The main outposts of Nyonya food and Peranakan culture are in Malacca, Penang and Singapore. The DNA of most Peranakan cuisine (or Nyonya food) are believed to be from Peranakans who descended from the Chinese community which settled in Malacca in the 1400s.
(There are also Peranakan communities in Indonesia and southern Thailand.)
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| Replica of Sultan Mansur Shah's palace in Malacca. Image credit: Wikipedia |
(However, no Chinese record of such an event exists today. Which doesn't conclusively rule out anything as much Ming records were destroyed. The Qing dynasty defeated the Ming only after ferocious wars and decapitating the last Ming emperor. So, they are not expected to preserve their predecessors' memories with much diligence or sentimentality. Lack of corresponding records in China, led to suggestions that Hang Li Po might be the daughter of a concubine, sea captain or a handmaiden.)
Ming princess or commoner, Sultan Mansur Shah settled his bride and her retinue of 500 courtiers ("youths of noble birth" according to the Malay Annals) on Bukit Cina.
Bukit Cina is a Chinese cemetery today with the oldest grave here dated 1622 (thus giving us a clue on the age of this community).
It is likely that The 500 were joined by later arrivals from China as relations between the Malacca Sultanate and Ming Dynasty was longstanding and excellent.
Ming and Malacca relations were put on a strong footing since Admiral Cheng Ho's voyages sponsored by the Ming emperors. The Admiral's fleet stopped over at Malacca for 5 times out of his 7 voyages from 1405 to 1433.
Many Chinese settlers married indigenous Malaccans, and adopted local customs like language, dress and food. However, most did not convert to Islam.
Descendants of the Chinese settlers in Malacca were given the name "Peranakan" which means "local born" in Malay. The ladies are known as Nyonya and gentlemen as Baba. However, it is not known if any of today's Nyonyas and Babas are able to trace their family genealogy to The 500.
After the fall of the Malacca Sultanate, the Peranakans lived under Portuguese (1511 - 1641) and Dutch rule (1641 - 1824).
In 1824, the Dutch and British cut a deal to crave up the region between themselves. The British got control of the Malay peninsula and the Dutch control of the Indonesian archipelago.
The Dutch gave up Malacca to the British in exchange for Bencoolen in southwest Sumatra (today's Bengkulu).
With Malacca now under them, the British established the Straits Settlements which included Malacca, Singapore and Penang.
With the creation of the Straits Settlements in 1826, some Peranakans moved to Penang and Singapore, hence there are three main Peranakan outposts today.
Sometimes, the term Straits Chinese is used interchangeably with the word Peranakan. But, it is a broader term and can mean Chinese persons born in the Straits Settlements (not necessarily Malacca or descended from The 500).
The 500 in Malacca are not the only Chinese that settled in Nanyang.
Other Chinese migrated to Indonesia in the 1500s, married locals and adopted local customs forming pockets of Indonesian Peranakan communities.
Chinese who migrated to Phuket in Thailand in the 1800s, married locals and/or adopted local customs are known as Phuket Baba and referred as Peranakans as well.
What is Peranakan or Nyonya food?
From my own experience (I am not a Peranakan), it's a no holds barred yet sensitive blending of Chinese and Malay techniques and recipes with local ingredients and spices resulting in dishes that are neither Chinese nor Malay but distinctly Nyonya. Though mainly a southern Chinese and Malay fusion, Peranakan culture is inclusive, so we will also find traces of Portuguese, Dutch and English influences in Nyonya food.
In Nyonya cuisine, there are more flavours and aromas in the each dish and they are bolder when compared with southern Chinese (Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese) cuisine.
Each Peranakan family have heirloom recipes passed down the generations. The matriarchs and Nyonyas are very proud of their recipes and skills which they show off during special celebrations like weddings by hosting a tok panjang. Known as "thng tok" in Hokkien, it literally means "long table".
It is a Peranakan style banquet where at least 18 dishes, from appetisers to mains to desserts (colourful Nyonya kueh) are painstakingly prepared and served on a long table by the host family. The setting may be grand and the spread incredibly sumptuous but it is more a family gathering than any formal affair.
In the past, Peranakan dishes were only served at home, their recipes jealously guarded like family jewels. Non-Peranakans can taste Nyonya food only if they were lucky enough to be invited to a Peranakan home. After the Second World War, economic hardship led to Nyonya dishes being sold commercially and became more accessible to the general public. They caught on quickly and were instant hits due their exquisite flavours, aromas, texture, etc.
