A Peek Into My Culture & Cuisine - Babas & Nyonyas in Penang, Malaysia

luking4frens

luking4frens

New Member
Location
Penang, Malaysia
I do not claim to be an expert by any means in culture and cuisine where I am at but I will share with you what I know from childhood until now at 60 - I am called a 'Wargamas" - a beautiful word for a senior citizen, LOL - warga losely translated means citizen and mas is short-form for emas meaning gold. A Golden Citizen - that's me!!

I will make this first post short and sweet and please follow this link for an introduction :- http://www.penangheritagecity.com/baba-and-nyonya-culture-in-penang.html

We are all global citizens and every country is a mix of peoples from all over. Ask me anything you would like to know and I will try my best to explain as best I can - Fact and Fiction.

On a note of humour, we just passed the Chinese Lunar 7th Moon which is the Month of the Hungry Ghosts when the God of Hades allows the spirits out into the human world for a 'vacation' of sorts? Well, my friend would carry a bulb of garlic with her to ward of evil spirits.

Well I told her that that would only work with ghosts from the Western world? Asian ghosts love garlic and they would make a beeline for her and that freaked her out. She took to carrying a long shiny nail and when I met her, before I could open my mouth - she told me to shut up so as not to burst her bubble of protection. Hehehehehehe!
 

LOL..Lurking.. The garlic might only work on Vampires in the west!!:D

Love your story..and as I've just turned 60 a few months ago too, I am going to adopt that word Wargamas (Golden Citizen) yup that's me too.. :yes:
 
Very nice post lurking. It's nice to have you come out of hiding and share with us. You will find much you like here and some you may not like so much but like life anywhere, we are what we are. A hearty welcome.
 
Shouldn't you appease the Hungry Ghosts by offerings of food?

That's what they do in Taoist practices, at least the way I learned them. :)

Great post!
 
Being the foodie I am, I went straight to the food section in your link, Luking. I saw this-

Nyonya Kuih​

They look so good. I will be exploring further. Thank you for this interesting information! I can't imagine why the ghosts are hungry if they can eat some of this!
 
There are offerings of food usually at road junctions where sheds are put up facing each other. One shed will house a stage for Ko-Tai - Chinese Opera and modern song & dance with local artistes with karaoke and speakers and noise blaring away from 9pm until midnight. The other shed will house giant paper effigies of the God of Hades with his fierce face and his assistants. Offerings of food - roast duck/chicken/pig, fruits, rice and buns are placed on the large table in front of the deity to appease him and the hungry ghosts roaming the area. The culmination is a bonfire sendoff for the God with paper money and paper paraphenalia i.e. clothes and chests full of everyday use items etc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival
http://www.petertan.com/blog/2010/08/18/hungry-ghost-festival-taboos/

These are good summaries of the festival itself - better than I could articulate.

Enjoy, Folks.

Regards, Susan

P.S. The ghosts only get to eat once a year during this month. Other times they are prayed to is during specific days like All-Souls Day.
 
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