Jul 25, 2010
Delectable dialect dishes
Some like it hot, some like it steamed or fried... put them together and they make up the yummy dishes of Chinese dialect groups
By
Rebecca Lynne Tan
To some non-Chinese, Chinese food is all about sweet and sour pork, stir-fried vegetables and fried rice.
With
so many dialect groups in the community, confusion arises and others
can be forgiven for lumping Chinese food under one giant umbrella.
The
distinctive cuisines of Chinese dialect groups are in the limelight
now. They are the theme for this year's Singapore Food Festival, which
began 10 days ago. The annual festival ends today.
Singapore
is made up of a diverse mix of ethnicities and ethnic Chinese form the
majority, making up about 76.8 per cent of the population, according to
figures from the last Singapore Census of Population, published in 2001.
Most
Chinese Singaporeans belong to the Hokkien dialect group. Other dialect
groups here are Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, Foochow, Henghua,
Shanghainese and Hockchia.
Cuisines differ a great deal among dialects - from the way a fish is steamed to the way porridge is cooked.
For
example, a Teochew-style steamed fish would involve boiling slices of
ginger with preserved sour plum, tomato and slices of preserved
vegetable. Broth is then added to the fish before it is steamed.
The result is a fish served in a slightly tangy light broth.
Traditional
Cantonese-style steamed fish looks and tastes completely different - it
is steamed and usually coated in fragrant hot oil and soya sauce, and
topped with spring onions and Chinese parsley.
As for porridge, the Teochew style is more like soupy rice, versus the smooth, creamy Cantonese style.
Preferred
cooking methods also differ. Some, such as the Teochew, prefer to steam
food, rather than fry or deep-fry. The Hainanese, too, prefer simple
cooking methods of simmering and blanching.
On
the other hand, Cantonese cooking is known for its 'wok hei' - the
aromatic charred fragrance which is infused into the food as a result
of frying the ingredients over a big flame.
Some dialect groups also use ingredients that others do not.
Hakkas
and Foochows are known for fermenting their own wine, which is made
from glutinous rice, and often use this in their cooking.
Chef
Chan Kwok, 54, group master chef of Orchard Hotel who heads its
Cantonese restaurant, Hua Ting, says: 'Cantonese people are well known
for brewing good soups. To them, every meal should begin with a bowl of
piping hot soup.
'Cantonese chefs believe that soups can help to improve and build up our bodies because of the ingredients and herbs used.'
And
if soups are definitive of Cantonese cuisine, Hokkien fare is often
characterised by its hearty dishes, such as kong bak pau, which are
slices of braised pork belly served in steamed buns.
Hakka
cuisine is known for its flavourful and light cooking style, and its
popular dish of abacus seeds, which are small yam dumplings cooked with
minced pork.
And what about Hainanese chicken rice and pork chop?
Mr Tan Yoke Han, 67, president of the Singapore Hainan Society, says those dishes have been localised.
The chilli and garlic sauce that is served with chicken rice is unique to this part of the world.
The
ubiquitous Hainanese pork chop in tomato gravy served with fries or
potato slices, he says, was created by Hainanese cooks who worked for
the British army and in hotel kitchens and it is an evolution of
Western-style dishes.
Foochows come from the
coastal region of Fujian province and hence, there is a strong focus on
seafood items. Popular dishes include cold crab and clam soup.
Their red wine chicken soup and deep-fried pork liver dishes are also well known.
Mrs
Magdelene Low, an executive board member of the Singapore Foochow
Association, 57, says: 'We have a good balance of both meat and seafood
dishes in our cooking. Our cuisine is slightly heavier than Teochew
cuisine.'
But many home cooks believe that the most authentic fare is prepared at home, with recipes passed down through generations.
Housewife
Tan Eng Choo, 62, who is Teochew, says: 'I learnt many dishes from my
mother and grandmother - how to steam fish, how to make stewed belly
pork and how to braise duck.
'We have to keep these dishes true to tradition and remember our roots.'
rltan@sph.com.sg
How can we keep our dialect dishes alive? Write to suntimes@sph.com.sg
Teochew


Healthy
fare include steamed fish with preserved vegetables, tomato, sour plum
and ginger (top); pig's trotter jelly (above); and snacks (below) such
as pink peng kueh, filled with rice; and white soon kueh, with bamboo
shoots and/or radish. -- PHOTOS: DESMOND FOO, ST FILE 
Geography:
The Teochews are the second largest Chinese dialect group in Singapore,
making up about 21 per cent. Many Teochew ancestors came to Singapore
from Shantou, in the eastern part of Guangdong province.
Characteristics: Fresh flavours. Sauces are often light but fragrant and tasty.
Cooking methods: Steaming is preferred; other methods include braising and stir-frying.
Famous dishes:
Steamed fish with preserved vegetables, tomato, sour plum and ginger;
braised goose or duck in soya sauce gravy; pig's trotter jelly or
aspic; orh nee, a yam paste dessert; and Teochew porridge, a watery
gruel with large fluffy grains of rice. The porridge is often eaten
with condiments such as preserved olives, preserved lettuce and salted
egg, and simple dishes such as omelette with preserved radish.
Where to try:
Chin Lee Restaurant, Block 115 Bedok North Road, 01-285, tel:
6449-5454; Ah Orh, Block 115 Jalan Bukit Merah, 01-1627, tel:
6275-7575; Guan Hin Teochew Restaurant, Block 34 Whampoa West, 01-01,
tel: 6298-3179
Hakka


