Do wet markets still have a place in Singapore today?

It’s 2025, and I’m back at the wet market for the first time in my 20s. As soon as I join the throngs of aunties and uncles, I’m brought back to my teenage years, when my mother and I would rise with the sun for our Saturday morning ritual: drag our grocery trolley to the neighbourhood wet market, have prata or carrot cake for breakfast, shop for fresh blocks of tofu on metal trays, and stand in line at our favourite poultry stall.

I loved going to wet markets, but as life moved through different stages, I found myself with more responsibilities and less time to wake up early just for a grocery run. Slowly, I grew out of going to wet markets—until I became an adult who worked closely with food every day. My job as a food writer opened my eyes to a glaring reality: wet markets in Singapore are dwindling, and their place in our society is becoming more tenuous year after year.