The Baba and Nyonya Culture

Baba and Nyonya is an ethnic culture that has been existing for many years. The baba nyonyas are well known for their rich culture. This is because they are a combination of two ethnic cultures, the Chinese and the Malay.

The men are normally addressed as Baba and the women are addressed as Nyonya. However elderly women are called Bibik. Baba Nyonyas also have their own language when they communicate. Their language is actually a mixture of Malay language and Hokkien language.

The clothes worn by the man is normally the baju cina while the women would be wearing kebaya. The kebaya is an exquisite outfit. This is because it is very detailed and majority of the kebayas are handmade. The embroidery on the dress is also unique as it is one of a kind.

Babas and Nyonyas also like to put on beautiful accessories like the kerosang which means the broach on their baju cina and kebaya. Besides that they have other accessories like the bracelet and earings.

The kasut manik is also apart of the nyonya outfit. The slipper is made out of beads called manik which is also handmade. These shoes are custom made with various designs.

Another famous touch of the baba nyonya culture is their antique porcelain wares. These antiques can fetch a lot of money as it is all hand painted and unique. The porcelain antiques comes in many various colours. The design of the porcelain is also influenced by the Chinese.

The picture above shows a pot called “kam cheng”. This pot has many purposes. One of it is for storing food.

Events and Activities by the Baba Nyonyas

Like other ethnic groups, Baba and Nyonya also have their events and activities. For example weddings, birthdays and prayer days.

The picture above shows the traditional costume for the Baba and Nyonya marriage. The traditional gown and suit  consist of many layers. The costume is very colourful and the details on the costumes are very fine. The patterns and designs are all hand made embroidery which is special and unique in its way.

During the olden days, the bride and groom would be seated in the "kio" which is a carriage worked by men. The only way to move around is by having servants carrying the carriage. However as times pass, the babas and nyonyas now use cars to travel from one place to another.

The Babas and Nyonyas also carry out events like prayers to the ancestors every year. The even is carried out on the same day as the Chinese's all souls day also known as "cheng beng".

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/58435770@N02/5512947936/in/pool-bibibaba

The food prepared are plated and served as an offering during the prayer in blue antique porcelain plates and bowls. This is because the colour blue is to represent the dead.

Birthdays are also one of the special occasions carried out by the Baba and Nyonya. When an elderly reaches an age of 70 or 80 they normally have a grand birthday dinner. The event is normally called "tua seh jit" which means a big birthday.

  The guests that attends the birthday are also normally dressed up in the traditional wear, the kebaya. During events like this, there would normally be dancing and singing throughout the dinner. Babas and Nyonyas love line dancing.

A Taste of Baba Nyonya Cuisine

Baba and Nyonya cuisine is special in its way because has its very own taste in every dish. The dishes are mainly a combination of Chinese and Malay cuisine as the culture itself consist of Chinese and Malay influence. Majority of their dishes consist of various spices from dry chili, curry powder, turmeric, lemon grass, cinnamon and many more.

Source: http://swanandyoga.com/ease-into-fall-with-ayurveda-part-ii-detox/indian-spices-picture/

Baba and Nyonya dishes takes a lot of preparation before cooking. This is because Nyonyas are very particular when it comes cooking. Many of their recipes are passed down from generation to generation until today.

The picture above shows an appetizer called sambal bende. It is ladies finger topped with sambal to produce an appetizing flavour to start off the meal. 

Next is a main dish called Ayam Buah Keluak. This dish is special because it is cooked with the keluak fruit. the spicy and sour taste of this dish also gives a twist of flavour when it is consumed.

Nyonya also have their very own version of Rendang chicken. The difference of the Malay Rendang and the Nyonya Rendang is within the ingredients and the style of cooking.

The dish above is also a very famous dish called Udang masak Lemak Nanas. It is prawns cooked with pineapples, coconut milk and a special spice paste.

Sambal Kangkung is also a very famous dish in the Baba Nyonya cuisine. 

For dessert, Cendol is a signature dish for the Baba And Nyonya culture. It is mainly shaved ice topped with   cendol and molten brown sugar(gula melaka).

Appart from main dishes and desserts, Baba Nyonya is also famous for its cakes or some whould like to call it "kuih". There are many types of kuih that can be found mostly everywhere in Melaka.

Source: http://cuppiecorner.cookingmomster.com/?p=172

 Kuihs like kuih gengang, ondeh-ondeh, lepat rempah udang and pulut seri kaya are a few of the common kuihs that can be found.

Source: http://nyonyaperanakan.com/nyonya-food/nyonya-kuih

   

Architectural and Cultural conservation on the buildings.

The architecture of the traditional baba and nyonya house is rather special because of its design. Most of the houses were designed to be very long. At an average length, a house can reach up to 250 to 300 feet. The houses are also known as pre-war houses because it was built since a long time ago.

This is a picture of a baba and nyonya heritage house which is now a heritage museum in Melaka. Most of the houses were double story and some even have attics in the house.

The exterior of the building is exquisite because of its sophisticated façade on the wall and pillars. The design of the buildings was also influenced by the British during their colonization. However most of their designs were influenced by the Chinese. The carvings on the walls are very detailed.

The separation of the houses also has these circular holes which follow the Chinese architecture where most of their entrance are circular shaped.

Baba and Nyonya houses are very long. That is why the house is divided into many different sections. As we entered from the main door, we stepped into the main hall. And to proceed to the next hall there are two entrances by the side.

This as a picture of the second hall where guests are normally seated and entertained by the host.

 The spiraled staircase is also a unique feature in the house. This staircase can only be used by the family members of the house. Servants have to use another staircase located at the back of the house as it is a way for respect to the family.

Moving on to the next section of the house is the air well. The air well is designed to create a good air ventilation system for the house. It is also designed to bring is some natural light into the house.

This part of the house would be flooded with rain water every time it rains. However with a good drainage system, the water will only be contained in the built space. Most of the rain water is also stored in the well located on the floor in the picture.

The air well is designed to portray a good feng shui to the house. Water means luck and wealth is entering the house.

The water from the roof would flow into the house and come out from the mouth of the fish. The fish represents the wealth and the water represents the luck.

The carvings around the house are carved by hand. That makes the carvings exquisite because every carving is different.