This is a cookbook, and an intimate memoir, giving readers a sense of
what it felt like to grow up in a Peranakan Chinese family --
descendants of local womenfolk and the earliest Chinese settlers to
Southeast Asia.
As a fifth-generation Nonya (honorific for female Peranakans) from both
sides of her family, Sharon Wee recollects her life in Singapore. She
interviewed older relatives and recreated her mother's personalized
recipes, many orally passed down for generations.
Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen was originally published in 2012. This
updated edition includes revised recipes and cooking methods, with more
detailed explanations and guidance for the young or unfamiliar cook to
Peranakan food, spiced with a dose of humor. It also includes new
contributions by subject experts on the heritage and beautiful cultural
legacy of the Peranakans.