The official export ban of fresh chicken from Malaysia to Singapore has officially begun. The news broke just about a week ago and triggered a nationwide panic attack. Some dramatic reactions to the ban – people mourning the dethronement of chicken rice as a national dish, and sharing a list of all the chicken rice dishes that Singaporeans love… that we can’t enjoy anymore – yup, this piece of news has devastated the nation.
It isn’t the first time that Singapore has experienced commodity shortages. A quick flashback: toilet paper shortages at the start of the pandemic, then masks and PPE kits at the height of the pandemic, and most recently, the potato shortage largely due to the war in Ukraine. Now, it’s fresh chicken.
Sure, some of the panic is justified
Chicken is central to so many of our favourite dishes: the iconic chicken rice, nasi lemak, curry chicken…the list goes on. And we love our affordable hawker culture, so when the price of these dishes go up so much as a cent – it hurts. It doesn’t help that predicted food shortages and an impending recession only spells more price hikes and more strapped wallets in the future. Cue the doom and gloom.
Then there’s the whole debate of fresh versus frozen. Singaporeans are a fussy – okay, discerning – bunch. Many insist that fresh chicken has far superior taste and texture when compared to its frozen counterpart. So when a third of the nation’s fresh bird supply is held in a chokehold, it comes as no surprise that many are less than happy.
But let’s not overreact
So it’s not a case of ‘much ado about nothing’, but it appears we are fine for now. Food security remains a long-term project for us, but the Singapore government has assured that we will still have enough to eat. Even as we build our funeral pyres to fresh chicken rice, the nation is steering its supply lines to tap more on Brazil and USA.
And can we even tell fresh versus frozen chicken apart? Despite many standing their ground on fresh chicken preference, you’d be surprised how much frozen chicken was consumed before the ban with nary an outcry. 48 percent of chicken imports were from Brazil while 18 percent came from the United States and others in 2021 – all of these frozen. If you’re one to dine out often, chances are that you were sinking your teeth into frozen chicken anyway.
And if it really bothers you – take it from local poultry giant Kee Song Food Corporation that the shortcomings of frozen chicken can be overcome. Just fix the way you thaw your chicken, taking a gradual approach to allow proper moisture reabsorption into the meat of the chicken. Interested? Read more here.
At the very least, poultry isn’t extinct, yet
As long as chicken’s around, we’ll get to enjoy it again in all it’s fresh glory. And speaking as a chicken lover, it doesn’t hurt to take a pragmatic stance and collectively lower our expectations of the chicken we eat until the situation improves.
The ones we really feel sorry for are the fresh chicken sellers and hawkers who are going to take a hit to their livelihoods. So please, continue to show love for those who remain open – even if it costs you a dollar or two more than usual.
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