Shelling   out

Chilli crab is one dish in a sea of many. Around the world, other iconic dishes face perils. All are fighting for survival amidst the tumultuous waters of the global food landscape.

 

Classic British fish & chips could be wiped off the tables, with Atlantic cod stocks collapsing — a victim of overfishing and rising ocean temperatures. 

 

Japanese eels populations that form the core of unagi kabayaki, Japan’s famous sweet barbecued eel, are at 10 percent of what they used to be three decades ago. 

 

Tropical yellowfin, or ahi tuna, is integral to traditional Hawaiian poké, but they tether at the edge of endangerment. 

 

No one blinks an eye. Until recently. 

 

Fears of food scarcity bubble to the surface in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As the borders close, people swamp supermarkets to stockpile supplies. Here — fearing that food imports from Malaysia might cease — some even flock to the farms in Lim Chu Kang to get their hands on local produce. 

 

Chilli crab, in itself, isn’t equivalent to a bowl of rice, or a carton of eggs. The dish is not “essential” to our everyday survival. However, its position sheds light on the wider threats our island faces. 

 

We’re picking apart the issues that are fished out — food security, manpower, cultural erosion.

 

We see Singapore, through the lens of a chilli crab. 

 

For these endangered dishes to live on, we have to go all in — whether it’s using technology to stymie a declining crab supply, or evolving the dish while preserving its essence.

 

Troubled waters come and go. By fighting against the tide, we evolve and adapt within our shores.