104107    Savour the distinctive dishes of Nonya cuisine

104108    The cuisine comes from the Peranakans, the descendants of the original Chinese immigrants who had settled in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore, and inter-married with the local Malays.

104109    It’s also referred to as ”Nonya”, an old Malay word which was used as a term of respect and affection for women of prominent social standing.

104110    Peranakans believe that the distinct flavour of their recipes owes itself to the “rempah”, a combination of spices with a very specific texture and density that is pounded into a paste with a pestle and mortar.

104111    Small wonder that Peranakan recipes involve a time-consuming and lengthy preparation and are handed down from one generation to the next.

104112    Interestingly, a Nonya was supposed to be able to judge the cooking ability of her new daughter-in-law merely by listening as she prepared the rempah with a mortar.

104113    An imaginative and creative cuisine infused with delicate flavours, Peranakan or Nonya food employs chillies, belachan and coconut milk as vital ingredients in its cooking.

104114    It blends the ingredients and wok cooking techniques of the Chinese with the spices used by the Malay and Indonesian community to create tangy, aromatic and spicy dishes.

104115    You’ll be interested to learn that this unique cuisine displays subtle regional differences in its style of cooking.

104116    For instance, the dishes that originate from the Penang use tamarind and other sour ingredients more liberally, displaying a Thai influence, while those from Singapore and Malacca use more coconut milk, exhibiting a stronger Indonesian influence.

104117    Take for instance laksa, a spicy Nonya dish made with rice vermicelli and coconut milk and garnished with seafood or chicken.

104118    You’ll find the sour assam laksa in Penang while it is the coconut milk-based laksa lemak that is popular in Singapore.

104119    Dine at a Peranakan restaurant such as Baba Inn & Lounge or True Blue Cuisine and you’ll be able to sample signature dishes like the otak-otak, a blend of fish, coconut milk, chilli paste, galangal and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf; ayam buah keluak, a chicken dish cooked with nuts in a rich sauce; and itek tim, a classic soup made using duck, tomatoes, green peppers, salted vegetables and preserved sour plums simmered together.

104120    Nonya desserts include kueh or cakes enriched with the sweet flavour of coconut and sweet, sticky delicacies.

104121    Have a taste of authentic Peranakan food at Joo Chiat or Katong and take a look at the intricate beading and embroidered traditional costumes at Rumah Bebe.