Favourites
include suan pan zi (above) or abacus seeds cooked with minced pork and
mushroom; soon kueh made with yam-paste skin (top) and sweet dessert of
black bean kueh (below). 
Geography:
About 8 per cent of Chinese Singaporeans are Hakka, who come from
several regions in China, including north-east Fujian province,
Guangdong and Jiangxi. The Hakka reportedly moved from central China to
southern China during the early dynasties.
Characteristics: A combination of rich and hearty flavours, as well as light soupy fare.
Cooking methods: The use of home-made wine is common in traditional Hakka cooking. Steaming, stir-frying and braising are also popular methods.
Famous dishes:
Suan pan zi or yam coins that resemble abacus seeds fried with minced
pork and mushroom, and served with shredded cuttlefish; yong tau foo,
beancurd stuffed with minced pork; Hakka soon kueh, steamed rice-flour
dumplings with a yam-paste skin; lei cha fan or thunder tea rice, rice
dish topped with vegetables served with peanuts; and black bean kueh.
Where to try:
Plum Village Restaurant, 16 Jalan Leban, tel: 6458-9005; Kew Garden,
315 Outram Road, Tan Boon Liat Building, 02-313/315, tel: 6222-2313
Hokkien

Yummy
goodies include kong bak pau (above) and ngoh hiang, a minced pork,
prawn and chestnut roll wrapped in beancurd skin (below). 
Geography:
Over 41 per cent of the Chinese people in Singapore are of Hokkien
descent. Their ancestors came from Fujian province, which is along the
south-east coast of China, just north of Guangdong province.
Characteristics: Simple and hearty fare.
Cooking methods: Simmering for soups, braising for meats, frying and stir-frying.
Famous dishes:
Kong bak pau, which is sliced braised pork belly served in a steamed
bun; Hokkien mee, thick yellow noodles braised in a dark sauce and
stock; hae cho, a deep-fried prawn roll; ngoh hiang, a minced pork,
prawn and chestnut roll wrapped in beancurd skin; pig's trotter bee
hoon or rice vermicelli, and oyster omelette.
Where to try:
Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant, 65 Chulia Street, OCBC Centre, 05-02,
tel: 6533-2818; Bee Heong Palace, 134 Telok Ayer Street, tel:
6222-9074; Westlake, Block 4 Queen's Road, 02-139, tel: 6474-7283
Foochow

Red wine chicken soup (above), a Foochow speciality. 
Another Foochow must-have is deep-fried liver served with kai lan.
Geography:
There are about 50,000 Foochows in Singapore. Other dialect groups
closely related to Foochow include Hockchia, Henghua and Hockchew. Most
come from the Fuzhou area in Fujian province.
Characteristics: Often cooked with home- made wine, using more meats than seafood.
Cooking methods: Simmering and stir-frying.
Famous dishes: Red wine chicken soup, deep-fried liver with kai lan, fishballs stuffed with minced pork, dumplings, cold crab.
Where to try:
Singapura Seafood Restaurant, Block 9 Selegie House, 01-31 Selegie
Road, tel: 6336-3255; Lee Do Restaurant, 61 Ubi Avenue 2, 01-13, tel:
6742-6233
Cantonese

Roast duck, char siew and roast pork (right) are good starters for Cantonese meals. -- PHOTOS: BUSINESS TIMES, DESMOND FOO
Geography:
Cantonese people make up about 15 per cent of the Chinese here. Many
Cantonese come from Guangzhou, the biggest city in Guangdong province,
in southern China.
Characteristics: Rich
and robust flavours, tasty soups and dishes with 'wok hei', the charred
aroma that infuses the food as a result of being wok-fried over high
heat.
Cooking methods: Double-boiled soups, steaming, frying at high heat.
Famous dishes:
Roast duck, char siew, steamed fish with soya sauce, braised sea
cucumber and Chinese mushrooms, braised spare ribs, watercress soup
with pork ribs and red dates, winter melon soup, century egg and lean
pork porridge.
Where to try: Hua Ting, 442 Orchard Road, Orchard Hotel, tel: 6739-6666; Mitzi Cantonese Restaurant, 62 Tanjong Pagar Road, tel: 6222-0929
Hainanese


Hainanese
dishes include pork chop in tomato gravy (top); yi bua, a rice- flour
kueh filled with coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts (above); and art
bua, a rice-flour kueh doused in shredded coconut, and sesame seeds
cooked in brown sugar (below). 
Geography:
Hainanese people come from Hainan island, which is China's
southern-most and smallest province. The Singapore Hainan Society
estimates that there are about 200,000 Hainanese people here.
Characteristics: Simple cooking with strong flavours.
Cooking methods: Methods typically include boiling and blanching. Cooking styles in Singapore have evolved to include Western-style dishes.
Famous dishes:
Bai zhan ji or steamed white chicken which is often eaten with chicken
rice; Hainanese pork chop served in a tomato gravy; yi bua, a rice
flour kueh filled with coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts; art bua, a
rice flour kueh doused in coconut and sesame seeds cooked in brown
sugar.
Where to try: YY Kafei Dian, 37
Beach Road, 01-01, tel: 6336-8813; Yet Con, 25 Purvis Street, tel:
6337-6819; Chin Chin Eating House, 19 Purvis Street, tel: 6337-4640
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