Street food “has always been one of the few areas that Malaysians can confidently say they do better than their richer, cleaner and more efficient neighbor,” said Foong Li Mei, a co-author of “The Food That Makes Us,” a collection of Malaysian recipes and stories about the country’s culture.

“This could be why Singapore’s petition for Unesco recognition of its hawker culture offends some Malaysians — it sounds as if Singapore is saying that their hawker food is the original, and best,” she added.

The criticism has prompted some in Singapore to double down.

“Perhaps this discussion can be carried out properly after a hawker stall in Malaysia achieves a Michelin star (*cough* we already have two of ’em *cough*) — then we’ll be on equal footing,” the news site Coconuts Singapore said in an unsigned commentary.