Chinese Cuisine

Why Chinese Cuisine existed in Malaysia decades ago?

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It is all started in the 15th century when the Ming emperor Zhengtong sent the legendary Princess Hang Li Po to Sultan Mansor Syah of the Malacca Sultanate as a wife together with 500 attendants who build their homes near a cluster of three hills which referred as Bukit Cina ( Chinese Hill(s)) today. It’s also the largest and oldest Chinese cemetery beyond China and have gravestones with date mid-15 century. This place is the first major presence of Chinese settlements in South East Asia. However, the interesting part is this settlement continues to thrive after Malacca was captured by Portuguese in the year 1511.

Over the years, numerous of merchants from Fujian and Guangdong build up shops in the port city and after some time, it could be seen that many of the Malay women married with these Chinese merchants and become native in their style of dressing and food.

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New Chinese immigrants migrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the primary Malaysia Chinese culture was called the Baba Peranakan (Chinese Creole) found in Penang and Malacca. The Baba’s also fitted in some Portuguese and Dutch dishes mixing it up with Chinese and local ingredients leading to a really rich Nyonya cuisine.

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To be specific, Malaysia Chinese Food nowadays is famous for its curries ad salads by using the tropical and Chinese recipes. Over time, the new arrivals who ties with China and brought new food and recipes in to the kitchen. Today, we can find Malaysia Chinese Food in some of the Malaysia and Singapore restaurants, haute cuisine in 5-star hotel or street food venues.

 

Source: Malaysia Chinese Food