Chinese New Year food question

[rasetsunyo]

Does anyone know if there's any Scandinavian influence in our cooking somewhere? Particularly in New Year pastries? It's totally far out, I know; it's not like they ever made it in a big way in the region. But the similarities are too strange to be credited otherwise:

love letters aka kuih belandah = krumkaka

Comments

[i_am_zan]

Well the term 'Kuih Belanda' does actually literally translate to Dutch cake/cookie. Belanda is the Malay/Indonesian word for the Dutch.

^_^ hi thar stranger! *HUGS* hope you're good! I didn't know Marie biscuits were British! nor Garibaldi's for that matter. Ahahaha and you'd think I know! I know Ovaltine and Horlicks are! And McVitties.

[rasetsunyo]

Aha, of course; so obvious once you know. Thanks.

(Also c.f. Italy's pizelles.)

Hehe it was pretty head-spinning to find out that my beloved raisin biscuits were not in fact, a local invention. I mean you buy them by weight at sundry shops out of big metal tins, how much more local and earthy can you get? "Whaddaya mean, they're called Garibaldis? And are actually British??"

Now I'm wondering about the tiny oval cookies topped with multi-coloured meringue rosettes...

*hug* Been real busy! Aagh hopefully things will calm down a bit after Chinese New Year...

[i_am_zan]

ohhh Iced gems ... I love those too! ^__^ hmm now THOSE MUST be local!

We'll have to ask Mr Khong Guan who is now apparently big in San Francisco too! I figured most of the biscuits we ate were made by them. Ahahaha!

I've been hoping things will calm down since the second week of Jan but it hasn't shown signs of slowing down yet! By 'it' I mean life of course! Eek Where the time goes and how it goes.

[rasetsunyo]

Ohh so that's what they're called. Apparently those are British too! Makes sense, really. I bet Khong Guan's biscuits were all British. Well, maybe not the pineapple ones. But most.

[hearyousmile]

can i steal your post for discussion with my class - Singapore history, foreign influences, continuity and change? :D

[rasetsunyo]

Sure! :D Hold on ah I unlock the photos. Otherwise they'll just see red crosses...

[rasetsunyo]

Done. I dunno if you want to talk about books as well; some time ago flemmings commented that in terms of taste in books Singapore ten years ago was more British than Toronto 30-40 years ago.

http://rasetsunyo.livejournal.com/97303.html

[hearyousmile]

haha! alrightie! thank you...:D