(Lianhe Zaobao SUNDAY - Translated by bobafett81)
In the olden days, the Teochews usually married people from the same villages back in China. During engagement and wedding day itself, they will distribute 10 over kgs of peanut candies, sesame candies and other candies to relatives. Those elaborate weddings would even get hundreds of 月劳 饼 (Lao Bing). The teochews would put these wedding cakes, pork, dragon phoenix candles, wine, wedding invitations and other presents in 2 bamboo baskets. A pole would bind these 2 baskets together and they would be carried back to the female's parents house.
In the Teochew province back in China, they value the variaties of the wedding cakes. Usually, there will be a Tau Sar Pia 豆沙饼 with 4 candies (Gong Tang, Mi Run, Soft Candy and Soft Cakes) 贡糖， 米润， 软糖， 软糕. This 5 variaties became known as 普宁喜饼 Pu-Ning Wedding Cakes. The Hokkiens also had similar wedding cakes, but had Tau Sar Pia with 4, 6 or 8 candies wrapped in red wedding papers. Pu-Ning Wedding Cakes were more expensive then the common teochew wedding cakes 月劳 饼 (Lao Bing). Therefore, the common cakes were more popular and when the Teochews came to Nanyang (Singapore), the tradition of Lao Bing for wedding became common.
During the Japanese Occupation in Singapore, 泰茂栈饼家 Tai Mao Zhan Pastry Shop was set up at 连城街. Majority shareholder Mr Xu Shu Ting was the 1st generation management, who was previously a Teochew grocery shop manager. In 1943, he cooperated with 3 Teochew pastry chefs to established the pastry shop. Other than the Lunar 1st and 8th month, the chefs were busy baking wedding cakes for customers. As the teochew cakes were oily and has a nice texture, it was popular among the immigrants in Nanyang. Chefs at the pastry shop increased to 10 over peoplpe, and other Teochew goodies like 油酥饼， 咸豆沙饼 came out from the oven. Many customers bought their cakes and pastries from this shop.
Looking at the way things are going, we will likely be getting the most traditional Pu-ning style cake box to give to the bride's relatives, as pictured above. It is also known as the "Wu Se Bing" or Five-coloured Sweets/Biscuits, as my dad had specifically requested for "the most traditional one", the "poh leng biah" (Teochew dialect for Pu-ning biscuits)...
Need to find a reputable and traditional Teochew baker to acquire these goodies... have shortlisted Gim Thye so far, but theirs is amazingly pricey... hope we can find a better substitute, or it's going to be more $tre$$ haha!
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