Cover The universality of Chinese baked goods throughout the world tells a story of history and the movement of the diaspora (Image: Getty Images)
The universality of Chinese baked goods throughout the world tells a story of history and the movement of the diaspora (Image: Getty Images)
1 / 1
Decoding the history behind these humble and firm establishments, Chinese bakeries are a testament to the movement and preservation of cultural heritage, and something we should notice more
Chinese bakeries, for many, are hallmarks of childhood. Picking up snacks for recess, or perfectly frosted cakes (which are almost always topped with glazed fruits) for your grandparents’ birthday—these establishments truly see us through every phase of life.
For something with such a firm legacy throughout Malaysia, the story is told so casually through the unceremonious medium of flour and water. More than just shops, these bakeries are results of a millennia of journeys from China to Malaysia, and across the world.
Interestingly, the style of the bakery often reveals its historical influences. Usually found on a spectrum of baked goods, Chinese bakeries often originate from the traditional, handmade Cantonese style pastries such as wedding pastries and mooncakes, and throughout the 1950s-60s, they evolved significantly by incorporating Western techniques, especially within Hong Kong and Malaysia where they were previously British colonies.
In case you missed it: Matcha Madness: Niko Neko Matcha’s Syun Hattori on the growing matcha industry
Above Picture of bakery Kwok Kam-chuen at Cheung Chau (Photo by Warton Li/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
Picture of bakery Kwok Kam-chuen at Cheung Chau (Photo by Warton Li/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
1 / 1
Taiwanese style baked goods started with Western-influenced baking during the Japanese occupation in the 1930s when Japan was undergoing a “Westernisation” that began in the Meiji Period, influencing baking styles that we now know. Because of this, Taiwan tends to bake more bread-like buns, whereas British colonies such as Hong Kong would feature more tarts and pastries.
As it trickled down into other parts of Asia, and as the Chinese diaspora began assimilating, the regional differences between them began to blur, and it is now quite common to find Chinese bakeries offering both ends of the spectrum of unleavened tarts and pastries to fluffy and soft breads.
Above The freshly baked cheese tarts at Joy Bakery (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
The freshly baked cheese tarts at Joy Bakery (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
1 / 1
In comparison to Western bakeries with their signature hard, crusty breads, Chinese bakeries focus on flaky pastry and softer breads. China’s history with baked goods began with bing, a baked, unleavened cake or biscuit. Now, still prominent in the usual line up, we see variations that have evolved through time, including the traditional wedding biscuit, wife cakes.
What you’ll usually find as the foundational ingredients for many traditional Chinese pastries are flour, lard, and various sweet bean pastes. Other authentic components also often include lotus seed paste, sesame seeds, glutinous rice flour, and peanuts.
All of these components have their role to play in the final outcome of the pastry or bread, with the lard being a key component in creating the “yousu”, the flaky and crumbly layers in pastry dough, whilst also giving it flavour. Glutinous rice flour for a chewy texture, and sweet bean pastes for a natural sweetness.
Above Kwok Ying, 11-year-old, puts the chop "Peace" on the Chinese steamed buns are sold at a bakery as part of the tradition in Bun Festival in Cheung Chau. (Photo by David Wong/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
Kwok Ying, 11-year-old, puts the chop "Peace" on the Chinese steamed buns are sold at a bakery as part of the tradition in Bun Festival in Cheung Chau. (Photo by David Wong/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
1 / 1
One of the most quintessential Chinese pastry is the wife cake (lou po beng), a soft, round, flaky pastry, commonly filled with winter melon paste. Traditionally eaten to seal wedding contracts, this is now a popular pastry that can be eaten as a casual indulgence, although still eaten during weddings as a sign of tradition.
Other popular items in Malaysia include walnut cookies (hap tou sou), which are enjoyed as tea snacks, especially for new couples, kaya puffs (kaya kok), siew pao, and occasionally, egg tarts.
Above The pastries at Fung Wong, Malaysia's oldest Chinese bakery (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
The pastries at Fung Wong, Malaysia's oldest Chinese bakery (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
1 / 1
It’s impossible to understand the landscape of Chinese bakeries in Malaysia without Fung Wong, Malaysia’s oldest Chinese bakery, which began around 1909 when Chan Seng, the great-grandfather of Melvin Chan, the current fourth-generation owner of Fung Wong, started baking biscuits out of passion for him and his family. This slowly expanded into friends and other relatives, and not long after, a flourishing business. These same recipes were passed on to Melvin’s late grandfather Chan Weng, who left Guangdong, China, explored Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and eventually settled in Kuala Lumpur.
“Our bestseller is still our wedding pastry. The red one has a red bean paste filling, and the yellow is lotus paste,” says Melvin. These pastries are still ordered for weddings to this day, a reminder of the craftsmanship that has survived and adapted for over a century of change.
Above Melvin Chan posing with a photograph of his father and grandfather (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
Melvin Chan posing with a photograph of his father and grandfather (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
1 / 1
In order to adapt, Melvin took a big risk by changing Fung Wong to be more akin to modern cafes, whilst still retaining a lot of the heritage and rustic charm of a Chinese bakery, seen through the furniture, tiling, and of course, their food. “It was a big risk,” says Melvin, “It was either going to work or fail.” Now, the bakery sees collaborations with different brands, and a booming rotation of intrigued customers.
A common thread between many traditional Chinese bakeries are the familial ties, and Bakeri Joy in Taman Megah is a testament to that. Run by siblings Jack, Joyce, Margaret, and Joy, the bakery started in 1998. “I remember it so clearly, it was the same day KLIA opened,” Joy recalls.
Explore more: A foodie's guide to Taman Megah
Baking not only pastries, they have an assortment of breads (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
1 / 3
In Bakeri Joy, their style of baked goods differ slightly from the ones at Fung Wong, instead focusing more on cakes, tarts, pies, and breads. It showcases the spectrum of the evolution of Chinese bakeries in Malaysia, where it moves from ritualistic pastries of the early 20th century, slowly evolving into the comforting, daily bread that fuels everyday life and is emblematic of a certain time period. The space has been unchanged for as long as anyone can remember, an intimate, cosy neighbourhood spot that often uses one of its nine dining tables as makeshift cooling racks.
Old fashioned favourites don’t go amiss here, with a list of bestselling butter cakes, marble cakes, cheese tarts, coconut buns, and a wall lined to the brim with biscuits in those signature red-capped tubs.
Above The biscuits line the shelves in preparation for the Chinese New Year (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
The biscuits line the shelves in preparation for the Chinese New Year (Image: Nafisa Nezamuthdeen)
1 / 1
Other favourites include their pineapple tarts, which are available year round. “We have seen generations of people come through here, and what’s most important is that they are comfortable,” says Margaret. “I wanted to make sure the feel here is the same, the only upgrades and changes we did to the place was adding air-conditioning and changing our cash register to do the QR thing.”
And comfort indeed was not hard to find here, with the whole family seemingly knowing everyone to walk through the doors, and it’s no wonder that they have earned their reputation through consistency and nostalgia.
The cultural anchor that is the Chinese bakery might be easy to overlook, but with every coconut-filled bun or lotus paste pastry, therein sits generations of constant movement and effort to retain the historic flavour of Chinese-style baked goods.
Keandra's expertise lies within writing deep dives into the culture and anthropology of food, sometimes with a philosophical twist. With a background in London's F&B consultancy scene, she's excited to be back in Kuala Lumpur to champion the local dining scene.
Reach her at keandra.hing@tatlerasia.com, @keandruh
