The news cycle is fast-paced, unforgiving, and often expeditious. Stories break, are reported, peak, and eventually die down. But what happens when the storytellers themselves choose to resist? This is the case of "The Slow Press," an independent Singaporean zine that’s found a niche in unhurried and thorough reporting.
With a focus on Singaporean culture and cuisine, The Slow Press banks on the universal language of food – specifically, people’s love for it. Christy Chua, Founder and Editorial Director of The Slow Press, had felt that serious yet accessible food journalism was lacking in the Singapore context and so decided to found the zine. Through long-form journalism, The Slow Press explores ties between human relationships and the food people eat.
Since its inception in 2021, the brand has expanded to include merch, community events, and a podcast. They now offer people a chance to purchase stickers, pouches, and shirts and even organize meet-ups and potlucks with like-minded folks. People can also tune in to their podcast entitled “Guacamole,” though of course, the publication remains at center stage.
Aside from issues of The Slow Press, the publication has also partnered with other creatives to produce one-off zines that focus on topics such as Singapore's love for poultry (in "Talk Cock Sing Song") and autobiographies (as in "How to Cook Prickly Pear").
Though, at the moment, the team consists of professionals who are also committed to various day jobs; as such, they only manage to produce a couple or so volumes a year. It’s the very definition of quality versus quantity.
“I personally feel that working at our own pace has allowed us to produce an output that we're happy with,” shared Christy. “Our stories are timeless as long as we're putting a new perspective out there and impacting an audience in a certain way.”
This year, The Slow Press steps into its fourth anniversary with an upcoming release in February 2025. The magazine has covered a handful of landmark topics in the past four years; but in fact, Christy shares that their most recent release – Volume 6 – has been her favorite so far.
“The abstract theme [of “Best Before”] had allowed us to explore a vast range of topics in Singapore's society — from familial relationships at home to migrant workers' meals, seed saving, traditions of tea and sake, and more,” she shared. “I laughed, cried, and felt a lot editing and reading this collection of stories.”
As can be expected, the zine veers away from trends and focuses more on stories that have shaped the city-state into what it is today. “It's amazing how food can be the segway into discussing larger topics at hand, like history, cultural identity, politics, and society, and we are here to talk about all of these as well,” Christy said.
For her part, Christy would love to explore the world of kueh-making in the coming issues. A bite-sized snack that’s been translated in different ways by different cultures, kueh comes in a range of colors, flavors, and shapes. Yet, they seem to be a dying art in a city that’s become so urbanized.
“I feel a pang of sadness every time I visit my favorite kueh stall and think to myself, ‘Who will be rolling out the dough in another five or ten years?’” Christy shared.
And though Singapore is known for its fantastic food, Christy acknowledges that locals tend to gravitate towards other factors when choosing their meals. There is the aesthetic appeal of food, as well as the monetary aspect of it to consider.
“But there are younger Singaporeans like us who are interested in farming their food, cooking their meals, and learning more about their grandparents' recipes,” Christy said. “I'm sure that if we'd wanted to, we would find ways to continue our traditions.”
Fortunately, with the help of creative outlets such as The Slow Press, young Singaporeans are doing exactly that – preserving their traditions. They’re even sharing it with other cultures! The Slow Press has activations all around Asia, in art fairs and bookstores across Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, and more.
“As a visitor to a foreign land, I'd find myself excited to try the local dishes and learn about their cultural traditions, the same way someone from abroad may feel when they chance upon a copy of The Slow Press,” Christy pointed out.
Ultimately, The Slow Press serves up more than just your usual news cycle stories. They document meaningful heritage ideas that they themselves – as locals – have experienced or observed.
“Even if a certain business we've featured is no longer operating, we feel that our work has captured a frozen moment in time,” she said.
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