• The character “暹” (xiān) in this dish’s name refers to Siam, the former name of Thailand.
• The dish is said to have originated from Thailand because of its sour, spicy and sweet taste, which is characteristic of Thai food.
• There is another belief that it is a Malay or nyonya dish that originated from Penang, Malaysia, whose cuisine may have been influenced by the Thais.
• Mee siam is a very popular dish among Singaporeans. The most common version in Singapore consists of rice noodles stir-fried with chilli paste, topped with sliced boiled eggs, dried tofu and Chinese chives, with a sweet and sour tamarind (asam) soup poured over it.
• In addition, it is believed that there are differences between Chinese-style and Malay-style mee siam. The Chinese version consists of rice noodles stir-fried with chilli paste and topped with fresh prawns, sliced fish cake and strips of omelette. The Malay version is topped with sliced boiled eggs and Chinese chives, before soup is poured over it.

 

In support of Singapore’s UNESCO bid to recognise hawker culture, two female students from Temasek Polytechnic visited local hawker centres at the end of last year. They interviewed hawkers to understand the origins and evolution of Singapore-style breakfast dishes such as nasi lemak and mee siam. (Lianhe Zaobao, 13/1/2019)