THE book is shabby and has begun to rot with dark brown stains in between some of the pages. On its cover is the title Kitab Deradjat Istri (Book on Wifes Degree) and the subtitle Ilmoe Peladjaran Bikin Koewe-koewe dan Masakan-masakan (How to Make Cakes and Dishes). Beneath is the name of the publisher, Tan Khoen Swie, Kediri.

Dated 1935, the book by Siti Asidah binti Datoek of Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra, contains food recipes and cooking instruct