Nyonya cuisine, a traditional fusion food

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta

The key to authentic Nyonya dishes, said Malaysian chef Amy Koh, is firsthand experience in knowing how to use liberal amounts of ingredients.

Like all Nyonya cooks, she learned from the best teachers of all.

"I learned from my mother who learned from my grandmother. I feel that without experience you won't get the desired results, because Nyonya cuisine does not know any exact measurements. We use agak-agak (adding each of the ingredients to taste, depending on experience and taste) to season the dishes. But the ingredients are used in generous amounts.

"You just cannot be stingy with the ingredients," Koh said.

Nyonya cuisine -- the blending of Malay and Chinese culinary influences which developed in the coastal port cities of Malaysia and Singapore -- is said to be fading in prevalence as people give in to grabbing a fast food meal on the run instead of cooking at home.

It may be true, but the food received unusually high exposure in recent weeks in Jakarta, with two food promotions at the JW Marriott and InterContinental MidPlaza hotels earlier this month, plus the opening of a new restaurant in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, reviewed below.

The valued family tradition, the use of generations-old family recipes and the unique old way of cooking the elaborate meals are among reasons why Nyonya dishes are still served in Straits Chinese homes and at mostly family-run restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore.

Koh believes that Nyonya cuisine is something that should be learned from the heart, and that all-important experience of seeing the experts in action.

"Having done it before is helpful because it's not only about the cooking ingredients but also the fire, how to stir fry the spices, when to put the ingredients in and how to season the dish," she said.

The cuisine, also known as Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan cuisine, offers dishes with unique flavors and aromas derived from the use of a wide range of aromatic Malay herbs and rempah-rempah (spices) with Chinese ingredients, like tofu and soya.

Most dishes are based on mixing the spices, such as chilies, shallots, lemon grass, candlenuts, turmeric and shrimp paste, into a paste. Most cooks still prefer to use the mortar and pestle to get the right consistency and flavor of the pounded spices.

"The dishes are usually based on intricate recipes and (involve) hours in the cooking process but (they) usually will be finished in around 10 minutes," said Datin Amy Hamidon, president of the Malaysian Embassy Ladies' Association in Jakarta during a press gathering in conjunction with the promotion at the InterContinental MidPlaza.

The history of Baba Nyonya cuisine and culture can be traced back to the 15th century when Chinese traders entered the port of Malacca to sell silk and porcelain they brought from their country to traders from India and Arab countries.

They in turn came seeking the famed spices of the region.

"No doubt, most of these spices were grown in Indonesia but Melaka (Malacca) was an important port and was the center of the spice trade," explained Datin, who is the wife of the Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia.

While waiting for a good wind to speed their way back to their homeland, the Chinese stayed in Malacca for several months, which led to marriages with local Malays, the women known as Nyonya and the men as Babas.

The amalgamation of the two cultures is perceptible in every aspect of life, from the architectures, clothing and the cuisine in the Malaysian port cities. "We are very Malay but we have Chinese ancestors," Datin said.

Although some aspects of the culture are disappearing as people marry outside, in Singapore, Malaysia and in some parts of Indonesia the elaborate dishes are still served in households by the wife, usually with help of other female members of the family.

For the food promotion, Koh prepared around 30 authentic Nyonya dishes, including popular ones such as ayam buah keluak (chicken seasoned with keluak, a type of fruit), otak-otak (grilled fish cakes wrapped in banana leaves) and sambal udang (chili shrimps).

Koh used her family recipes and to ensure authentic flavors she brought some of the ingredients, like belachan (a pungent shrimp paste), keluak, tamarind, chilies and kin cham (a Chinese vegetables) from Malaysia to Jakarta.

"Even though the ingredients are available in Jakarta, they are not the same, like the tamarind. Here you have a black colored tamarind, while in Melaka we have a nice yellow colored tamarind. The belachan also tastes different," she explained.

The cuisine is known for its slow cooking process and some of the dishes, even though they are popular and well liked, are reserved for special occasions due to the time constraints of cooking them in the home.

"People prefer to buy otak-otak because it requires a lot of work," Datin explained.