Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the

Peranakan The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...

s, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has bee ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

, inter-marrying with local Malays. In

Baba Malay In addition to its classical and literary form, Malay had various regional dialects established after the rise of the Srivijaya empire in Sumatra, Indonesia. Also, Malay spread through interethnic contact and trade across the Malay Archi ...

, a female Peranakan is known as a ''nonya'' (also spelled ''nyonya''), and a male Peranakan is known as a ''baba''. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Javanese,

South Indian South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

, and other influences.

Overview

Nyonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with various distinct spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay/Indonesian community. This gives rise to Peranakan interpretations of Malay/Indonesian food that is similarly tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. In other instances, the Peranakans have adopted Malay cuisine as part of their taste palate, such as assam fish and beef rendang. Key ingredients include

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

galangal Galangal () is a common name for several tropical rhizomatous spices. Differentiation The word ''galangal'', or its variant ''galanga'' or archaically ''galingale'', can refer in common usage to the aromatic rhizome of any of four plant spec ...

(a subtle, mustard-scented

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ...

similar to

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of ...

candlenut ''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah keras'', ''godou'', kukui nut tree, and ''rata k ...

s as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (''

Pandanus amaryllifolius ''Pandanus amaryllifolius'' is a tropical plant in the ''Pandanus'' (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan (; ). It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia and South Asia. Occurre ...

''),

belachan Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are eithe ...

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabacea ...

juice,

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

torch ginger ''Etlingera elatior'' (also known as torch ginger, ginger flower, red ginger lily, torch lily, wild ginger, ''combrang, bunga kantan'', Philippine wax flower, ගොඩ ඕලු (goda olu), ගොඩ නෙලුම් (goda nelum), සිද් ...

bud,

jicama ''Pachyrhizus erosus'', commonly known as jícama ( or ; Spanish ''jícama'' ; from Nahuatl ''xīcamatl'', ) Mexican turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jícam ...

, fragrant

kaffir lime ''Citrus hystrix'', called the kaffir lime or makrut lime, (, ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leav ...

leaf, and cincalok – a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and

shallot The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the ...

s and eaten with rice and other side dishes. There are regional variations in Nyonya cooking. Dishes from the island of Penang in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia possess Thai influences, such as more liberal use of tamarind and other sour ingredients. Dishes from Singapore and Malacca show a greater Indonesian influence, such as the use of coconut milk. A classic example is ''

laksa Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coco ...

'' (a spicy noodle soup), which comes in two variants: the sour '' asam laksa'' from Penang and the coconut milk-based '' laksa lemak'' from Singapore and the southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia. The flavor of ''laksa'' and other Nonya recipes is determined by the ''rempah'', which in Malay means

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

s. The various combinations are pounded into a paste with a

mortar and pestle Mortar and pestle is a set of two simple tools used from the Stone Age to the present day to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder in the kitchen, laboratory, and pharmacy. The ''mortar'' ( ...

, with a very specific texture and density. It is said that a Nyonya can determine the culinary skill of a new daughter-in-law simply by listening to her preparing rempah with a mortar. Nonya recipes are handed down from one generation to the next, and because of the time-consuming preparation of these dishes, it is a cuisine that is often at its best when served at home.

Laksa Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coco ...

is a notable exception to this rule. Examples of Nonya specialities include ''

otak-otak ''Otak-otak'' (lit. brains in Malay and Indonesian) is a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. ''Otak-otak'' is traditionally served steamed or grilled, encased within the leaf parcel it ...

'', a popular blend of

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

, coconut milk, chilli paste,

, and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf; ''ayam buah keluak'', a distinctive dish combining chicken pieces with nuts from the Pangium edule or ''kepayang'' tree to produce a rich sauce; and ''itek tim'', a classic soup containing duck, tomatoes, green peppers, salted vegetables, and preserved sour plums simmered gently together. Nonya desserts include colourful cakes ('' kue'') and sweet, sticky delicacies.

List of Nyonya dishes

* Achar, various pickled meats and vegetables like achar keat-lah (honey lime/calamansi), achar hu (fried fish), achar kiam hu (salt fish), achar timun (

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Apam balik or terang bulan, a bread like puff with sugar, corn, and coarse nut in the middle. * Asam laksa, soup noodle dish consists of a bowl of translucent ''al dente'' white rice noodles served in a spicy soup made of fish (usually

mackerel Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. ...

(both ''asam jawa'' and ''asam gelugor''), and '' daun kesum''. Toppings differ considerably, and may include onion, mint, chopped

flower, and slices of pineapple and cucumber. A dollop of pungent, viscous sweet fermented shrimp paste (''petis udang'' or ''hae ko'') is usually served on the side. This dish is considered one of

's three signature dishes. *

Ayam buah keluak Ayam buah keluak is a traditional Peranakan dish consisting of chicken (''ayam''), tamarind gravy and '' buah keluak'' nuts. It is normally served with rice. It is also one of the favorite dishes of Singapore's founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Y ...

