Malacca: Edible Masterpieces of Nyonya

Hundreds of years ago, traders from China headed towards the Straits of Malacca, settled down, and married local women. Their mixed-race female descendants are collectively known as Nyonya. The dexterous Nyonya combined Chinese cooking techniques with the local ingredients to cook colorful and tasty dishes. The dishes of Nyonya Cuisine are masterpieces that have captured the hearts of diners and embody the cultural exchanges along the Maritime Silk Road. Today, in the city of Malacca, you can still taste the delicacies that have been passed down from Nyonya ladies in the past.

(Source: quanjing.com)

Rice noodles play a pivotal role in the cuisines of many Southeast Asian countries, and Malaysia is no exception. Along the streets of Malacca, at noon and in the evening, you can always find many food stalls selling laksa, a kind of specialty made by Nyonya. The even rice noodles are served with fried eggs and seafood, soaked in aromatic soup carefully cooked with coconut milk, sambal chili paste and tamarinds. The spicy and sour taste makes the laksa unforgettable for every diner.

(Source: quanjing.com)

Speaking of the representative dish of Nyonya Cuisine, people usually think of Ayam buah keluak (keluak chicken stew). The tedious preparation process of this dish involves several steps, namely mixing the pulp of keluak fruits native to Malaysia with a variety of spices, filling the black fruit shells with the mixture, and stewing it with the chicken. The aroma of the chicken smothered with keluak pulp is indescribable. In Malacca, this dish is usually served with rice.

(Source: quanjing.com)

When it comes to Nyonya kuih (literally means "Nyonya's dessert"), both the Nyonya ladies of the past and today's chefs are adept at catching the attention of diners through color combinations, best exemplified by Pulut tekan made of glutinous rice soaked in orchid water. If you prefer a more down-to-earth look, Kuih bingka made from tapioca starch is also a good choice.