The Layers of Life

I was privileged to have met Edmund from Kim Choo Peranakan house. He owns the Peranakan house and shared with me more about Peranakan delicacies. And one of it was definitely Kueh Lapis.

Kueh Lapis is a well-loved Singaporean tea-time treat. It comes in nine distinctive colours. This kueh is a concoction of the Peranakan Chinese. Peranakan referred to the descendants of Chinese immigrants who married local women when they settled down in the Malay Archipelago during the 15th and 17th centuries.

Thus, this Nyonya treat has its influences from both Malay and Chinese cuisines. While the word lapis means “layers” in Malay, it was the Chinese that creates the tradition of eating kueh. Thus the merge of these cultures created this Peranakan delicacy.

Kueh Lapis is a steamed layered cake and according to Edmund, it comes in 9 layers of different colours. It is normally springy, smooth and rich in texture. History has it that a good kueh lapis is one that you could tear the layers separately and springy enough to not stick to the teeth.

Apart from the process of steaming, the kueh uses a lot of ingredients such as rice flour, tapioca flour, water, sugar, coconut milk, pandan leaves and food colouring. Ultimately, it is a delicious blend of coconut and pandan taste.

Edmund mentioned about there is a unique story about kueh lapis. He said that “Kueh Lapis represents Longevity.” By peeling layer by layer, you are reliving every phase of your life. It is said that the colours represent the different stages of life, happy moments, sad moments, excitements, etc.

According to Edmund, kueh lapis carries an important message and that is,

“Once you reach our rightful old age and look back at our old memories, we piece them together, it becomes a beautiful rainbow. Don’t rush into life, enjoy it as you can be.”

Simple message behind the traditional method of peel one layer at a time.

I will leave you to that.