, a chicken or pork rib stew cooked with the nuts from the ''kepayang'' tree (''

Pangium edule ''Pangium'' is a genus containing the sole species ''Pangium edule'', a tall tree native to the mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). It produces a large poisonous fruit (the "football fruit" or pangi) which can ...

''), a

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

tree that is native to Indonesia, but grown widely in both Indonesia and Malaysia. For this recipe, the contents of the buah keluak is dug out and sauteed with aromatics and seasonings, before it is stuffed back into the nuts and braised with the chicken or pork rib pieces. *Ayam/babi pongteh, a stew of chicken or pork cooked with tauchu or salted fermented soy beans, and gula melaka. It is usually saltish-sweet and can be substituted as a soup dish in Peranakan cuisine. Pork is more commonly used as this is a Peranakan version of the Chinese braised pork belly. * Babi assam, a

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

stew cooked with

juice. This dish is also popular within the Kristang community. * Bak chang, Nyonya-style

zongzi ''Zongzi'' (; ), ''rouzong'' () or simply ''zong'' (Cantonese Jyutping: ''zung2'') is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves (generally of the species ''Indocalamus t ...

made in a similar manner as a typical southern Chinese zongzi. However, the filling is typically minced pork with candied winter melon, ground roasted peanuts, and a spice mix. The blue butterfly pea flower is used to colour the rice with a shade of blue. Originally, Bak chang would be wrapped in dried bamboo leaves, however, the peranakans in Bangka and Belitung islands in Indonesia have been known to use pandan leaves instead, making their bak chang, known locally as nyuk cung, easily recognised. While some other peranakan group in Kalimantan may also use banana leaves. * Bubur cha cha, a Betawi-origin dish made of pearled sago, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, coconut milk, pandan leaves, sugar and salt. Grated coconut, coconut cream and water can be used as additional ingredients. The ingredients are cooked in coconut milk, and the dish can be served hot or cold. * Cap cai or chap chye, stir-fried vegetables with

Chinese Indonesian Chinese Indonesians ( id, Orang Tionghoa Indonesia) and colloquially Chindo or just Tionghoa are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries. Chinese people and their Indonesian descendants have ...

origin. The

Nonya The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...

version of this

classic incorporates tauchu and dried shrimp. * Chendol, an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup, arguably came from Banjar region in the island of

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

. * Cincalok, a distinctly Malay condiment made of fermented tiny shrimp (udang geragau), salt and rice. It is also a favoured cooking ingredient used by the Kristang Eurasian community of Malacca. There are varieties of cincalok can be found along both sides of Malacca strait down to the southern part of Sumatra. * Cincaru, a small fish, deep fried and stuffed with sambal belacan or any other spice. * Enchi kebin, deep-fried chicken pieces marinated in a paste of coconut milk and ''rempah'' (spices). * Itek tim or kiam chhai ak thng, a soup of

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

, preserved mustard greens and

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...

flavoured with

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...

, Chinese mushrooms, tomatoes and peppercorns. *Jiu hu char, a dish made up mainly of shredded vegetables like turnip or

, carrot, and cabbage and fried together with thinly shredded dried

cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

. *Kari kapitan, a

Nonya take on the ubiquitous chicken curry. Kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk are among the key ingredients for this mild curry. * Kerabu bi hun, a salad dish consisting of

rice vermicelli Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rath ...

mixed with

sambal Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an ...

, calamansi lime juice, and finely chopped herbs and spices. Other famous salad dishes are kerabu bok ni (

cloud ear fungus ''Auricularia cornea'' (毛木耳, maomuer or cloud ear) is a species of fungus in the order Auriculariales. It is commercially cultivated for food in China. The species was previously referred to ''Auricularia polytricha'', but the latter speci ...

/tikus telinga), kerabu ke (chicken), kerabu ke-kha (chicken feet), kerabu timun (cucumber), kerabu kobis (cabbage), kerabu kacang botol (four angled bean), kerabu bak pue (pork skin). * Kiam chhai bue, a mixture of leftovers from Kiam Chhai Ak Thng, Jiu Hu Char, Tu Tɵ́ Thng and various other dishes. "Bue" literally means "end". * Laksa lemak, a type of ''laksa'' served in a rich coconut gravy, served with prawns, cockles, lime and a dollop of

belacan. * Lam mee, long yellow noodles cooked in a rich gravy made from a stock of prawns and chicken. It is always served at birthdays to wish the birthday boy or girl a long life, and thus it is also known as birthday noodles. *

Lontong cap go meh Lontong cap go meh ( jv, ꦭꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦛꦺꦴꦁꦕꦥ꧀ꦒꦺꦴꦩꦺꦃ, lonthong cap go mèh) is a Chinese Indonesian take on traditional Indonesian dishes, more precisely Javanese cuisine. It is ''lontong'' rice cake served with richl ...

