In Xinglong: Learning Nyonya Kueh
In Xinglong, an overseas Chinese town in Hainan, I visited the home of an Indonesian Chinese family and learned to make nyonya kueh and coconut balls. This craft has been passed down for four generations.
Nyonya kueh is a traditional Southeast Asian cake that arose from the fusion of Chinese (mainly Hokkien and Hakka) and local cultures in Malaysia and Indonesia. Typically made with pandan leaves, coconut milk, and glutinous rice, these sweets are known for their vivid colors, layered textures, and delicate balance of sweetness. They are regarded as cultural symbols of memory and heritage within overseas Chinese communities.
The lady in the photo still honors a long-kept tradition: returning to Indonesia every year to refine her skills and to learn new variations of nyonya kueh. For her, these sweets are more than cakes—they are vessels of memory, migration, and cultural continuity.
Her devotion shows in every detail of ingredient selection: pandan leaves carefully sourced after comparing vendors, coconuts imported from Thailand, taro from the famed Lipu region of Guangxi. Even rice, starch, and flour are chosen with meticulous care.
In her hands, each piece of nyonya kueh is not merely a dessert but a slice of living history.
Narrative preserved from my original field notebook.
Earlier website text — preserved in full
Independent Fieldwork-Hainan
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In Xinglong: Learning Nyonya Kueh
In Xinglong, an overseas Chinese town in Hainan, I visited the home of an Indonesian Chinese family and learned to make nyonya kueh and coconut balls. This craft has been passed down for four generations.
Nyonya kueh is a traditional Southeast Asian cake that arose from the fusion of Chinese (mainly Hokkien and Hakka) and local cultures in Malaysia and Indonesia. Typically made with pandan leaves, coconut milk, and glutinous rice, these sweets are known for their vivid colors, layered textures, and delicate balance of sweetness. They are regarded as cultural symbols of memory and heritage within overseas Chinese communities.
The lady in the photo still honors a long-kept tradition: returning to Indonesia every year to refine her skills and to learn new variations of nyonya kueh. For her, these sweets are more than cakes—they are vessels of memory, migration, and cultural continuity.
Her devotion shows in every detail of ingredient selection: pandan leaves carefully sourced after comparing vendors, coconuts imported from Thailand, taro from the famed Lipu region of Guangxi. Even rice, starch, and flour are chosen with meticulous care.
In her hands, each piece of nyonya kueh is not merely a dessert but a slice of living history.
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