Kuih Loyang

Come Chinese New Year, there is one kuih that I always looked forward to eating. Without fail, Peter’s mother will make several types of popular goodies such as kuih kapit, kuih bahulu and kiuh bangkit and present them as festive gifts. The one that I like most is kuih loyang. Loyang is the Malay word for brass.

This kuih is made by coating the brass mould with a batter of rice flour, plain flour, sugar and eggs, and deep fried in cooking oil. Peter’s mother makes the spicy version which is also salty. Those that are sold commercially are mostly sweet tasting. I like both types for its crispiness and the aroma when chewing it inside my mouth.

This kuih has been given glamourous names, most which describes it shape. It is also known as kuih ros because it resembles a rose, kuih goyang because it needs to be shaken off the mould when almost done, and sarang tebuan, Malay for hornet’s nest, because it resembles a honeycomb. Making this kuih takes a lot of skill. Removing it from the mould requires a delicate and deft shake to maintain its shape. I am looking forward to the next new year for a bite of this kuih again.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

9 thoughts on “Kuih Loyang”

  1. It’s been ages since I ate kuih loyang. I always thought we only get kuih loyang during Deepavali.. and I’ve never tasted the spicy version 🙂

  2. This is my favourite too….but i didn’t know what is the name of this kuih until i read this post. Thanks a lot :).

  3. Eileen,
    I have never been served kuih loyang during Deepavali. As far as I know, this is a Malay recipe.

    emotionalistic,
    You are welcome. 😀

  4. Yummy! I call them kuih ros. They are the best! I always thought it was an Indian thing though. It has this unique taste right. Not sweet, yet not savoury. Its an in between kinda kuih:P

  5. And i tot it was a chinese thing! ‘Mut fung tau’ Silly me. Now I KNOW it’s a MALAYSIAN yummy thingy…LOL! Learn a new thing everyday..

  6. Cherry,
    You, the taste is just right if properly done. I am drolling now.

    percolator,
    It is called “bit pang siu” in Hokkien. Same meaning. You are so right. It is indeed a MALAYSIAN yummy thingy. YUM!

  7. halasya,
    I am unable to find a photo of achappam online. Perhaps this delicacy has been around for so long and been made all over this region that no one ethnic group can claim to have created it. But we all agree that it is very agreeable to our palates. Thank you for sharing.

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