{"id":1634,"date":"2019-05-14T11:05:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T04:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taanbangkok.com\/main\/?page_id=1634"},"modified":"2019-08-01T11:03:55","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T04:03:55","slug":"chefs-table-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.taanbangkok.com\/main\/chefs-table-3\/","title":{"rendered":"CHEF’S TABLE #3: PERANAKAN CUISINE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chef’s table #3: Peranakan cuisine<\/span><\/h2>\n

TAAN\u2019s Chef Table to Shine a Light on Peranakan Cuisine<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"For the third edition of TAAN\u2019s Chef\u2019s Table dining series, we welcomed Kanaporn \u201cAum\u201d Chancherdsak, the chef-owner of Trang\u2019s \u201creservation-only\u201d restaurant Trang Ko\u2019e, to shine a light on Peranakan, or Nyonya, cuisine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rarely found in Bangkok, Peranakan cuisine dates as far back as the 13th century and the intermarriage of Chinese sailors and local women of the Malay Peninsula from Malaysia to Singapore to Thailand\u2019s South–in fact, the term \u201cNyonya\u201d literally refers to Peranakan women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Across nine meticulous courses, Chef Aum and TAAN Executive Chef Monthep \u201cThep\u201d Kamolsilp took diners on a true culinary journey back in time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chef Aum explained that Peranakan cuisine can be considered one of the world\u2019s first \u201cfusion\u201d cuisines, thanks to its blend of traditional Chinese techniques with indigenous Malay and Thai spices and ingredients, as well as colonial Dutch, Portuguese and English flourishes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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For centuries, the cuisine has been shaped by foreigners passing through Thailand, whether in search of wealth, trade opportunities or even asylum. Due to scarcity of specific ingredients, recipes morphed over time as cooks had to adapt and improvise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about her motivation for cooking Peranakan cuisine, Chef Aum surprised us by saying she didn\u2019t actually like the food much at first. It wasn\u2019t till after her parents passed away and she started missing her mother\u2019s cooking that she took a great interest in the cuisine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCooking is my way of reconnecting with [my parents]. it\u2019s like a time machine, it lifts my spirit,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s also important that I help preserve this cuisine, as I fear no one else will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She would visit elderly muslim neighbors to ask them about their lifelong memories of Peranakan cuisine. In the course of her research, she came to the realisation that a lot of the food commonly people consider Thai actually have Peranakan origins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Chef Aum also explained that the recipes are a matter of taste and customisation is not out of the question. \u201cIt is important to use the ingredients correctly; you can\u2019t just measure them, you have to taste it as well. For example, lemongrass gathered in summer will give more heat than one gathered in winter, and the same applies to turmeric and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

other ingredients. You have to really rely on your taste buds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Today Chef Aum faces the challenge of taking Peranakan food to the masses, which she likens to trying to get people\u2019s attention in a loud market. She also wants to spread the word about healthy eating habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRespecting the ingredients we use and knowing what we\u2019re consuming are very important. Back in the day, when there were no chemical treatments for sickness, we ate herbs, we drank natural medicines, we chewed on tree\u2019s roots gathered from what was available around us. I believe that if we know what to look for, sometimes we don\u2019t need to rely on chemical treatments. For example, eating certain herbs on a continual basis can help cure some allergies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, Peranakan food is not about simply recreating historical recipes. \u201cEven though you have to respect the ingredients, that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t seek assistance from modern technology. Thai food has been a fusion food for as long as we have had international contact. So perhaps we don\u2019t need to take the concept of correctness so seriously. What\u2019s more important is to understand the delicacy of Peranakan food; studying it deeply so that you know the rules well enough to be able to break them like an artist.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay tuned for more delicious and educational installments of TAAN\u2019s Chef\u2019s Table series.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t