Chinese Heritage Cooking

Amy Tan Christopher & Van

Description

The Singapore Heritage Cookbook series documents and preserves the cultural and culinary heritage of the different ethnic groups in Singapore through recipes passed down from generation to generation.Each book is made up of two parts: An introduction that provides an overview of the history and culture of the community in Singapore and a selection of 55-65 recipes. This section will include traditional dishes, dishes that boast a distinct regional variation that makes them uniquely Singaporean as well dishes that have been adapted over time with lifestyle changes. A brief but informative headnote introduces each recipe and explains the history/significance of the dish and/or other interesting facts related to the dish or ingredients used.With its focus on the cultural and culinary heritage of the Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians and Peranakans in Singapore, the Singapore Heritage Cookbook series will be the definitive reference for anyone looking to learn and understand more about the different ethnic groups in Singapore.

Sujets

• Singapore
• China
• Singapour

Informations

• Publié par: MarshallCavendishM
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814435062
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

SINGAPORE HERITAGE COOKBOOKS
CHINESE HERITAGE
Cooking

SINGAPORE HERITAGE COOKBOOKS
CHINESE HERITAGE
Cooking
CHRISTOPHER TAN AMY VAN Foreword by KIMBERLEY SONG
Editor: Lydia Leong Designer: Bernard Go Photographer: Hongde Photography
Copyright 2012 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited Reprinted 2013
This book is supported under the National Heritage Board s
Heritage Industry Incentive Programme (Hi 2 P)
Published by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Online bookstore: http://www.marshallcavendish.com
Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Author and Publisher of this book have used their best efforts in preparing this book. The Publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book and is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe in this book. While the Publisher has reviewed each recipe carefully, the reader may not always achieve the results desired due to variations in ingredients, cooking temperatures and individual cooking abilities. The Publisher shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Tan, Christopher, 1972-
Chinese heritag cooking / Christopher Tan Amy Van. - Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, c2012.
p. cm. - (Singapore heritage cookbooks)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN : 978 981 4435 06 2
1. Cooking, Singaporean. 2. Cooking, Chinese. I. Van, Amy. II. Title. III. Series:
Singapore heritage cookbooks.
TX724.5.S55
641.595957 - dc22
OCN775382682
Printed in Singapore by KWF Printing Pte Ltd
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this book to all the generations of relatives who left me a legacy of heritage: my parents, my grandparents, my forebears from south China and elsewhere in South East Asia. I would also like to encourage every keen cook out there to record and preserve their family s edible heirlooms-recipes, cooking techniques, all the delicious things unique to their table-so that future generations can be blessed by these precious histories.
Christopher Tan
I would like to dedicate this book to my parents for their support, encouragement and love. To my mother who taught me that simple home-cooked meals enjoyed together with the family can be satisfying, meaningful and memorable. Besides teaching me how to perfect her Hakka rice wine chicken dish, she is my greatest listener, teacher and confidante. To my father, who prays for the family daily and before our every meal for God s blessings, guidance and good health-thank you for being my biggest fan.
Amy Van

