Recovering the Forgotten Art of Making Lem Peng
By Dr. Ong Jin Teong
February 2024 FEATURE
LEMPENG, LEN PEN or leng peng? However you may identify it, this traditional Penang Chinese New Year delicacy is now virtually extinct. “Lem Peng” was described as a “light as air” biscuit by Yeap Joo Kim in her book Penang Palate. In an interview, Lim Bian Yam described “leng peng” as a type of crispy but fluffy cookie that “melts” upon contact with the tongue. To avoid confusion, I shall spell it as lem peng, different from the Malay lempeng....
References
- [1] One gantang is equivalent to one gallon. One chupak is ¼ of one gantang.
Dr. Ong Jin Teong
is the author of two award-winning books —Nonya Heritage Kitchen: Origins, Utensils, Recipes and Penang Heritage Food: Yesterday’s Recipes for Today’s Cook. Following his retirement as a Nanyang Technological University’s College of Engineering professor, he lectures, conducts classes, writes books and articles on Nyonya cooking and food heritage, and runs the occasional supper club.
