Kueh vs Kuih

‘粿’ in Hokkien pronounce as ‘kùeh’, in Hakka ‘gó’, in FooChow ‘go’.   Kueh is a broad term which may include that would be called cakes, cookies, dumplings, pudding, biscuit, or pastries in English, and are usually made from mainly rice flour, glutinous rice flour or glutinous rice.  Kuehs are often steamed than baked, mostly sweet, some savoury.

Examples of kuehs include : ô kùeh ( yam cake 芋粿/糕 ),  ang ku kùeh ( red tortoise cake红龟粿 ), chai kùeh ( chives cake 菜粿 ),  chuzǘ kùeh ( cassava cake 木薯粿/糕 ),  dï kùeh ( sweet cake 甜粿 aka 年糕 ), gáo têng kùeh ( nine layer cake 九层粿/糕 ), yìu chàr kùeh ( deep fried cake 油炸粿 ) etc.

In some instances, the Chinese word粿 ‘kueh’ seems to be interchangeable with糕 ‘cake’.  But not all cakes can be labeled kuehs.

Western cakes, strictly speaking, are of mainly of wheat flour, and were baked.

Not to be confuse with Malay word ‘kuih’, ( plural kuih-muih ).  Malay’s kuih are usually made of either rice flour, wheat flour, tapioca, glutinous rice or glutinous flour.  The most common flavouring indredients are grated coconut, coconut milk, pandan leaves, and gula Melaka.   Kuihs can be steam, boiled, baked, deep-fried, and even grilled.

There are undeniably some inter-cultural influences in Malay’s kuih and Chinese kueh, there are still some distinct and blurry features set them apart.

Examples of Malay kuih are : bingka ubi, cucur, ketupat, kuih talam, seri muka, kuih pelita, lepek pisang, onde-onde, pisang goreng, etc