'Peranakan' key spice in S'pore gastronomic history<\/p>\n
Tony Ryanto, Contributor, Singapore<\/p>\n
If you visit Singapore, the words peranakan, baba and
\nnyonya are scattered about. Most likely you will pay no attention
\nto them as, to some extent, no matter how vague they are, you
\nalready have an idea of what they mean.<\/p>\n
The three words, however, have special importance in promoting
\nthe island republic's tourism and national harmony.<\/p>\n
On Orchard Road there is a popular eating place, a peranakan.
\nThis shop, located near the Outram Park MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
\nstation, offers a fairly large variety of rice dumplings (in
\nIndonesia known as bacang, from bah-chang -- bah meaning pork).
\nAmong them are nyonya rice dumplings.<\/p>\n
You may think the nyonya variety is similar to the one in
\nJakarta. It is not because all dumplings in Singapore are made of
\nsticky rice, while here you can have a choice between rice and
\nglutinous rice dumpling. Also there are no halal (allowed to be
\neaten by Muslims) bacang in Singapore, because they are all pork
\ndumplings.<\/p>\n
The word baba is also familiar in Indonesia. Generally, it
\nstands for a Chinese man. We know Ali Baba, which in this context
\nis definitely not the famous Arabian fable 1001 Nights, but a
\nderogatory term for an Indonesian business enterprise run by an
\nindigenous person (Ali) but backed by a Chinese (baba) financier.<\/p>\n
Our aim is to explore the meaning of these particular words as
\nthey are used in Singapore. In Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia,
\nperanakan means keturunan anak negeri dengan orang asing -- the
\noffspring of a married couple comprising an indigenous and a non-
\nindigenous resident.<\/p>\n
In Singapore, peranakan always means Chinese peranakan made up
\nof Babas (men) and Nyonyas (women). In the early 19th century, a
\nlot of Chinese traders settling in the straits (Penang, Malacca,
\nSingapore) and parts of Thailand and Indonesia married indigenous
\nwomen, leading to the birth of peranakan who are also known as
\nStraits Chinese.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, compared with their fellow non-baba
\ncountrymen, peranakan are more closer integrated with the
\ncitizens of the country in which they reside. Many of them could
\nnot speak Chinese. Instead they communicated in Malay or
\nIndonesian.<\/p>\n
Over the years, peranakan have acquired slightly different
\nphysical looks in that they have wider eyes and slightly darker
\nskin. It goes without saying that ultimately peranakan have
\ndeveloped their own culture, cuisine, dress and architecture.<\/p>\n
A major tourist attraction in Singapore is the nyonya cuisine,
\nmuch of which are making use of local ingredients such as
\nbelachan or terasi (condiments made from pounded and fermented
\nshrimp or small fish), coconut milk, turmeric, candle-nuts, lemon
\ngrass, chili and ginger.<\/p>\n
Among peranakan delicacies are: nasi lemak (rice cooked in
\ncoconut milk served with peanuts, fried fish, shredded omelette),
\nrendang (beef cooked with coconut milk and chili), udang kuah
\npedas nanas (hot shrimp soup with sliced pineapple), laksa lemak
\n(coconut curry noodle soup with chili sauce), popiah (spring
\nroll) and fiery chili crab.<\/p>\n
The nyonya dress that has gained international recognition is
\nthe sarong and kebaya (woman's blouse the front of which is
\npinned together). Often called kebaya encim (the latter standing
\nfor Chinese woman), it is generally intricately embroidered,
\ncoupled with lace work and is made of expensive transparent Swiss
\nvoile.<\/p>\n
Expensive brooches known as kerosang go with the kebaya. The
\ncombination is not complete without the woman putting on a hair
\npiece known as konde, chignon or bun.<\/p>\n
There was a time when the outfit reigned supreme in Indonesia,
\nnotably during the Dutch colonial period and for several decades
\nafter independence in August 1945.<\/p>\n
Baba architecture makes use of a combination of Chinese, Dutch
\nand British styles. Traditional terraced houses remain largely
\nChinese in their forms and arrangements, often coupled with multi
\ncourtyards.<\/p>\n
Plaques, scroll paintings, embroideries, carved door frames
\nand partitions are typically Chinese. But, in contrast, there are
\nclassical pillars, beams, cornices, dadoes, shutters and doors
\nvery much influenced with colonial architecture.<\/p>\n
Visitors can have a look at peranakan culture in the Asia
\nCivilization Museum, the youngest among three National Heritage
\nMuseums, at 39 Armenian Street, a 10 minute walk from City Hall
\nor the Dhoby Gaut MRT station.<\/p>\n
An outstanding feature are the elaborate peranakan wedding
\npractices. An intricate wedding bed -- with well-crafted poles as
\nwell as carefully embroidered bed covers and pillow cases -- is
\non display.<\/p>\n
A bride is adorned in an elaborate dress, decked in fine
\njewelry. The headgear is made of gold or silver, the earrings are
\nhuge, the kebaya is completely embroidered and the shoes are made
\nof brocade.<\/p>\n
No wonder, it takes at least six months to prepare a typical
\nperanakan wedding.<\/p>\n
Peranakan have retained a great deal of Chinese ceremonies and
\ntraditional practices of ancestor worship but they have added
\ndistinctive local touches, taking into consideration local
\ncustoms, habits and practices.<\/p>\n
The end product is a unique blend of Chinese, Malay and
\nEuropean legacy at the peranakan gallery.<\/p>\n
In 1984, then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had this to say: "In
\nthe generation that is under 40 years, the differences between
\nthe Chinese-educated and the English-educated have been blended
\nand blurred by interaction in integrated schools, the ones that
\nfirst started to teach Chinese-stream and English-stream students
\nin the same compounds.<\/p>\n
"Then there were many integrated families where some children
\nwent to the English-stream and others went to Chinese-stream
\nschools. So the cultural differences have almost disappeared."<\/p>\n
The most important move aimed at a single Chinese identity
\namong Chinese Singaporeans was the Government's equation of
\nMandarin with the Chinese language. In 1981, a new educational
\npolicy for ethnic Chinese pupils came into force, which makes
\nlearning Mandarin, as their "mother tongue", compulsory.<\/p>",
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