Malacca is well-known for its food. Most notable of all is the Nyonya-Baba cuisine which is a mixture of Chinese and Malay cooking with most dishes being spicy in nature. Interesting dishes of the Peranakan include Itek Tim (a soup containing duck and salted vegetables), Ayam Pong Teh (chicken casserole with salted brown-bean sauce) as well as the famous Nyonya Laksa.
Baba-Nyonya house in Melaka
The Portuguese colonization of the early 16th century also contributed dishes like Devil's Curry and Portuguese tart to the town's already rich cuisine. The interesting Chinese cuisine in Melaka includes the popular Chicken Rice Ball as well as dodol, a sort of solidified pudding generally made with durian or coconut. Ikan Bakar restaurants are also popular in Melaka with places like Umbai, Serkam and Alai being the choice of the populace.
The average tourist can find most popular Malaccan cuisine at the foodcourts or medan selera as they are referred to in the local Malay language.
Melaka's ethnic Portuguese population is a unique cultural and historical legacy of Portuguese colonization in the 16th and 17th century. Even to this day, many of the ancient traditions passed down since the Portuguese occupation are still practised, i.e. "Intrudu" (a water festival that marks the beginning of the Catholic fasting season, the season of Lent), "branyu" (traditional dance), "santa cruz" (a yearly fiesta of street celebrations).