Peranakan Recipes

Peranakan cuisine, also known as Nyonya cooking, is the extraordinary fusion born from centuries of intermarriage between Chinese settlers and local Malays in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca, and Singapore. It is among the most labor-intensive cuisines in Southeast Asia, requiring hand-pounded rempah (spice pastes) that blend Chinese ingredients like pork and soy sauce with Malay aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, and belacan. Signature dishes include laksa lemak, ayam pongteh (fermented bean chicken), pie tee (crispy cups), and kuih lapis (layered cakes).