CHANG NYONYA CAKE
Chang Nyonya cake is a traditional food of the
Peranakan Baba Nyonya community. This cake is also known as "Bak
Chang". The word 'Bak' means meat. This cake is made of rice or glutinous
rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. Chang Nyonya is filled with meat, shitake
mushrooms and kundur sugar and cooked with spices that increase the appetizing
aroma.
The ingredients to make Kuih Chang Nyonya are:
• Minced
chicken filling
• Shiitake
mushrooms
• Gourd
sugar
• Glutinous
rice
• Dry
bamboo leaves
• Straps
• Pepper
• Salt
• Red
onion
• Dark
soy sauce
• Tauchu
• Garlic
• Calm
flower water
• Pandan
leaf
• Coriander
The way to make it is to first soak the bamboo leaves overnight and boil them so that, the bamboo leaves will become soft. Then, the glutinous rice that has been soaked will be steamed over the fire first and after being tied, it will be boiled for three to four hours. Usually, the bamboo leaves used come in various sizes depending on the taste of the maker. The color of Kuih Chang Nyonya that differentiates it from other Kuih Chang is a stunning blue color resulting from the essence of 'telang flower' water mixed with glutinous rice. An empty Chang cake without a core is called Kee Chang or "Ash" chang cake because it is cooked using ash water. It is delicious crushed or eaten with granulated sugar or Malacca sugar.
Usually, this cake is sold in the morning. This
Kuih is not only enjoyed by the Baba Nyonya people as a breakfast menu. but is
also enjoyed by various races in Malaysia, especially when it comes to the Kuih
Chang festival which often takes place in conjunction with the Dragon Boat
Festival. Although the process of making this Kuih Chang is quite complicated,
the texture and uniqueness as well as the taste are so amazing that it is in
high demand. The estimated price of Kuih Bak Chang is between RM5 a piece or
more expensive, depending on the filling used.
