chicken and pork. (Image and data from Meat & Livestock Australia 2021).
Where does Singapore import its beef today?
Singapore imports the most beef by far from Brazil at 60%, which supplies the frozen beef. The traditional suppliers of fresh beef are Australia and New Zealand at 22%, followed by Japan and the US. Note that Brazil is the world’s second largest producer of beef in sales, after the US (which is 30% more than Brazil).
According to this report by ADMCapitalFoundation, population growth and rising incomes across Asia will drive a 78% increase in meat and seafood consumption by 2050. The greatest demands are from China and its rising middle class, which is predicated to level off. The fastest growth is predicted to be in Pakistan, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Hindu India and Muslim communities in Malaysia and Indonesia practice low consumption of beef and pork, respectively.
Yet, this is an Unsustainable Appetite.
- Beef is the protein with one of the highest carbon footprint.
- Globally, meat consumption is the highest it’s ever been.
As part of its commitment to sustainable development, the Singapore government unveiled the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The Green Plan aims to reduce its carbon emissions and enhance its food security.
- If we eat less meat, food-related emissions would be reduced.
- Part of Singapore’s food security plan is its “30-by-30” goal.
- The “30 by 30” goal was announced in 2019 with the goal of meeting 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by 2030.
Three ways to do this are to diversify food imports, grow food overseas, and stockpile food items.
But, what are other ways to realize both of these goals? How can we still eat beef?
Singapore is investing in alternative proteins and made world news in 2020 when the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved the world’s first cultivated meat product.
California-based Eat Just began building the largest plant-protein factory in Singapore, March 2023. The Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Low Yen Ling, was the guest of honour and claimed to find the plant-based egg substitute “indistinguishable” from the eggs she eats every day.
Alternative Protein- Challenges and Solutions
While this innovation in cultivating protein is exciting, there are numerous challenges, notably:
- Taste
- Texture
- Appearance
- Consumer receptivity
- Environmental
- Cost
- Regulations
Also, the cultural significance of cattle and beef needs to be recognized. Will cowboys and the Wild West become a memory?
