Illustrated feature: The Little Nyonya

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The Little Nyonya is a Chinese film set during the time period of WWII in Malacca, Malaysia where it is rich in the Baba-Nyonya culture. Babas are what males are called and Nyonyas are what females are called. This film stars a deaf and mute woman, named Guk Hyung, who is a daughter of the head of the household and a servant, thus she too becomes a servant and is thought lowly of because of her illegit origins. Her story of being mistreated and abused is carried on with the birth of her daughter whom she has with a Japanese man, which makes her daughter an even more of an outcast than she already is. This drama puts much of the culture into microscopic and refined details, not giving up any chance to illustrate the rich and sophisticated nature of how the Babas and Nyonyas lived. A prevalent theme in the plot of the film is the marriage joining a Baba and Nyonya. Just like in the United States and anywhere else, there is much to be done to prepare for a wedding, but how the wedding is carried out varies widely between all the multifaceted cultures around the globe; this is no exception to the Babas and Nyonyas.

There are many prerequisites in which a Nyonya needs to meet in order to be officially taken into consideration for marriage by the Baba’s family. A Nyonya needs to be abstinent and retain her virginity before marriage as this is highly regarded so that it doesn’t dishonor and put the family to shame. Also, the levels of wealth and social status that one family possesses should be on par with the other family. Usually, families become relatives because of business and economic benefits and privileges. The basic duty of a Nyonya after marriage is to bear sons in order to inherit the family legacy and name. Consequently, a Nyonya cannot be sick or have any abnormalities, which was a major obstacle for the main character Guk Hyung to find a life partner. Marriage in the Baba-Nyonya culture is in many ways traditional and at times, a little too demanding.

The cooking skills of a Nyonya are not to be belittled nor are they easy to master. The simplest looking dish can be quite deceiving because it may take focus and preparation in order to make it. In fact, it is said that a Nyonya spends most of her life in the kitchen before and after marriage mastering the culinary arts.

The spices are the essences of any dish–it either makes it or breaks it. There are over 20 different spices to choose from, each having its own unique taste and use. Though an individual spice by itself may not make a big influence on how the dish tastes overall, the combination of several spices to the perfect degree will eventually define the dish. In order to produce the sauce, an apothecary type of mortar and pestle are used to crush the spices. The rhythm of each stamp needs to be kept at a precise tempo. It cannot be too fast or too slow nor can the strength exerted be too strong or too weak. The time at which each spice is added to the bowl is also crucial to the ultimate result. Each step, if not carefully planned and carried out, can alter the taste drastically.

Embroidery is a significant factor that is weighed just as heavily as cooking. The outfit that a Nyonya wears is made up of two pieces: the kebaya, which is a sheer, transparent blouse and the sarong, which is a wrap around tube skirt, that falls to the ankles. Both are lavishly embellished with intricate patterns of flowers made with the liveliest vivid colors with gold linings. However, the most important part of a Nyonya’s appearance is the beaded slippers. It doesn’t matter if a Nyonya adorns herself with the most dazzling outfit if her shoes are not of the same caliber made with great expertise. The design on the front of the slippers is made with small colored glass beads that are attached through holes with needle and thread. This meticulous process requires intense practice and great dexterity along with nimble fingers.

In the Baba-Nyonya culture, the chor chor (grandmother) holds the most power, thus she is able to pick whomever she wants her son or grandson to marry. However, in order to gain recognition, a Nyonya must possess extraordinary cooking to appeal to the chor chor’s appetite and demonstrate her ability to sew masterpiece slippers. Just by tasting the food, the chor chor can easily pick out all the spices that were used and the way it was made. Likewise, by looking at the slippers, the chor chor can immediately determine the Nyonya’s personality and whether or not she has been raised in a righteous way. The cooking and embroidery act as windows into the Nyonya’s soul and can not hide any fabrications. As a result, a Nyonya cannot lack in either of these two fields; otherwise, she is looked down upon and condemned in society. Moreover, her chances of being chosen for marriage are drastically lowered.

Because of these thorough and scrupulous yet appropriate measures, a Nyonya needs to put everything that she has learned to make her best work to excel in the chor chor’s eyes. After deep consideration and pondering, the chor chor makes a decision and one lucky Nyonya is finally singled out to be the best candidate and marriage arrangements are made.