Nonya Heritage Kitchen

Nonya Heritage Kitchen (24 September 2016)


Nonya Heritage Kitchen is the second book by Dr Ong Jin Teong on local cuisine. While his first book, Penang Heritage Food, is a nostalgic retrospect to the food that Ong enjoyed as a child and young person in Penang, particularly street fare, this second volume places greater emphasis on food prepared in the home kitchen, especially of the Penang Baba Nyonya* household. As such, readers to this book is treated to various items, from the very simple Ice Balls or the Steamed Egg Minced Meat, to some of the obscure items, like Sesargon, which is actually sugared desiccated coconut.

Most of the items you would expect to come out of a Nyonya kitchen, you can find in this book. In addition to the food items described in great detail, Dr Ong also provides us a look at many of the utensils and tools that were once commonplace in the local Straits Chinese kitchen, but have now been replaced by more modern items. An avid collector, he has assembled quite an astounding number of the traditional tools, like the many mortars and pestles, grinders and nut cutters, for personal pleasure and as keepsakes for posterity.

Nonya Heritage Kitchen was launched at the State Chinese (Penang) Association on 24 September, 2016. Following the launch, Dr Ong provided a cooking class where he demonstrated the making of Ondeh Ondeh.

Launch of Nonya Heritage Kitchen at State Chinese (Penang) Association (24 September 2016)


Dr Ong demonstrating the making of Ondeh Ondeh right after the book launch. (24 September 2016)


Every food item is explained in great detail, such as. the Kuih Bengka Ubi Kayu, or as I call it, chiu3cu3 kuih4 (24 September 2016)


Dr Ong signing a copy of his book for my wife and me. (24 September 2016)

Details

Nonya Heritage Kitchen - Origins, Utensils and Recipes
Author: Ong Jin Teong
ISBN: 978-981-4189-68-2
Publisher: Landmark Books Pte Ltd.

* I retain the spelling Nyonya which I am more accustomed to, than Nonya as used in this book.

List of Book Reviews with Timothy Tye