Rice, the staple food among South East Asian countries, undoubtly plays a significant role in festive occasions. Here in Malaysia, the Pulut Kuning (Yellow Glutinous Rice) is served during festivities such as weddings, birthdays and thanksgivings. Its accompaniments are either curry chicken or rendang.
During Malay weddings, it is customary for the wedding couple to feed each other with Pulut Kuning. It signifies that the groom is capable of providing for the bride, and the bride is capable of preparing the provisions...in short, one provides the food and the other cook the food.
Siti Zaiton Ismail,Ph.D 2009
We see more adoption of the wedding cake into weddings nowadays, together with the cake cutting and feeding of the cake. This being the 21st century, the feeding should now represents a promise to support each other and work towards the beginning of a shared life.
The Pulut Rice is also known as Nasi Kunyit (Tumeric Rice) among the peranakan (descendants of early Chinese immigrants) community. It has been incorporated into the
full moon celebration for when a baby reaches one month old. This is when Nasi Kunyit, chicken curry, red eggs and red cakes will be distributed to family and friends.
In Indonesia, particularly, the Balinese and Javanese has their Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice), also known as
Tumpeng during ceremonies. The difference is that, it is rice cooked in coconut milk, rather than glutinous rice, is cone shaped, and accompanied by much more side dishes. Tumpeng has is also seen to be shaped in tiers, like a wedding cake.
The gum paste moth orchid pictured above is ordered by Diana to decorate the Pulut Kuning during her parents' wedding anniversary. A blend of Western and Eastern.
Anyone game for a 3 tiered Pulut Kuning as their wedding cake? I'm all ready to decorate it!
