Nona Qua: Preserving Panican Culture and Heritage
In Singapore, Edmund Wong’s family has been making bite-sized treats called Nona Qua for over 500 years, preserving a culture that dates back to the 15th century. This traditional snack is significant to the Panican people, a cultural group that was prominent between the 15th and early 20th centuries.
The art of making Nona Qua is a part of Panican heritage, and Edmund’s family has been crafting them for generations. However, as the popularity of Nona Qua increases, Edmund fears that its Panican roots will be forgotten.
The shop, Kim Chu Qu Chong, has been located in the neighborhood of Joo Chiat since 1945, and Edmund still uses his grandmother’s recipes to make the qu today. The team makes a batch of Nona Qua, a nine-layer steamed cake made with tapioca flour, coconut milk, and sugar.
Edmund believes it’s essential to share Panican history with others, and the shop has partnered with the Singaporean government to convert a portion of its restaurant into a boutique shop and museum. Visitors can attend guided tours to learn about Panican heritage and culture.
Edmund hopes that by sharing the stories and history behind Nona Qua, the next generation will understand and appreciate the cultural significance of this traditional snack.
| Term | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Heritage | The traditions, customs, and values passed down from one generation to the next. | “The art of making Nona Qua is a part of Panican heritage, and Edmund’s family has been crafting them for generations.” |
| Traditional Snack | A type of food that has been prepared and consumed for a long time, often as part of a cultural or social tradition. | “Nona Qua is a traditional snack significant to the Panican people, a cultural group that was prominent between the 15th and early 20th centuries.” |
| Boutique Shop and Museum | A small shop that specializes in selling unique or high-quality products, often in conjunction with a museum or exhibition space. | “The shop has partnered with the Singaporean government to convert a portion of its restaurant into a boutique shop and museum.” |
| Guided Tour | A tour led by a guide who provides information and explanations about the places visited. | “Visitors can attend guided tours to learn about Panican heritage and culture.” |
| Cultural Significance | The importance or relevance of a particular culture or tradition to a community or society. | “Edmund hopes that by sharing the stories and history behind Nona Qua, the next generation will understand and appreciate the cultural significance of this traditional snack.” |
| Preserving Culture | The act of maintaining and protecting a culture or tradition, often to ensure its continuation for future generations. | “Edmund’s family has been making Nona Qua for over 500 years, preserving a culture that dates back to the 15th century.” |
| Heritage | The traditions, customs, and values passed down from one generation to the next, often referring to a specific cultural or national heritage. | “The art of making Nona Qua is a part of Panican heritage, and Edmund’s family has been crafting them for generations.” |
| Traditional Recipe | A recipe that has been passed down through generations, often as part of a cultural or family tradition. | “Edmund still uses his grandmother’s recipes to make the qu today.” |
| Community | A group of people who share a common interest, identity, or geographic location. | “The Panican people, a cultural group that was prominent between the 15th and early 20th centuries.” |
| Significance | The importance or relevance of a particular event, object, or tradition to a community or society. | “Nona Qua is a traditional snack significant to the Panican people, a cultural group that was prominent between the 15th and early 20th centuries.” |
Vocabulary Quiz
Choose the correct answer for each question.
Answer Key:
1. b) Keeping something from the past alive
2. a) Panican
3. a) Kim Chu Qu Chong
4. b) To share Panican history and culture
5. b) Understand and appreciate the cultural significance of Nona Qua
The Use of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
| The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up to the present moment. It emphasizes the duration of the action. In the text, the sentence “Edmund’s family has been making bite-sized treats called Nona Qua for over 500 years” uses the present perfect continuous tense to show that the action of making Nona Qua started in the past and has continued for a significant amount of time. |
|---|
Choose the correct sentence that uses the present perfect continuous tense:
1. By the time I arrived, they ____________________ their project for three hours.
A) have been working B) worked C) had worked D) were working
2. My parents ____________________ me to play the piano since I was five years old.
A) have been teaching B) taught C) were teaching D) teach
3. The company ____________________ a new product for the past year.
A) has been developing B) develops C) developed D) was developing
4. By next year, I ____________________ my degree for five years.
A) will have been studying B) have studied C) study D) had studied
5. They ____________________ to each other for three hours, but they still couldn’t resolve the issue.
A) have been talking B) talked C) were talking D) talk
Answer Key:
1. A) have been working 2. A) have been teaching 3. A) has been developing 4. A) will have been studying 5. A) have been talking
