All About Peranakan

It wasn't till many years later that I knew why I looked different from most Chinese and why our food was different as well.

My grandma wore Sarong Kebaya and growing up, I didn't think it was strange or different as I just assumed it was normal. The food she cooked was heavenly, so many varieties. 

Nonya food is extremely spicy and delicous. It is actually the subtle blend of both Chinese and Malay elements. Chinese in that it retains pork dishes and many other hokkien dishes into a Peranakan context and it is Malay in that it uses malay styles of cooking and employs the use of malay spices or rempah in all its various dishes. Some popular Nonya dishes eaten in Peranakan Homes till this very day are: Babi pongteh, Ayam Buah keluak, Sambal Belachan, Fish Head Curry, Sayur Lodeh, Achar, Babi Chin, Ayam pongteh, Chincalok, Bakwan Kepiting, Itek Siow, Ayam Siow, Nonya Curry, Ikan Asam Pedas, Achar, Nasi Kuning, Ayam Tempera, etc. Popular nonya deserts would be apom balek, kueh lapis, agar agar jelly.

True Nyonya cuisine involved a lot of cutting, chopping, skinning, pounding and grinding of raw, local ingredients using the estimation method of how much of each ingredient to put in or add in the preparation of each dish. My grandma would be in the kitchen half the day just preparing for lunch and dinner. If there was a party, the aunties would join her in the kitchen. 

How I miss the home-made Otak-Otak, Love Letters, Nasi Lemak, etc.. 

Nonya women were fiercely proud of their unique cuisine, preferring nyonya food to any other type of food. They would guard their recipes quite fiercely. My grandma didn't like it when people went into the kitchen when she was preparing to cook, which is one of the reasons why I never picked up her great cooking skills nor recipes.

  The Origin

Peranakan Chinese Culture is a unique and vibrant culture found in the South East Asian Region. It is to be found mainly in the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It is a culture that encompasses the best of old ancient Malay, Chinese and European influences and absorbs the best of other cultures as well to form a cohesive and united Peranakan identity. The Peranakan community started with the rapid influx of Chinese traders to South East Asia in the early 15th century. As their women folk were not allowed to accompany them out of China due to an Imperial Decree, most Chinese men who settled in the South East Asian Islands had to intermarry with the local inhabitants. They did so by marrying non Muslim local Malays such as the Bataks, Balinese, Ambonese, the coastal Malays and other Malay groups. As such Malay and Indonesian influences were incorporated into the Peranakan way of life and the lingua franca of the Peranakan community became to be known as Baba Malay or Peranakan Malay. On a similar scale, Indian men and Eurasian Portugese men intermarried with the local malay inhabitants as well.These communities became to be known as the Indian Peranakans and Eurasian Peranakans respectively. 

Peranakan culture actually encompasses the Peranakan Chinese, Indian and Eurasian communities. The only major obstacle that seperated these Peranakan communities was religion. Indian Peranakans were staunch Hindhus, the Eurasian Peranakans staunch Catholics while the Chinese Peranakans or Babas and Nonyas were staunch Taoists in the past.

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD BABA & NONYA

The term Baba actually evolved from the Indonesian term "Bapak" meaning "Sir". It used only for people of status and stature in society as a mark of respect. After the years passed, the term Bapak was corrupted and became the Baba as we know it today. Similarly the term "Nonya" is also of Indonesian origin and means "Lady" it was also used only for ladies in the upper echelons of Indonesian colonial society. The terms Bapak and Nonya are still used in Indonesia till this very day. 

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD PERANAKAN

The origins of the word Peranakan actually come from the word anak or child. The word Peranakan therefore in its full meaning means to give birth to a child. This means that the children of such mixed intermarriages were called Peranakan meaning that they were born locally and were of mixed blood. In the Malay and Indonesian dictionaries peranakan and beranak are used interchangeably and mean to give birth to. After years went by and as centuries passed, the term Peranakan became exclusively used to refer to the Chinese Peranakan community, this was so as the Chinese Peranakans comprised the majority of all other Peranakan groups. The Indian Peranakans now refer to themselves as Chitty Melaka and the Peranakan Eurasians call themselves simply as Eurasian. However in Indonesia, the term Peranakan Cina or Peranakan Chinese is used to refer to children of such mixed marriages.

