Kuih Kosui pictures (1 of 4)
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I would like to introduce you to a new intern/contributor, my fellow Penangite Ho Siew Loon. Siew Loon is introduced through a mutual friend and is passionate about preserving and sharing the beautiful Nyonya cuisine; she is also a fantastic Nyonya kuih maker and an experienced baker (she makes a mean layer cake!)—an area I am not particularly strong at. Please welcome Siew Loon to Nyonya Food and kindly leave her your warm comments! Thanks.
Thank you Rasa Malaysia for giving me the opportunity to be a guest writer on this wonderful blog.
Growing up in Penang where there is a strong Nyonya presence till today, nyonya kuih is a sweet delicacy that would always have a special place in my heart. It comes in different shapes, textures and colors. One of my favorite is the kuih kosui…(get kuih kosui recipe after the jump)
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Bunga Kantan (Ginger Flower/Torch Ginger Bud) pictures (1 of 4)
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Bunga Kantan is the soul of many Nyonya dishes—Assam Laksa, Nyonya fish stew and curry dishes such as perut ikan and gulai tumis. Bunga kantan is another Nyonya ingredient that I can’t find here in the United States.
Bunga kantan, or in English, ginger flower or torch ginger bud is the bud of red ginger plant. (There are a few types of ginger: yellow, blue, and red.) Pinkish in color, they look very pretty and smell great, and they are usually halved lengthwise and used in curries and stews. When cooked, bungan kantan imparts an impossibly floral fragrance and exotic aroma into the dishes. For Assam Laksa, the bud is sliced finely as part of the toppings that complements the sour fish broth and laksa noodles…
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Bubur Cha Cha pictures (1 of 4)
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Bubur Cha-Cha is probably one of the more well-known Nyonya desserts, so much so that they are commonly found in Hong Kong/Cantonese-style cafes. Even here in the United States, I can find it on the menu of some Asian cafes as Nanyang Bubur Cha-Cha or 南洋摩摩喳喳. Nanyang means “south of sea,” generally known as Southeast Asia in Chinese.
Each country in Southeast Asia has its own variation of this dessert—a medley of sweet potatoes (in yellow, orange, and purple color), yam (taro), black-eye peas, etc., cooked in a sweet coconut milk base. Bubur cha cha is a colorful and sweet dessert, and is generally prepared during festive seasons in Penang, and a must have on Chap Goh Meh (the 15th and last day of Chinese New Year). My aunt loves making Bubur Cha-Cha; she is immaculate when it comes to the balance of colors and its presentation. She would make a pink color tapioca jelly to complement the yellow, orange, and purple color in her bubur cha-cha. To me, the tapioca jelly—chewy and stretchy in its texture—is the best part of it all, I love it more than the sweet potatoes and yam…(get Bubur Cha Cha recipe after the jump)
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Masak-Masak Utensils pictures (1 of 7)
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When I was growing up, there was no computer, Nitendo DS, Wii, or Playstation. There wasn’t even color TV in my house. My childhood was all about playing good old traditional games that were tons of fun: ah chi lok (hide-and-seek), kah li toay (outdoor running game), chit liap buah/batu (a game about tossing and catching seven stones/small parcels filled with rice), skipping (with rubber band rope), and masak-masak.
I was the mischievous, naughty, loud, and devilish child who was always active and out-and-about playing all sorts of traditional childhood games in my neighborhood. My mother would chase me through the back alley of our house with her whipping cane while I was running breathless and frolicking in front of her. The enjoyment was more than Wii, DS, Playstation, and whatever toys combined. Fun was merely an understatement…
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