Nyangka cuisine comes from native Chinese, who are descendants of early Chinese immigrants. They settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia and married local Malays. In Baba Malai, those born in the earth are called Nyonya (which also means Nyonya), and those born in the country are called Baba. Cuisine combines China, Malay and other culinary elements.

Nyonya cooking is a mixture of China ingredients and various unique spices and cooking techniques used by Malay/Indonesian communities. This has caused the native Chinese to explain Malay/Indonesian food, which also has a strong, aromatic, spicy and herbal flavor. In other cases, native Chinese also regard Malay cuisine as part of their taste buds, such as Assam fish and beef rendang. The main ingredients include coconut milk, galangal (delicate mustard-scented rhizome is similar to ginger), candlenuts are simultaneously used as flavoring and thickening agent, sand leaves, vanilla leaves (pandanus), belachan, tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger buds, bean potatoes, fragrant green lemon leaves and cincalok-a shrimp-based seasoning with strong taste, sour taste and salty taste.

There are regional differences in Niang's cooking. The dishes from Penang Island in the northern part of Malaysia Peninsula have Thai flavor, such as using tamarind and other sour ingredients more freely. Dishes from Singapore and Malacca have a greater influence in Indonesia, such as coconut milk. A classic example is the spicy soup (laksa), which has two varieties: the sour asam Risha in Penang and the coconut milk-flavored Risha lemak in Singapore and southern Malaysia.

The taste of Lesha and other Nyonya recipes is determined by rempah, which means spices in Malay. Mash all kinds of combinations into paste with mortar and pestle, which has very special texture and density. It is said that Niangjia can determine the cooking skills of the new daughter woman just by listening to her mother-in-law prepared with mortar. Niangjia's recipes have been handed down from generation to generation. Because it takes time to prepare these dishes, it is usually best to serve them at home. Laksa is the obvious exception to this rule.

Nonya specialties include otak-otak, a common mixture of fish, coconut milk, Chili sauce, galangal and herbs wrapped in banana leaves; Ayam Buah Keluak, a unique dish, combines chicken pieces with nuts from Pangium edule or kepayang trees to make a rich sauce; There is also Itek Tim, a classic soup containing duck, tomato, green pepper, pickles and sour plum soup, which is gently cooked together.

Nyonya desserts include colorful cakes (kue) and sweet and sticky delicacies.

List of Niangjia dishes

ACHAR-all kinds of pickled meat and vegetables, such as ACHAR Jie -LAH (honey lime/orange), Hu ACHAR (fried fish), ACHAR kiam Hu (salted fish), ACHAR timun (cucumber) and ACH.