Location : Summarecon Serpong, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia.
Hainanese chicken rice never seems to go away when talking about Malaysian and Singaporean dishes. Almost in every region of the country there is Hainanese chicken rice, like fried rice in Indonesia.
Malaysia and Singapore have long claimed Hainanese chicken rice as an unofficial national dish. In fact, Hainanese chicken rice is not necessarily from these two countries.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, Hainanese chicken rice is made by Chinese immigrants in Southeast Asia. Especially in Malaysia and Singapore until this dish is rampant in those two countries.
Like no matter the origin of Hainanese chicken rice, Malaysia and Singapore compete to claim the dish. At least the competition has occurred since the two countries separated in 1965.
Meanwhile, last December, a Singapore food center called Hawker was granted Intangible Cultural Heritage status by Unesco. They boast eight Michelin-starred restaurants serving Hainanese chicken rice.
If you pay attention, Hainanese chicken rice itself is actually a simple dish. Boiled chicken served with crushed ginger condiments, soy sauce and chili sauce.
This dish is actually an adaptation of Wenchang chicken rice originating from Wenchang city, Hainan Island. Therefore this dish evolved and was given the name Hainanese chicken rice, after the name of the island.
Singaporean history buff, Brian Wong describes the Wenchang chicken rice dish using lean chicken. He has conducted research on Hainanese cuisine and its influence on Singaporean cuisine in the past two years.
"Wenchang chicken in Hainan refers to the type of chicken, or the way it is raised," he said.
According to him, Wenchang chicken is naturally sweet and has a thin skin. Hainan residents believe that the chicken is best cooked by boiling and seasoning with a simple sauce.
The Wenchang chicken was tender and chewy at the same time. The texture and taste of chicken meat is very different from the chicken in Singapore and Malaysia to be cooked into Hainanese chicken rice.
“Some of the shops I visited in Hainan didn't serve it with chilies, but little yellow capsicum, and the sauce was simple oil with (orange) calamansi, garlic and ginger. The focus was really on the chicken," he said.
He continued, "As for the rice, it's just plain rice, or chicken stock added. It's not like the yellowish oily rice served in Singapore or Malaysia."
Citing a Malaysian cookbook written by chef Norman Musa, the menu was brought by the Hainanese who migrated to Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then the Hainanese chicken rice dish emerged and survives to this day.
“During the period of the 1880s and 1940s, most of the Chinese Immigrants moved to British Malaya to work in the tin mines. The economy was very good, they saw it as a land of opportunity," said Musa.
Wong stated, determining which country has the right to claim Hainanese chicken rice is difficult. Because Malaysia and Singapore were once the same country and introduced their food together.
Meanwhile, according to Musa, people should think that Singapore was previously part of Malaysia. That way Hainanese chicken rice will be considered a regional specialty.
Looking back, chicken rice stalls first appeared in Singapore in 1940. It was Wong Yiguan who was recorded as the first person to start a chicken rice stall in Singapore.
Nasi Campur Ko Aan is one of the restaurants that provides Hainan Mix Rice in the Tangerang area. I like their dimsum instead of nasi campur itself. Hainan mix...
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