Singapore's hawker fare goes global, thanks to 'The Simpsons'

News flash for Simpsons' fans: there's no such thing as hang he kway chap.

In the long-running cartoon's most recent episode (see YouTube video here) entitled "The Food Wife," Singapore's street food culture gets spoofed in Marge Simpson's dreams, as reported by Yahoo Singapore.

True to the cartoon's irreverent style, fictional food critic Tony Bourdain -- a thinly disguised caricature of Anthony Bourdain -- is pictured in a Singapore street food market asking Marge to "try this hang he kway chap" -- a skewered barbecued stingray stuffed with pig organs.

For the record there is no such dish, but barbecued stingray and kway chap (a Teochew dish of flat rice noodles in dark soy sauce) can be found at most Singapore hawker centers.

The vegetarian-hating Bourdain is a big Simpsons fan, and a vocal fan of Singapore's hawker food.

Over the years he's filmed episodes of his series "No Reservations" in Singapore, and has voiced his love for hawker food culture, singling out the long-running Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant (659-661 Geylang Lorong 35, +65 6744 9755) as a favorite.

In the scene, Marge together with Lisa and Bart are known as the famous food-blogging family "The Three Mouthketeers." Handed what looks like a stuffed stingray, Marge says appreciatively, "Oooh, triple spicy barbecued stingray stuffed with pig organs."

Before she can take a bite, Homer bounces past and gobbles down the delicacy, dashing her foodie dreams. The sequence ends with everyone from Mario Batali (orange Crocs included), Colonel Sanders, Gordon Ramsay and Julia Child bouncing past and shaking her out of her sleep.

Poor Marge, and all the foodies out there convinced that hang he kway chap is a real dish: D'oh!

But perhaps now some enterprising hawker will come up with his/her version of hang he kway chap.