Ang Koo, which is translated as red tortoise, is a Nyonya confectionery that forms part of the Full Moon offering. Traditionally, ang koo is only eaten during special feast days. Nowadays, however, it is common to see ang koo being sold at the market place by the Nyonya Kueh vendors.
The skin of the ang koo is made of glutinous rice flour which is coloured red with edible colouring. The filling is made of green beans or mung beans. To prepare the green beans for ang koo, they are washed and soaked overnight. After that, the green beans are steamed with some pandan leaves, to enhance its aroma.
The use of Ang Koo is usually associated with the worship of Chinese deities, particular the Jade Emperor. Ang Koo also features prominently in the Baby's Full Moon Celebration (Muah Goay), an offering made by parents after their new born child as passed a full month of age. The Baby's Full Moon is both a thanksgiving celebration to the gods for giving them the child. It is also a proclamation to friends, relatives, as well as to the deities and long-departed ancestors, that a new member has been added to the household. The food items associated with Baby's Full Moon, are chicken curry, nasi kunyit (tumeric glutinous rice), boiled eggs with their shells dyed red, and of course, the Ang Koo. Every item carries a symbolic meaning. The rice is a wish for the baby to always have a staple meal, the chicken that there's meat on the table, the eggs signifies new life and potentiality, while the Ang Koo determines gender. There are two types of Ang Koo associated Baby's Full Moon. The Ang Koo shaped to resemble a tortoise shell means the baby is a girl. If the baby is a boy, then the Ang Koo is round and plain. I do not fully understand why the girl baby gets the more ornamental Ang Koo, or that boy babies get the Ang Koo that look like a pair of balls, but perhaps you get the picture.
These items are laid into beautiful lacquerware tiffin carriers called siah nah, and carried house to house visiting friends and relatives, where the siah nah is opened and its contents distributed. The recipients will then insert an Ang Pow into the siah nah as a thank you. I am of course referring to a bygone era. Today, the Baby's Full Moon combo pack is available in styrofoam or plastic packages, some with slots for the different items, packed into a nifty cardboard box. The siah nah no longer makes the round, having been consigned to the showcase. Well, at least some parents still give away the traditional pack, as some have even gone ahead to pass around KFC or McDonald's vouchers.
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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms.
