HOW A TRADITIONAL KUEHMAKER KEEPS BUILDING A LEGACY (IN CELEBRATION OF KUEH APPRECIATION DAY 2021)
In a world where attention spans and appetites are increasingly courted by short-lived trends and superficial glamour, it becomes more important than ever to remember and celebrate foodways which have already triumphed over the test of time. Over the past few years, Slow Food Singapore has strived to do that by organising Kueh Appreciation Day (KAD), giving local kueh businesses a platform to serve and educate customers about traditional kueh heritage.
Because of the global pandemic and local health and safety rulings, KAD was not held in 2020. We are sad to confirm that we will skip KAD in 2021 as well, for the same ongoing reasons. KAD has always been a place for different generations to come together, learn and enjoy kueh, and so we will wait until it is safe for us all to do so before planning future instalments.
We continue to celebrate our kueh-makers. Earlier this year (before the current stay-at-home advisories kicked in), Slow Food Singapore visited a family kueh business determined to share and strengthen the foundations of their Teochew heritage one plump, hand-shaped treat at a time. When we turned up at Ah Yee’s Soon Kueh well before the sun had risen, prep work had already been going on for a few hours, as it does six days a week. Madam Tay and her son Jeffrey explained their mission and approach to us, kindly allowing us to share their perspective with the wider world. We hope you enjoy this little glimpse of their lives.