I try to explain Nyonya cuisine by describing a few dishes here, as examples. The best way is to eat it yourself, of course 😋
The first dish that come to my mind is Ayam Buah Keluak. Originally by Indonesian Peranakans, this dish is now iconic across all Peranakan communities.
The cooking process is rather tedious and complicated, but not atypical of Peranakan cuisine.
Black colour meat dug out from buah keluak nuts (of pangium edule or kepayang tree) are mashed and combined with pounded chicken (also pork or prawn). The mash is seasoned with sesame oil and light soy sauce, and stuffed back into the nut cavity.
The rempah (spice paste) is made by stir frying pounded candlenut, turmeric, chilli, galangal (ginger root), lemongrass, belacan (fermented prawn paste) etc in oil till their aromas are released.
The stuffed nuts and chunks of chicken (often drumsticks) are stewed with a sauce of rempah, mashed buah keluak meat, tamarind juice and chicken stock.
I love this dish even though it is not pretty and an acquired taste. The rempah, pounded chicken meat and buah keluak meat mashed together makes a butt kicking robustly savoury blend with underlying bitterness. The taste of ayam buah keluak sauce is like a different kind of truffle.
The robust savoury sauce and buah keluak flavours somewhat overpower the subtle sweetness of the chunks of chicken. But, when eaten together with plain white rice, the whole combination tastes wonderful.
The Nyonya coconut milk based laksa lemak of Singapore is best represented by Katong laksa. Aromatic spices suspended in creamy coconut milk smothering short stubby, thick rice noodles, peeled prawns and blanched blood cockles. Eaten with a clump of fragrant Vietnamese coriander (daum kasum) and a dollop of sambal chili for more spicy kick.
The wildly popular Nyonya laksa is perhaps the most recognisable Nyonya dish to non-Peranakans in Singapore.
Though blood cockles are commonly used in commercially sold Nyonya laksa, the original version do not have any blood cockles, only prawns.
Whereas Singapore's Nyonya laksa is literally a bowl of spiced coconut milk with noodles, Penang laksa uses no coconut at all. The broth is fish stock thicken somewhat with chopped boiled fish (usually sardines or mackerel), and rempah spices like asam gelugur, chili, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, shallot, belacan, pineapple puree, laksa leaves, tamarind, torch ginger flower, lime and more good stuff.
Eaten with thick rice noodles swimming in the flavourful and aromatic broth topped with raw onion, pineapple, peppermint, chopped torch ginger flower, julienned cucumber, cut chili pepper etc.
The mildly savoury sweet slightly zesty broth undergirded by tanginess from asam gelugur and tamarind is balanced by umami savoury sweetness from fermented prawn sauce. You can imagine the flavours rioting dancing on your tastebuds.
Otak otak originally from Malacca Peranakans is mashed fish (usually mackerel) blended with rempah spices and coconut milk wrapped in a sleeve of coconut or nipah palm leaf cooked by grilling over charcoal fire. Wonderful taste of fresh fish, overlaid with flavour and aroma of mild spices and coconut milk. The toasty smokey taste and smell of slightly charred palm leaf infuse the soft tongue of spiced mashed fish adding another layer of flavour. Highly addictive little snack.
Sold throughout Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia in various forms, otak otak is probably the Nyonya dish with the widest commercial footprint and success.
There are many more Nyonya dishes I want to show you. I am updating this post, adding to this list from time to time.
Where do you get your Nyonya food fix?
Reference:
Researchgate
Date: 1 Jun 2020
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| Bukit Cina in 2016. Image credit: Wikipedia |
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| Bukit Cina between 1860 & 1900. Image credit: Wikipedia |
It is likely that The 500 were joined by later arrivals from China as relations between the Malacca Sultanate and Ming Dynasty was longstanding and excellent.
 |
| Image credit: Wikipedia |
Many Chinese settlers married indigenous Malaccans, and adopted local customs like language, dress and food. However, most did not convert to Islam.
Descendants of the Chinese settlers in Malacca were given the name "Peranakan" which means "local born" in Malay. The ladies are known as Nyonya and gentlemen as Baba. However, it is not known if any of today's Nyonyas and Babas are able to trace their family genealogy to The 500.
 |
| Image credit: Wikipedia |
In 1824, the Dutch and British cut a deal to crave up the region between themselves. The British got control of the Malay peninsula and the Dutch control of the Indonesian archipelago.
The Dutch gave up Malacca to the British in exchange for Bencoolen in southwest Sumatra (today's Bengkulu).
 |
| Image credit: Wikipedia |
With the creation of the Straits Settlements in 1826, some Peranakans moved to Penang and Singapore, hence there are three main Peranakan outposts today.
