Char kway teow, chicken rice and other local fare are making headlines following news that Singapore will nominate its hawker culture to Unesco's list of intangible cultural heritage.

One could argue endlessly as to which is the best version of bak chor mee or take issue with critics in neighbouring countries who claim their street food is superior. And there is certainly merit in questioning Singaporeans' reluctance to pay more for hawker food if we want to keep this national treasure going.