PERANAKAN SETTLEMENTS & MIGRATION

The first Peranakan Chinese settlements were established in the 10th century in Java. During that time the hindu Javanese kingdom of Majapahit established trade routes with China. China merchants and traders flocked to the island of Java in droves. As women were unable to leave ancient China due to an imperial edict passed by the Emperor, all men who settled in these areas took local Indonesian wives. The first Peranakan Chinese temple was constructed in the early 15th century in the port city of Semarang. It is the oldest Chinese temple in all of South East Asia. As the Peranakan Chinese community increased in size, vast numbers settled in the large cities of Batavia (Jakarta), Suarabaya, Bali, Bandung, Medan, Palembang.

The Peranakan community in Indonesia continued absorbing new Chinese immigrants into their fold thus increasing the number of local born Indonesian Chinese. Peranakans can now be found chiefly in the islands of Java, Sumatra, parts of Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Due to this long process of assimilation with local cultures, most Chinese in Indonesia are still Peranakan till this very day. This is manifested in the language, food and lifestyle of most Indonesian Chinese. Peranakan Culture was influenced by the local culture of the area. For example Peranakans in Bali will be more Balinese in their eating habits and in culture while Javanese Peranakans would be heavily influenced by Javanese culture. Peranakans in Medan will of course be influenced by the Hokkien speaking culture around them and would have used hokkien as their mother tongue, just like the Penang Hokkiens. The birthplace of Indonesian Peranakan culture is in Semarang.

Therefore Peranakan Culture as we know it is very varied and is different from region to region. No one Peranakan Community can claim that they are more Peranakan than the next. As we have seen, Peranakan culture varies from country, locality and even Peranakan culture in the same country varies. It also varies from town to town and city to city. Peranakan Culture is a cultural entity practiced by the descendants of old Chinese families. As the first Chinese to settle in this region hundreds of years ago, Peranakan culture has emerged into the combination and fusion of cultures and colour that it is well known for today. 

If you ask me what kind of Peranakan I am, honestly I don't have a definite answer. One side of the family has very dark skin with beautiful big eyes. Another side has fair skin with slitty eyes. I am fair skinned with big eyes, long wavy hair. Well, it doesn't matter. I am a Peranakan of Peranakan descendants. 

  The Language

BABA / PERANAKAN MALAY

Baba Malay in all its essence is Malay in form but has many Chinese Hokkien words in its grammatical structure. Baba Malay once spoken by the Peranakan community is being rapidly abandoned by most Peranakans themselves. It is a language in danger of extinction. Baba Malay is actually Hokkien in structure but Malay in form, a good example will be the following illustration:Gua mo pi pasar beli roti, Lu mo ikut tak ah? which translates to I am going to the market to buy some bread, would you like to follow me? Notice that the usage of "Gua" and "Lu" are actually Hokkien in origin not malay. Therefore Baba malay is actually a creolised form of Malay mixed with Hokkien loan words to suit a localised malay context. The future of Baba Malay is uncertain as most young Peranakans and many other older Peranakans do not speak or communicate in the langauge any more, however some still do.

Among the various Chinese ethnic groups living in Penang today, perhaps it is the smallest of these groups, namely the Babas and Nyonyas (of early Hokkien descent) who appear to be quite 'different' from the others. Considered 'alien' ("Oh, so they were from Malacca!" was the usual response when one mentioned 'Baba-Nyonya'). Often proclaimed or viewed as 'descendants of early Chinese male immigrants and local Malay women' (thus of mixed blood or mixed parentage), they nevertheless were worthy of special mention in Penang's history.

amboi!, alamak!, chelaka! and latah (going into hysterics) are just some of the common terms used.

The Babas and Nyonyas (of Hokkien descent) mainly spoke in Hokkien with a mixture of Malay words and English. In fact, it was common for them to speak part of a sentence in Hokkien punctuated or substituted with Malay words and yet they could understand one another with ease. It might sound strange, even incomprehensible to the younger generation of Peranakans when two adults conversed in Baba Malay. Common Malay words often repeated would include tumpang, kasihan, sembang, tuala, tapi, suka, batuk, tolong, jamban, piring, sampah, geram etc.

Extracts from a simple conversation might include simple sentences like the following:

1. Dia suka datang sini sembang. (He likes to come here and gossip).
2. Keliap-keliap, dia naik angin. (Slightly provoked, he gets angry)
3. Gua tunggu dia sampai gua k'ee geram. (I waited for him till I got angry).

