Singaporean rapper and writer Andre Frois is a diehard wet market fan, keenly aware that this makes him something of an outlier among his peers."I love that feeling of connection with my community and generations of epicurean know-how. Above all, I love that I am contributing to small local businesses," the 41-year-old told CNA TODAY.Mr Frois' memories of the wet market run deep. As a toddler, he would tag along when his mum and aunts visited the market. His grandfather also worked as a fishmonger on Queen Street after migrating from Swatow, China to Singapore around 1920. To this day, Mr Frois still enjoys accompanying his mother to the wet market and listening to her impassioned chats with other marketgoers.
Another reason he is firmly "Team Wet Market", rather than a supermarket shopper, is how easily he can find ingredients such as buah keluak (a nut used in Peranakan cooking) and rempah (a spice paste) for traditional dishes.Mr Frois, who tries to visit the wet market at least once or twice a month, said: "Most Singaporeans don't venture beyond supermarkets these days and many prefer home grocery deliveries. "But when I need fresh herbs and spices, I need to go to the wet market, because supermarkets tend to carry them in powdered form." His ardent affection for wet markets stands in stark contrast to the preference for supermarkets among many Singaporeans, particularly younger ones, leaving stallholders worried about the future of their trade.Ms Aileen Toh, 53, who sells goods such as vegetables, bean sprouts and kueh at Teck Ghee Court Market in Ang Mo Kio, admitted that today's wet markets are a far cry from their heyday. She said wryly: "When I just started in November 2025, my neighbours around me who have been here for 10 or 20 years said, 'Aiyah, here is like that one, lah – very hard to do'."Ms Toh, who previously worked in sales and project management at food delivery firm Deliveroo, decided to take the plunge and start her own stall to share her passion for nutrition and local agriculture.She has her work cut out for her as she tries to bring some vibrancy to an ageing market. She remains optimistic in the meantime. Her focus on local produce has already earned her a small but growing base of regular customers.
