The T’ng Tok Panjang in Ancestral Worship
9 min read
WHEN T’NG TOK is mentioned in Penang, it is in reference to the sumptuous feasts[1] prepared to celebrate…
There are Rolls and There are Rolls, in Nyonya Cooking
5 min read
HAINANESE SPRING ROLLS or choon piah may be related to Popiah, but they are not the same thing. This uniquely…
Recovering the Forgotten Art of Making Lem Peng
5 min read
LEMPENG, LEN PEN or leng peng? However you may identify it, this traditional Penang Chinese New Year delicacy is now virtually extinct. “Lem Peng” was describe...
Getting The Next Generation Excited About Cooking
6 min read
I HAVE A tugging fear that our culinary heritage might be slipping away. Food tastes are strongly influenced by a mother’s and grandmother’s cooking, and over t...
Penang Nyonya Recipes: Preserving Our Important Heritage
4 min read
DURING MY TALK at Penang Institute on Penang Nyonya Cuisine — Past, Present & Future, I elaborated on our intangible cultural heritage’s characteristics a...
Kuih Kapit – Love Letters to be Consumed Crisp and Fresh
5 min read
The melt-in-your-mouth kuih kapit is a huge favourite, and not just during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Legend has it that kuih kapit was once used by lov...
Some Finer Points about Nonya Delicacies
8 min read
**Although the Penang public is familiar with the spelling of "Nyonya", for the purpose of standardisation and to reflect the author's intent, "Nonya" is spelle...
The Hainanese Influence in Penang’s Cuisine
8 min read
When I began writing the chapter on Hainanese influences for my first book, Penang Heritage Food, which was published in 2010, I wondered why the Hainanese...
Such Succinct Differences between Kiam Chai Boey, Khong Assam and Kwa Chai Thng
7 min read
A TALK BY Pat Lim Chooi Ewe at the Penang Peranakan Festival in December 2021 about her family's version of kiam chai boey and khong assam expedited the complet...
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Which Came First, the Chneh Hu or Pasembur?
8 min read
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES from the post-war generation would remember the famous chneh hu stall at Padang Brown. Unfortunately, the stall is no longer there. There...
Nyonya Dishes: Old, New or “Con”-Fusion?
7 min read
FINE DINING RESTAURANTS and heritage hotels are the main exponents of new fusion Nyonya food in Penang. In this article, I shall give my personal comments on so...