Kuih (also kueh, kue, or kway; from Hokkien: 粿 koé) are bite-sized snack or dessert foods found in the Malay Archipelago as well as the Southern China provinces of Fujian and Canton. Kuih is a fairly broad term which may include items that would be called cakes, cookies, dumplings, pudding, biscuit, or pastries in English and are usually made from rice or glutinous rice.
Kuih are more often steamed than baked, and thus very different in texture, flavour and appearance from Western cakes or puff pastries. Many kuihs are sweet, but some are savoury.
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Chinese kuih, written as "guo" (粿) or sometimes as "gao" (糕), are usually made from ground rice flours. Many of the kuihs are made especially for important festivities such as the Qingming Festival or Chinese New Year, however many others are consumed as main meals or snack on a daily basis. Example of these kuih include:[1]
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Many Chinese kuih require the use of a Kuih mold similar to that use in mooncakes, which is either carved out of wood or made of plastics. Kuih molds with turtles are ubiquitous, though molds of peaches are usually quite common. Red coloured turtle kuih are known especially as "Ang ku kueh"/"Red Tortoise Cake" (紅龜粿). Since many Chinese no long make kuih at home, these molds have become less common in many kitchens.[2]
Kuihs are not confined to a certain meal but can be eaten throughout the day. They are an integral part of Malaysian and Singaporean festivities such as Hari Raya and Chinese New Year, which is known as Tahun Baru Cina in Malay among the Peranakan.
In the Northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, kuih (plural kueh-mueh or kuih-muih in Malay) are usually sweet. In the Southeast Peninsular states of Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Selangor, savory kuih can be found. This is largely due to the large population of ethnic Chinese and Indians which held much cultural influence in these states.
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In almost all Malay and Peranakan kuih, the most common flavouring ingredients are grated coconut (plain or flavoured), coconut cream (thick or thin), pandan (screwpine) leaves and gula melaka (palm sugar, fresh or aged). While those make the flavour of kuih, their base and texture are built on a group of starches – rice flour, glutinous rice flour, glutinous rice and tapioca. Two other common ingredients are tapioca flour and green bean (mung bean) flour (sometimes called "green pea flour" in certain recipes). They play a most important part in giving kuihs their distinctive soft, almost pudding-like, yet firm texture. Wheat flour is rarely used in Southeast Asian cakes and pastries.
For most kuih there is no single "original" or "authentic" recipe. Traditionally, making kuih was the domain of elderly grandmothers, aunts and other women-folk, for whom the only (and best) method for cooking was by "agak agak" (approximation). They would instinctively take handfuls of ingredients and mix them without any measurements or any need of weighing scales. All is judged by its look and feel, the consistency of the batter and how it feels to the touch. Each family holds its own traditional recipe as well as each region and state.
Nyonya (Peranakan) and Malay kuih should not be distinguished since Peranakans have settled in the Malay Peninsula. They have adapted to Malay culinary and cultural heritage. Therefore there are many kuih native to Malay culture which have been improvised and retained by the Peranakans. The term Kuih/Kue/Kueh is widely used in the region of Malaysia and Indonesia to refer to sweet or savoury desserts. It is almost impossible to distinguish between Malay, Peranakan or Indonesian kuih as not many kuih history or recipe have been documented.
Though called by other names, one is likely to find various similar versions of kuih in neighbouring countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia. For example, the colourful steamed Kuih Lapis and the rich Kuih Bingka Ubi are also available in Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Nonya kuih come in different shapes, colours, texture and designs. Some examples are filled, coated, wrapped, sliced and layered kuih. Also, as mentioned earlier, most kuih are steamed, with some being boiled or baked. They can also be deep-fried and sometimes even grilled.
Indonesian kueh are popular in Indonesia and due to its historical colonial ties also in the Netherlands. Examples of Indonesian kueh are Spekkoek (or Lapis Legit); Kue lapis; Wajik (or wajit); and Kelepon.
Some of the more well known types of kuih include the following:
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