Married and expectant Nyonyas who had employed Malay or Javanese orang jaga (confinement period women) and bidan (mid-wives) would have picked up a smattering of communicative Indonesian & Malay words to indicate their wants and wishes. Words like bunting (pregnant), gugur (miscarriage), datang kotor (menstruating), bulanberanak (given birth), pantang (abstinence or taboo), tetek (breasts), sayang (love), susu (milk), lampin (baby diapers) etc crept into the Nyonya's extended Malay vocabulary. And with subsequent usage and knowledge of the Malay language, the Nyonya's confidence grew. Indonesian loan words began creeping into Baba Malay that the language itself began to sound similar in structure and pronounciation to that of Betawi or Jakarta Malay with its "Gua" and "Lu's". 

Over the years, the Babas and Nyonyas gradually learnt, acquired and incorporated more than 50,000 Malay words into their voculabulary. 

Influenced to a great extent by their Javanese or Malay confinement-period women (orang jaga) and mid-wives ('Bidan') as well as their Malay neighbours, the 'Nyonyas' became involved with local superstitions and beliefs. Ever fearful of evil forces which might take away their new-born babies, the Nyonyas (acting on the advice of the orang jaga and bidan would give nicknames to their children. Hence it was not at all surprising when we heard of boys having Malay nicknames like Tuteh, Itam, Bulat, Kurui, Botak, Panjang and even Kassim . Female children would have nicknames like Kechik, Molek, Intan, Nya- chik, Penyet etc. though it must be pointed out that every child was given his/her Chinese name. When a child fell sick, it was the Nenek (Malay female spirit) the Nyonyas appealed to for help.

The Baba's and Nyonya's love and passion for the genteel Malay language and race was often reflected in some of the specially commissioned items still found in pristine condition in some old Baba houses today. Bridal shoes with Slamet Pakei lettering, enamel tiffin-carriers with gilt lettering wish the user, Slamet Pakei, Slamet Bukka, Slamet Untong & Slamet Makan . Printed on tobacco boxes are words with a wish Slamet Pakei for the smoker. Beautiful, dainty tea-cups specially commissioned from Germany bear the sweet and pleasant greetings : Slamet Pakei, Slamet Minoem and Umor Panjang . Baba-Malay books- Syer, Pantun, Hiboran Hati and translations from Chinese Classics to Baba-Malay by the late Chan Kim Boon alias 'Batu Gantong' are still available to those interested. Dondang Sayang, Keronchong and Bangsawan records are still in private collections of certain Baba families who now regard them as prized family heirlooms.

The Beautiful Sarong Kebaya

The women wore Sarong Kebaya.

The accessories that accompany the sarong kebaya are the "tali pinggang" or waist belt which is usually made of silver, copper or is gold plated and the beaded purse and the kasut manek or beaded slippers A set of 3 brooches called the "kerosang" is used to fasten the edges of the kebaya together. These brooches could be either made of precious stones, berlians, pearls, diamonds and can even be made out of either solid gold or silver. The sarong used by the Nonyas is called sarong Pekalongan as it is made in the Pekalongan region of Indonesia. Such sarongs are beautifully decorated with fowers, tulips, roses, butterflies, leaves and are always very floral and colorful in design.

The Sarong Kebaya actually originated in Indonesia around the 1920's. It was first used by the local Javanese women and was copied by the Peranakan community in Indonesia. With the spread of the popularity of using the sarung kebaya to the British Colonies of Malaya, the Peranakans in these areas started using the sarong kebaya as well.

The kebaya or Blouse is made of silk voile or kain rubiah, its is usually made and embroided with the help of machines but used to be made entirely by hand. The embroidery of the kebaya uses silk thread of various colors to form the borders and the edges of the kebaya. The nonya kebaya is a piece of artwork in itself. It is fashioned in such a way that it appears ornate and appealing to the eye. The cloth used could be of different colors, ranging from green, brown, white, orange, yellow, purple, pink, black, grey, marron, orange etc. 

Personally, I love wearing the Sarong Kebaya. I am married to a Malay man. I'd wear my Sarong Kebayas on special occasions.

  Peranakan Style Of Living

BABA HOMES & TERRACE HOUSES

Peranakan Homes were bought and built on Dutch owned lands that were subsequently bought by the Peranakan Chinese for their own use. Peranakan homes are actually a combination of European, Chinese and Malay Influences. This type of architecture is normally called "Chinese Baroque" architure as it is a mixture of Chinese and European building styles. Such a mixture shows us the cosmopolitan aspect of Peranakan culture itself. When the Peranakans of Indonesia and Malacca came to settle here they made their homes in this traditional style paying close attention to make their homes as similar as it was in Malacca homes.