Sometimes, the term Straits Chinese is used interchangeably with the word Peranakan. But, it is a broader term and can mean Chinese persons born in the Straits Settlements (not necessarily Malacca or descended from The 500).
 |
| Nyonyas in Pulau Singkep island in Indonesia. Image credit: Wikipedia |
 |
| Phuket Baba Museum. Image credit: Photo by CEPhoto, Uwe Aramas |
What is Peranakan or Nyonya food?
From my own experience (I am not a Peranakan), it's a no holds barred yet sensitive blending of Chinese and Malay techniques and recipes with local ingredients and spices resulting in dishes that are neither Chinese nor Malay but distinctly Nyonya. Though mainly a southern Chinese and Malay fusion, Peranakan culture is inclusive, so we will also find traces of Portuguese, Dutch and English influences in Nyonya food.
In Nyonya cuisine, there are more flavours and aromas in the each dish and they are bolder when compared with southern Chinese (Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese) cuisine.
Each Peranakan family have heirloom recipes passed down the generations. The matriarchs and Nyonyas are very proud of their recipes and skills which they show off during special celebrations like weddings by hosting a tok panjang. Known as "thng tok" in Hokkien, it literally means "long table".
It is a Peranakan style banquet where at least 18 dishes, from appetisers to mains to desserts (colourful Nyonya kueh) are painstakingly prepared and served on a long table by the host family. The setting may be grand and the spread incredibly sumptuous but it is more a family gathering than any formal affair.
In the past, Peranakan dishes were only served at home, their recipes jealously guarded like family jewels. Non-Peranakans can taste Nyonya food only if they were lucky enough to be invited to a Peranakan home. After the Second World War, economic hardship led to Nyonya dishes being sold commercially and became more accessible to the general public. They caught on quickly and were instant hits due their exquisite flavours, aromas, texture, etc.
I try to explain Nyonya cuisine by describing a few dishes here, as examples. The best way is to eat it yourself, of course 😋
 |
| Nyonya Cafe (June's Kitchen), Johor Bahru |
The cooking process is rather tedious and complicated, but not atypical of Peranakan cuisine.
Black colour meat dug out from buah keluak nuts (of pangium edule or kepayang tree) are mashed and combined with pounded chicken (also pork or prawn). The mash is seasoned with sesame oil and light soy sauce, and stuffed back into the nut cavity.
The rempah (spice paste) is made by stir frying pounded candlenut, turmeric, chilli, galangal (ginger root), lemongrass, belacan (fermented prawn paste) etc in oil till their aromas are released.
The stuffed nuts and chunks of chicken (often drumsticks) are stewed with a sauce of rempah, mashed buah keluak meat, tamarind juice and chicken stock.
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| MaMa Nyonya in Johor Bahru, Malaysia |
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| Charlie's Peranakan in Singapore |
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| History of Singapore Katong laksa |
The wildly popular Nyonya laksa is perhaps the most recognisable Nyonya dish to non-Peranakans in Singapore.
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| Penang Laksa in Johor Bahru |
Eaten with thick rice noodles swimming in the flavourful and aromatic broth topped with raw onion, pineapple, peppermint, chopped torch ginger flower, julienned cucumber, cut chili pepper etc.
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| Kim Laksa in Balik Pulau, Penang |
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| Shiduoli Otak Otak in Johor Bahru, Malaysia |
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| Muar otak otak |
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| Otak otak in Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia |
There are many more Nyonya dishes I want to show you. I am updating this post, adding to this list from time to time.
Reference:
Researchgate
Date: 1 Jun 2020
Nice piece Bro. Just an observation and a point of interest you may wish to research.
ReplyDeletePeranakan Laksa does not include the use of Blood Cockles (aka See Hum). Prawns are used. To this day I recall my maternal grandmother admonishing me for wanting to add cockles to her Laksa. Are you a “Sin Kek” (literally 新客 or new guest)? It was a derogatory term for new arrivals from China. So chances are in any Peranakan Restaurant or Stalls selling Laksa, you’re unlikely to find Cockles in your bowl. 😬
The point of interest to research is the little known fact of the Chitty (Indian Peranakans) and their cuisine. A lot of similarities to mainstream Peranakan dishes, but also others that are quite unique to their Tamil Heritage. Hope this helps to pique your interest. 😋
Thank you Milton for your insight. I've added a footnote about blood cockles in laksa.
DeleteYes, Indian Peranakan is only my list of food heritage to explore. I am looking forward to taste it and learn about its history.