Step into any hawker centre in Singapore and you’ll see it right away: stacks of eggs sitting out in the open with no fridge, no ice in sight. Just eggs, piled high, waiting to be cracked into a wok or steamed into the perfect soft-boiled sidekick for kaya toast. That simple sight tells a bigger story: hawker culture, as we know it, leans heavily on the fact that in Singapore, eggs don’t need refrigeration.
Why Eggs Don’t Need Refrigeration In Singapore?
What if every hawker had to refrigerate their eggs? Think about it: tiny stalls squeezed into tight spaces would need to find room for bulky fridges. The cost wouldn’t stop at just buying the appliances; there’d be the ongoing electricity bills, which would eat straight into operating margins. And hawker centres in Singapore, with dozens of vendors packed side by side, would see their collective energy demand surge. Adding refrigeration across the board could mean expensive upgrades, higher utility costs, and a mountain of logistical headaches. This would not allow the hawker culture in Singapore to stand as it does today.
Egg Storage Practices That Keep Hawker Centres Affordable
So, how is it possible that these eggs can sit out in the Singapore heat without causing food safety issues? Nature already made plans for this. Most people don’t know that an egg has a protective layer designed around it naturally. This is the cuticle, which is a waxy layer also called the bloom. This film holds the moisture in and keeps the bacteria out. In Europe and much of Asia, including Singapore, this cuticle is left untouched. Farmers don’t wash their eggs before they’re sold, precisely because that would strip away this natural defence. The protective layers stay true to their name and protect the egg, and hence, they can be safely stored at room temperature.
In the United States, however, regulations require eggs to be washed thoroughly before they reach store shelves. While it is a food safety measure, one of its biggest side effects is that the cuticle gets scrubbed right off in the process. Without it, eggs become vulnerable to bacteria like Salmonella, and so they go straight into refrigeration to stay safe. In Singapore, the priority is keeping the cuticle on and focusing on farm hygiene and vaccination (yes, hens can be vaccinated against salmonella). That way, refrigeration isn’t necessary.
Keeping Hawker Culture Alive
What’s more, eggs in hawker dishes aren’t hanging around for days on end. They’re used quickly, cracked into a wok for char kway teow, stirred into rice porridge, or steamed to gooey perfection for your breakfast set. The quick turnover fits neatly with the room-temperature storage model. And here’s the thinker: both models, the U.S. wash-and-chill approach and the European/Asian cuticle-preserving one, work. Both achieve low rates of Salmonella, just through different methods. But in the world of hawkers, where margins are slim, space is tight, and tradition matters, the unrefrigerated system fits like a glove.
Also Read: This Summer, Skip Eggs For These 8 Wholesome Breakfast Dishes
So the next time you witness a hawker cracking open an egg, you will be able to see the bigger picture!
Cover Image Courtesy: CiaraSherry/Istock