The layout and functional style of the homes were similar to the very last detail. In the early 20th Century, shophouses in the Straits Settlements began to adopt Western architectural styles with an emphasis on full-length French windows with a pair of full-length timber shutters, an arched or rectangular transom over the window opening, pilasters of classical orders; and plaster renderings. In the early 1900, reinforced concrete was used to allow wider roof overhangs and more elaborate cantilevered brackets which sprung from above the pilasters.

Unlike the early and traditional shophouses which have a continuous row of windows, the Straits Eclectic style developed with the breaking of the facade into two or three moulded openings. Such style became popular among the Peranakan Cina community in either Malacca or Penang. In some shophouses, the pilasters placed between openings, the spaces above the arched transom and below the openings were decorated with plaster renderings such as bouquets of flowers, fruits, mythical figures and geometrical shapes. In addition, some of the window or door panels were beautifully carved. These decorations among other things reflect not only the wealth of the owners or tenants but also their status or position in the local community. One of the main differences between a Peranakan Cina shophouse and a pure Chinese shophouse is the presence of these highly intricate ornaments and carvings.

The Peranakan shophouses reached it richest phase with the addition of coloured tiles on either walls or floors. It is not known wheather it was the Dutch or the Chinese who first brought or introduced ceramic tiles to Malacca. Coloured ceramic tiles are not only popular in the Peranakan Cina shophouses of the Straits Eclectic style but they are also used by the Malays to decorate their main stairs. In the shophouses, the ceramic tiles are usually placed on walls below the front windows on the ground floor facing the street. Flowers and geometrical designs are usually painted on the tiles. Furthermore, coloured floor tiles made of terra-cotta are commonly seen in the Straits Eclectic style, particularly in the verandahed walkway and inside the shophouses. 

Most of the shophouses throughout all stylistic periods were built with a series of gable and pitch roofs; with the exception of courtyards or air wells and balcony. Some have a jackroof which is a raised mini-roof locating at the peak of the main roof. The space between the two roofs is filled with patterned grilles or timber louvres. It provides both cross and stack ventilation which reduces the internal heat build-up especially during day time. Load-bearing walls at both sides of the shophouse support the roof load through timber purlins which span horizontally across the width of the building. The walls are at least 15" thick from ground to first floor and 9" onwards. After attap was banned, Chinese clay tiles of a V shape were widely used. The tiles are similar in origin to those used in the Mediterranean roofs, being introduced to Malacca by the Portuguese. In the early 1900's, the inter-locking French Marseilles tiles were introduced to the shophouses in the Straits Settlements. However, these terra-cotta tiles were later replaced with modern roofing materials including metal and asbestos sheets.

Traditional Peranakan areas in Singapore were and still is at places like Katong, Joo Chiat, Siglap, Pasir Panjang, Blair Plain, Emerald Hill, Tanjong Pagar, parts of Chinatown, Telok Ayer, River Valley, Tanglin, Macpherson and other outlying areas. Baba Homes consisted of 5 areas these will be discussed individually:

The Reception Hall : 

The Reception hall was the first hall one would see on entering a Baba Home. These reception halls also housed the household altar of the family. The diety found here could be the God of heaven or Kwan Im the Goddess of Mercy. The hall would be decorated with european objects de art, antiques and family heirlooms. Marble tables, chinese ming chairs, rosewood tables inliad with mother of pearl would also have been dsplayed in this hallway. Large venetian mirrors and the portriats of various ancestors would have been hang in this hallway as well.

The rumah abu or house of ashes is the small squarelike box cupboard on top of the table. It was the home of the ashes of the ancestors and ancestral tablets. The porcelain used for mourning and for the reverance of ancestors was always white and blue. Such porcelain was only used for the dead while the other members of the household would use the more colorful and expensive nonya porcelian. Like the Peranakan Kebayas, nonya porcelain comes in shades of pink , green , orange, blue, black, brown, lime, yellow and other exotic colors.