, a Peranakan Chinese Indonesian take on the traditional Indonesian dish. *

Lumpia ''Lumpia'' are various types of spring rolls commonly found in the Philippines and Indonesia. Lumpia are made of thin paper-like or crepe-like pastry skin called "lumpia wrapper" enveloping savory or sweet fillings. It is often served as an ap ...

, a fresh spring roll made of thin paper-like or crepe-like pastry skin of Indonesian-style origin. * Masak titik, a style of vegetable soup that makes liberal use of white peppercorns. One version uses

watermelon Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varie ...

rind as the main ingredient. Another makes use of green or semi ripe

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

. * Mee siam, dish of fried thin

with spicy gravy. * Nasi kunyit, a glutinous rice dish seasoned with

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

powder, coconut milk and asam gelugor. It is usually served with a chicken curry, ang ku kue, and pink-dyed hard-boiled eggs as gifts in celebration of a child of friends and family turning one month old. * Ngo hiang, a fried meat roll made from spiced minced pork and chopped water chestnuts rolled up in soya bean curd sheets, and deep fried. It is usually served with small bowl of ''lor'' (a thick broth thickened with corn starch and beaten eggs) and chili sauce. *

Otak-otak ''Otak-otak'' (lit. brains in Malay and Indonesian) is a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. ''Otak-otak'' is traditionally served steamed or grilled, encased within the leaf parcel it ...

, is a dish involving fish pieces wrapped in

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", disting ...

leaves. Two very different variations exist: one consists of a mixture of fish pieces and spice paste wrapped in banana leaves and char grilled. *

Pempek ''Pempek'', ''mpek-mpek'' or ''empek-empek'' is a savoury Indonesian fishcake delicacy, made of fish and tapioca, from Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia. Pempek is served with rich sweet and sour sauce called ''kuah cuka'' or ''kuah cuko'' ...

, is a dish involving deep fried fish balls. There are many varieties of fish balls, kapal selam has an egg inside the fish ball. In Bangka and Belitung islands, the pem-pek is eaten with three different variety of sambals and lime instead. Pempek Palembang is very popular in Indonesia, the fish balls are eaten with a spicy dark sauce made of palm sugar and vinegar known as cuko, topped with fresh cucumber and noodles. * Perut ikan, a spicy stew (similar to asam pedas in flavour profile) comprising mainly vegetables/herbs and getting its distinctive taste mainly from fish bellies preserved in brine and daun kaduk (the Wild Pepper leaf is from the Piper stylosum or the Piper sarmentosum). A classic

Nonya dish. * Pai ti, is a thin and crispy pastry

tart A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes wit ...

shell filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (which is a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten. The term "prawn"Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature' ...

s. *

Rendang Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...

, a spicy meat

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables a ...

originating from the

Minangkabau cuisine Padang food or Minang food is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as ''Masakan Padang'' (Padang cuisine, in English ...

in West Sumatra and adopted by Peranakans throughout archipelago as part of their taste palate. * Seh bak, a dish of pork loin, marinated overnight with herbs and spices, cooked over a slow fire and simmered to tenderness. *

Swikee ''Swikee'' or ''Swike'' is a Chinese Indonesian frog leg dish. The dish can be served as soup, deep fried or stir fried frog legs. Originally a Chinese dish, this dish is popular in Indonesia. The name "Swikee" is from Hokkian dialect (, ) '' ...

is a Peranakan frog leg soup dish, popularly associated with the town of Jatiwangi and Purwodadi in Java,

. * Tu tɵ́ thng, literally pig stomach soup, this dish requires a skilled cook to prepare and deodorise the ingredients using salt before cooking. Its main ingredients are pig stomach and white peppercorns. * Udang masak lemak nenas, sour and sweet shrimp dish with various

Gallery

File:Fish head curry peranakan z.JPG, Kari kepala ikan File:Penanglaksa.jpg,

File:Lontong Cap Go Meh 2.JPG,

File:Shrimp.paste-Sambal.Belacan-01.jpg, Sambal belacan File:Akaka Cendol Melaka.jpg,

Cendol Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietn ...

References

{{Lists of prepared foods Indonesian cuisine-related lists

Overview

List of Nyonya dishes

Gallery

See also

References