CONTENTS
8 Foreword
10 Acknowledgements
12 Introduction
28 Basic Recipes Techniques
40 Cantonese Dishes
76 Hainanese Dishes
94 Hakka Foochow Dishes
112 Hokkien Dishes
132 Teochew Dishes
156 Festival Special Dishes
176 Glossary of Ingredients
185 Menu Suggestions
186 Weights Measures
187 Resources
188 Index
191 Photo Credits
192 About the Authors
FOREWORD
Singapore is a multi-racial migrant society. Most of the migrant Chinese in the early days of Singapore came from the southern part of China. The five major dialect groups are the Hokkiens, Teochews, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakkas. These migrants left their homes and ventured towards South E ast Asia, labouring long and hard for the sake of survival. Whenever they missed P home, they would gather and cook dishes from their hometown, at the same time exchanging words of familiarity and comfort. They shared how much they missed home, and sought solace in such gatherings.
The early immigrants who ventured into Singapore started a cultural affair of exchange and influence, and the result is a development of unique features of each dish, which still retains the distinctive flavours of the dialect group it originated from.
These dishes survived through generations because of the efforts of those who, with unwavering determination, sought to preserve the cultural flavours of these special foods. Amy and Christopher are two such persons. I got acquainted with them during my course of work as a cuisine editor, and we share the same passion and enthusiasm for cuisine. Their aim is not only to perfect and enjoy the taste of food; they conscientiously research the background of each and every dish, so as to deepen their appreciation for each type of cuisine. Their dedication to this subject is apparent in the pages of this book, which they co-authored. With succinct documentation of the origin and evolution of each recipe, this collection is full of the rich, authentic flavours of Chinese cooking. They gladly share the recipes they are so familiar with, which include those handed down from previous generations, daily dishes, food for festive occasions, the deliciously famous local hawker fare and more.
This book shows how to prepare traditional Chinese food with ease and is perfect for beginners. Seasoned cooks will likewise find joy in perusing these recipes, which are accompanied by informative descriptions and explanations. This book is truly a collector s item for anyone who enjoys immersing in the classic flavours of Chinese cuisine. It brims with historical and cultural significance, which will not only engage, inform and enlighten, but readers will also be awed and be inspired to delve into the joy of recreating wonderful meals from these treasured recipes.
Kimberley Song Managing Editor Xin Flavours
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CHINESE HERITAGE
Cooking
FOREWORD
9
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank David Yip for his assistance, advice and skills, and the production team for their help in putting this book together.
Christopher Tan Amy Van
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CHINESE HERITAGE
Cooking
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
11
INTRODUCTION
The Chinese constitute 74.1 per cent of the population in Singapore according to a census taken in 2010 by the Singapore Department of Statistics. Among them, the Hokkiens, Teochews and Cantonese form the largest dialect groups, while the Hakkas, Hainanese, Foochows, Henghwas and Hokchias make up the smaller sub-groups. These first waves of Chinese immigrants to South East Asia were mainly from the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian in south-eastern China and subsequently Hainan Island.
Early Immigrants
Although there is no exact time frame when Singapore saw the arrival of its first groups of Chinese from the mainland, there are records that date as far back as the 14th century that the Chinese were already living on the island. A Chinese traveller by the name of Wang Dayuan from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) wrote about a small settlement called Danmaxi, a translation of the Malay name, Temasek, by which Singapore was then known. His manuscripts dating to 1349 mention the Malay and Chinese residents living on the island. Excavations in recent times, in areas such as Fort Canning, have uncovered evidence indicating that Singapore was an important trading port in the 14th century. Archaeologists have also unearthed remnants of ceramics from the Yuan Dynasty and ancient Chinese porcelain proving the existence of early trading between Temasek and China.
In 1819 when Sir Stamford Raffles landed on our shores, the Chinese were already present. The island was then put on the world map when Raffles established Singapore as a trading port for the British East India Company. This encouraged a flourishing international trade and the Chinese began to migrate here in large numbers. In those days, life was difficult in China due to floods, famines, droughts, unemployment and civil unrest. Singapore was thus deemed attractive because of the economic opportunities available.
The migration of the Chinese to Singapore was mainly by kinship and a credit-ticket system. Kinship was crucial in setting up ventures here as business owners preferred to employ and sponsor relatives or kinsmen from their own village in China. The credit-ticket system, on the other hand, meant that the money for the voyage was advanced to emigrants by recruitment agencies or Chinese secret societies. These agencies and societies were notorious for exploiting the emigrants, binding them to contracts that lasted several years in order to repay their fares. This credit-ticket system was also known as the coolie trade.
By 1877, the colonial rulers called for regulation and established The Chinese Protectorates to stop the abuse of these emigrants. With licensed recruiting agencies and employment contracts in
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CHINESE HERITAGE
Cooking
A group of Chinese coolies having a meal, circa 1900.
INTRODUCTION
13
place, the number of Chinese arrivals escalated. By 1881, the Chinese accounted for 63 per cent of the total population on the island.
In the early days, it was common to see the Chinese from different dialect groups specialising in certain trades and occupations. This was largely because of regional and dialect loyal