The Ancestral Hall : 

This hallway was only reserved for family members, close relatives and family friends. This was the most sacred hall of the entire home for this was the area were the ashes and ancestral tablets of the family were kept. The sembayang datuk or prayers to the ancestors was held here on feast days and on ching ming. Dishes of food and wine would be placed on tables and offered to the ancestors to sppease them. This was the hall were prayers and offerings of paper money and joss sticks would be burnt. The rumah abu or house of ashes was the place where the ancestral tablets and ashes were stored and revered.

The Dining Hall: 

This hallway as the name suggests was used for the merryment and dining purposes of the household. This hallway was also used to entertain guests and visitors and were tok panjangs or table banquets were held. This hallway was also the area were the unique and beautiful table wares called nonya porcelian was kept. These porcelian pieces were kept in beautifullly carved cupboards known as tok kacha or almeiras.

The repertoire of porcelain in a nonya household would consist of kamchnegs for storing rice and soups, chupus, teapots or tekkos, small cups, plates, dishes, religious porcelain, jars, vases, powder boxes and the like. Peranakan home courtyards were designed to allow light and wate rinto the middle of the home and promoted good ventalation and much needed coolness in the days before airconditioning.

The Courtyard: 

Every Peranakan Home of old had an open air courtyard in the middle of the home. Such courtyards had a fountain in the middle to symbolise wealth and prosperity These courtyards were converted into areas of leisure for dining or for gambling as the need arised. It was also the area were the family well was found before the days of plumbing arrived. 

The Kitchen: 

As in every household the kitchen is the life line of the home. This was the area were the delicous and mouth watering nonya food and kuehs were prepared. The altar to the Kitchen God would be found in this part of the home. It was also called the "perot rumah" or stomach of the house as this was the place were the nonyas and bibiks of the household spent most of their time in, cooking washing, making the various laborious mouth watering nonya dishes, kuehs, together with the cooks and servants of the household. This was also the home and abode of the Kitchen God or the Datok Dapor.

The Bedrooms: 

The Bedrooms were always found on the second floor of the home. In days of yore bedrooms were very private and personal places were friends and relatives were not allowed to enter. This area was the place where the ornately decorated ranjang kemantin or wedding Bed was kept.

The typical Peranakan cupboard is ornately carved and gilded in embossed gold and is decorated in the Victorian and Chinese style. The legendary phoenix can be seen on the right hand panel of the cupboard. Such cupboards now are extremely priceless and hard to come by. The teak wedding bed of a typical Peranakan home at the turn of the century probably accompanied by a beautifully carved victorian vanity dresser. This shows that European and Malay and Chinese influences merged to form a united and wonderfully ornate Peranakan culture. Peranakan homes consist of an electic mix of European and Asian influences. Besides terrace houses, richer Peranakans lived in enormous mansions that had 10 rooms and could accomodate 20 family members or more. Such mansions were built all over the straits settlements and Singapore though most sad to say have been demolished in Singapore due to rapid development and rapid urbanisation.

Such palatial mansions would usually need a whole entire work crew of 5 servants, 2 gardeners, a driver, a cook. a guard house, a masseur, and an errand boy.

In the early 1900, some of the Straits Chinese elite gave up living in their shophouses and moved in to these ostentatious bungalows. Typical characteristics of the colonial bungalows built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries include raised structures, projecting porches with arches or classical columns, high ceilings, wide verandahs, big openings or French windows with semi-circular fanlights, plastered brick walls and hipped roofs with short ridges. Some have internal courtyards, stables, circular driveways, ample gardens and servants' quarters. In these bungalows there were marble or timber floors, coloured tiles, fine chandeliers, mother-of-pearl inlaid blackwood furniture and teak cupboards filled with Nyonya wares.

The colonial bungalows were basically of load-bearing brick-wall construction. The upper floors of the colonial bungalows were usually constructed of timber including Chengal and Jati while the ground floors were made of either brick, concrete or Portland cement finished with red Malacca clay floor tiles. In some bungalows, marble slabs or patterned mosaic tiles were laid. Furthermore, unpolished granite slabs were used sparingly either as the trimming to floor egdes, airwells and verandahs or as paving in airwells, courtyards and patios. Both external and internal walls which were made of brick were rendered with lime plaster prior to lime-wash painting of white, pale yellow or light green colour. Before reinforced concrete was introduced, many bungalows had timber staircases with timber handrails and cast-iron or timber balustrades. Balusters of green glazed earthenware were usually found on the first floor verandahs. 

Now I know why I've always dreamed of having my own shophouse... <3