5. Spices and the Rise of Melaka

Would you sacrifice an ox for the sake of cinnamon? Spices were once the global currency, sometimes worth more than gold. Myths around spices kept the prices high, fuelling spice empires around the world, including in Melaka.

Modern Malaysia traces its origins to the dawn of the 15th Century. After the fall of Srivijaya, Melaka emerged as a fierce trade empire, connecting lucrative markets in India and China. Some of these foreign traders settled in Melaka, married local women and seeded a new cultural group - Peranakans.

The Melaka Chetti community is one of 9 distinct Peranakan groups in Malaysia. We hear from Amuda Pillay and Nirmala Devi from the Melaka Chetti Heritage Asssociation (@melaka_chetti_kitchen) about life in Kampung Chetti and the importance of food. They share their experiences in keeping their culinary traditions alive through a cookbook, which was collaboratively written by the entire community.

References and Resources

A History of Malaysia (2016), Barbara Watson Andaya, Leonard Y. Andaya

The Melaka Chetti Kitchen Cookbook (2023), Julie Wong, David Neo, Melaka Chetti Heritage Association

The Melaka Chetti Heritage Association (Persatuan Warisan Chetti Melaka Malaysia)

The Science of Spice: Understand Flavour Connections and Revolutionize your Cooking (2018), Dr Stuart Farrimond

Chetti Museum - Jalan Gajah Berang, Kampung Chetti, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia

Wen's Kitchen - 169, Jalan Tengkera, 75200 Melaka

Credits

Hosted by Dr Noby Leong and Philip Gibson

Produced by Dr Noby Leong and Philip Gibson

Sound Design by Jack Barr

Satay? Okay! is produced by Kopi Productions Limited