Our Mamas' Recipes-Traditional Peranakan Dishes For Special Occasions

Cedric Tan
ISBN: 978-967-415-545-2
MPH Group Publishing
92 pag. paperback 19 x 23 cm 2020

The tapping of knives on chopping boards. The clatter of pots and pans. The murmur of staff as they gossip and banter, and the shouting of orders. Aromas swirl in the air as herbs and spices are pounded or ground, and meats and vegetables fry or stew in cookware over flames.

These memories and more from Baba-Nyonya households are fading away as kitchens become less chaotic and crowded, modernising with time. Hence, the Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor aims to preserve a slice of Chinese Peranakan culture in this book.

More than a recipe book, Our Mamas’ Recipes highlights aspects of Baba-Nyonya culture through the stories of the featured Nyonya matriarchs and the dishes they cooked for certain occasions. Through this book, the contributors hope to honour and emulate their female forebears who laboured to feed their families and safeguard the traditions of their community.