So who does your cooking at home? These days, the answer for many Singaporean households is… the maid or foreign domestic helper. Singapore has some 180,000 such workers according to a report in The Straits Times in 2008. 

 

 
These maids often come from Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and even Myanmar. Plenty are from poorer regions or villages wanting to find better income to support their families back home. 
 
The sudden jump from Third World to First World living standards is undoubtedly difficult.
 
In terms of cooking, they not only have to learn entirely new cuisines, but cook well enough to cater to their employers’ taste buds. 
 
“Back in my village, we eat very simply. It’s mostly vegetarian food. We have chicken maybe once a month,” says Riyati from Java, Indonesia. “So I could not believe it at first when I saw that people were eating meat every day here.”

 

 
Back home in Indonesia, they basically rely on sambal to make rice go a long way. Tofu and tofu products like tempe for protein, and deep-fried food are also used for something more filling. 
 
Sujirah, an Indonesian Muslim, says she had to learn how to cook Chinese food which included pork. She did not mind handling pork, but would avoid eating it.
 
But it is not only Chinese food they have to contend with. In Singapore, we enjoy a vast multitude of ethnic dishes, from Asian to Western. Then there are names of ingredients in different languages to familiarise themselves with – Chinese, Malay, Indian and English predominantly, like jintan manis (fennel seeds) or ba jiao (star anise).
 
One Filipina maid I spoke to practically wailed at the bewildering assortment of condiments used in Singapore. “This is the most difficult part. There are so many kinds of sauces, spices, and seasoning. Even sesame oil – there are Japanese and Chinese sesame oils!” she says. 
 
Another Filipina maid said her employer tried to teach her, but it was confusing when there were different ways of cooking the same dish. “Sometimes I am told to use this ingredient, and sometimes not.”
 
But help is on the way. Some households are sending their maids to cooking classes. The community centres are popular places as they offer affordable classes near residential areas. Chef Eric Low holds cooking classes at community centres and sees an average of 10 to 20 percent of maids in his classes. “Most employers understand that their maids are not professional chefs and won’t expect five star culinary standards from them,” he observed. “As long as the maids are able to prepare tasty recipes within reasonable costs and to keep the daily menus different from one another, they are happy with what is delivered.” So has he had any special episodes with his students? “Not exactly,” he replied, “except that some maids left for a shopping spree after taking attendance.”
 

 
Ex-banker and restaurateur Rosaline Soon, who holds Peranakan cooking classes at her home, runs tailored five-day courses for domestic helpers. In addition to recipes, she covers basics like meal planning, picking fresh seafood, identifying vegetables, seasoning and spices.
 
Soon has taught her own maids for 40 years, so she understands best and how to bridge the cultural divide. Her recipes are kept simple but satisfying, and she demonstrates step-by-step how to prepare them. 
 
She comments: “Some people may not understand or empathise with the difficulties maids face in cooking for Singaporeans. We are used to our own cuisines, and don’t find anything too complicated. But imagine ourselves being transplanted to a Parisian or New York three-star Michelin restaurant kitchen (without any training), and being expected to cook gourmet food in an instant. For new maids in Singapore, that is probably the relative equivalent of their experience here.”
 

 
But even with the steep learning curve, many of the maids learn to cook fairly proficiently after a few years. “My family back home likes the new dishes I have learned,” says one of Soon’s students, Riyati. “Maybe I can open a small eatery when I finally return for good!” she jokes.