Food and Economy

In Singapore you can get fresh food everywhere. Rice, chicken, fish, and vegetables are the staple food. When these ingredients are mixed with a rich variety of chilies, spices, lime, coconuts, and tamarind, the variations are unending. Very often food is eaten outside the home in food centers where food is tasty, cheap, and also freshly made. Many coffeehouses, cafés, tea houses, and formal restaurants are there. Forks and spoons are mainly used to eat food. But it is better to eat Chinese food with chopsticks. Indian and Malay food can be eaten with the hand. The three main meals can be mentioned as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Foods are preferred to eat while it is hot. In Singapore Indians do not eat beef, Malays do not eat pork, and many Buddhist Chinese are part-time vegetarians. It is also seen that many people do not drink alcohol.

There are some customs maintained at ceremonial occasions. Generally special dishes are eaten during the major ceremonial occasions of all three ethnic groups. But none of them are connected to national celebrations. Basic economy of Singapore can be discussed as it has a fully developed industrial international economy. The country greatly depends on imports. There are few natural resources on the island. A consistent surplus in the overall balance of payments can be seen. There is a large degree of state control of the economy.

In Singapore, there is a large degree of private ownership of houses and flats i.e. apartments. Land tenure is firmly synchronized by the government. Government plans are also there for the use of every inch of the island’s territory. Foreigners are usually not allowed to lease land, but they can buy apartments according to their wish.