PERANAKAN CUISINE

Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine is extremely popular acrosee Asia. Their boasting rich food traditions and unique, mouthwatering flavours that offer travellers a taste of the region’s celebrated history. Peranakan and Nyonya food comes from the Peranakans which is a unique blend od Chinese, Malay and other Southeast
Asian cultures. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Javanese, South Indian, and other influences. They were blending Chinese ingredients and cooking techniques with the spices and native ingredients used by indigenous Malays. Some of the signature ingredients used in Peranakan cooking including coconut milk, laksa leaves, turmeric, lemongrass, chillies, basil, coriander, Gula Melaka and tamarind pulp. This is why Peranakan cuisine is known for being highly flavourful and they simultaneously taste sweet, sour, rich and spicy.

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Traditional Nyonya cooking was difficult to master because standard measurements were seldom used in the kitchen. Everything was done through the agak- agak (estimation) method, where a pinch of this or a toss of that, a handful of this and a thumbful of that were the only cooking measurements at hand. Peranakan cuisine is not fast food, instead requiring a high level of patience and preparation in advance. In order for the food to properly absorb the essential spices, they must be marinated for many hours before they can be added into the cooking process. In order to prepare a good and authentic Peranakan cooking, lots of efforts are needed to be put into. Out of so many cuisine out there, here are some of the Baba-Nyonya dishes you have to try.

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