The Hainanese chicken rice is a dish that is both well-known and well-liked by almost the whole of Asia. The tender meat and thin skin coupled with mouth-watering rice has made its name in many countries and places. From the busy streets of Singapore to the origin of the dish in Hainan, China, the dish has earned a reputation for itself.

Chicken rice originated in Hainan, an island located off the southern coast of China. It was made with the WengCheng chicken, a bony fowl with very little meat, and served with rice and oil and a green chilli dip. Hainanese chefs, unlike Singaporean ones, used chicken bones and pork as a base for their chicken rice. Thus, Chicken Rice was said to have been created by the Hainanese, who were influenced by the other locals in the area, like the Cantonese, into putting lime into the chilli sauce to ensure the tenderness of the chicken.

Although the Hainanese Chicken Rice is associated mostly with Singaporean or Malaysian cuisine, it can also be found in Thailand and other countries. The dish was first popularised in Singapore by Moh Lee Twee, who opened up a restaurant named Swee Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant which operated from 1947 to 1997.

In Singapore today, chicken rice is sold at many places. The Other popular and famous chicken rice stalls include Boon Tong Kee, Tian Tian, and Loy Kee, which have many branches island-wide. The dish is occasionally also served with other sides such as bean sprouts, hard-boiled eggs, chicken liver, kalian or firm tofu. It is considered the national dish of Singapore and it is served at expeditions and global events overseas. Chicken rice is also one of the few local dishes that is served on Singapore Airlines.

In Malaysia, chicken rice is available in Chinese coffee shops, roadside stalls and chain restaurants like The Chicken Rice Shop and Nam Heong. Most of the hawkers and vendors also offer the alternative roasted chicken rather than the original chicken, such as barbequed chicken and honey-roasted chicken.

In Ipoh, Malaysia, chicken rice is served with bean sprouts and can also be further accompanied by pork meatball soup. Furthermore, many of the hawkers also offer the equally popular chicken innards like gizzard, liver and various chicken intestines.

Another interesting fact about this delicacy is that the chicken rice in Malacca, Malaysia, is often served in rice balls neatly shaped into golf-ball-sized balls and placed alongside the chicken on the dish. It has been said that the rice was shaped in balls to keep it warm. The rice balls were put in wooden containers to keep it warm for a longer period of time. The last reason was so that the rice balls could be easier transported by the workers from the plantations back to their homes.

Chicken rice is a local dish which is also available in other countries, and it is still under debate whether this ever-popular dish of Southeast Asia should be considered Singaporean or Malaysian. Having many side dishes and a variety of ways to cook the dish, chicken rice is well-received by many and it is one of the local cuisines that is a ‘must try’ when visiting Singapore.

Article written by: [Chua Wei Hang], [National Junior College]