Nyonya Baba - The Peranakan

The Nyonya Baba or Peranakan were mainly Chinese, predominantly Hokkians from the Fujian province of southern China, who settled in Malaya, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore a few centuries ago, integrating into South East Asian life and adopting aspects of the local culture.

This resulted in truly unique fusion of language, dress and lifestyle which exists to this day. The women were called nyonyas and the men were called babas; as recipes were handed down through womenfolk, this type of food is known as 'nyonya' cooking. It is a measure of how important food was to them when the kitchen is referred to as 'perut rumah' means the stomach house.

Many dishes were labor-intensive; it was all hands to the deck each and every day. Girls were in command in the kitchen under the watchful eyes of the elders almost as soon as they could walk, starting with simple chore, graduating to the actual preparation of various rempahs (chili paste) which can be make or break a dish before finally being allowed to do the cooking herself, under strict supervision of course. In olden days, prospective in-laws would closely inspect, amongst other things, a girl's culinary skills, for this was surely an indication of how well she had brought up.

Each region had its own specialties which incorporated locally-available ingredients. Much use is made of strong flavors like chilies, coconut, tamarind, local herbs and spices, and the aromatic balachan.

Popular Nyonya dishes

• Tao Yu Bak - There are several versions of this meat (chicken or pork) braised in soy sauce. Often tao kua (firm bean curd), Chinese mushrooms and hard-boiled eggs are added. Too kar shuin is a sweet and sour variation using black vinegar.

• Curry kapitan - A popular curry usually made with chicken, it's perfect for those who don't like their food too spicy.

• Perut ikan - Literally translated to 'fish stomach' because it is traditionally made with pickled fish innards, perut ikan is a true conglomeration of local vegetables and herbs. The pickles added a fishy taste which goes beautifully with the myriad flavors that the herbs impart.

• Otak otak - Like the perut ikan, the name might be slightly odd as it means 'brains' but now the main ingredients are either fish or prawns meat, which is steamed with a fairly stiff spicy rempah, coconut milk and egg mixture. The curried custard is delicious hot or cold.

• Jiu hu char - A delicay of shredded sengkuang (yam bean) fried with dried cuttlefish strips, this is a local salad eaten at festive times. A tablespoon of the mixture is wrapped in a lettuce leaf and topped with bit of sambal belachan.

• Nasi ulam - Cooked rice tossed in at least ten different local herbs and spices, given an extra savory twist with pounded dried shrimp.

More Nyonya Recipes