This survey reveals what Singaporeans think is the national dish and what they crave the most when abroad

Article first featured on TimeOut.

You know what they say: five Singaporeans, twenty opinions. We’re notorious for our neverending ability to give our two cents on just about anything under the sun. And when it comes to anything remotely food-related or topics like our national dish, things can get pretty serious.

In the spirit of National Day, research and analytics company Milieu Insight polled 1000 local respondents to hear their thoughts on what they think our national dish should be, and what local food they miss the most when they’re abroad.

Now, many online wars have been fought over whether chilli crab deserves to be crowned the national dish of Singapore, with some finding it too expensive and not an accurate representation of what locals eat daily. But Milieu’s survey reveals otherwise, with over one in three Singaporeans (34 percent) declaring it the dish that best represents the country. We’re not arguing – there are plenty of solid restaurants to find excellent chilli crab in Singapore after all.

Coming up second is the ever-popular Hainanese chicken rice. Ubiquitous, humble, and mouthwateringly delicious, this Singaporean staple didn’t go down without a fight, with 22 percent of respondents thinking it should be the national dish. Plus, it’s what Singaporeans crave the most after being overseas for an extended period.

Interestingly, rojak which is less raved-about than the two above, is the third-most voted for (18 percent) as our national dish. Perhaps it’s because rojak means “mixed” in Malay, making it the perfect dish to represent Singapore’s cultural diversity.

For Singaporeans who’ve been overseas for a while, laksa and bak kut teh come in second (11 percent) and third (10 percent) respectively as the foods they miss the most, behind Hainanese chicken rice (21 percent).