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 lovers to communicate covertly, hence its more poetic name, love letters.
Using a mixture of South-east Asian ingredients such as ground rice, eggs, coconut milk and sugar, kuih kapit was made by hand in the old days. Rice had to first be grounded using the cheo bo, before the batter is poured onto one side of a heated mould attached to a pair of clippers to be pressed together for excess batter to be removed. Traditionally, the mould would be placed over a charcoal fire for the kuih kapit to cook. The Hokkien word “chay” is used to describe the texture of the wafer: crispy but not too brittle.
An experienced Nyonya or Baba can handle up to eight pairs of moulds, with the help of a skilled assistant who would have to work very quickly to either roll or fold the kuih kapit before it hardens. The kuih kapit in Melaka and Singapore are commonly rolled, while the ones in Penang are typically folded. In certain parts of Indonesia, kuih kapit is also known as kue semprong because of its resemblance to a bamboo.
However, in recent years, it has become more convenient to make smaller quantities of kuih kapit using one or two kuih kapit moulds with gas fires on low heat, since the fire can then be easily controlled.
