Hawkers’ Heaven - Tasting Penang’s Famous Street Food, Penang, Malasia

And it's thank you Lin again. This time for the tasty Malaysian post that follows. Reading it made water grew in my mouth and if I ever go to Penang Island, I'm most certainly going to follow your advice and try some of those dishes ;)

You find yourself in the throng of one of the food capitals in the world, where cuisine is as much a main draw for tourists as its beautiful beaches; and the wafting aroma of spices and flavors fill the street and become the stuff of literature. We are talking of Penang, a beautiful island in Malaysia where fusion cuisine existed long before the phrase was even crafted.
And so you ask yourself, "What do I eat?" Before we even begin to give you suggestions, some backgrounders: Penang was once home to the Dutch and the Brits. Because of its port, the island became a center of trade for Chinese, Thai, Malay and Indian traders. So what you see on the streets of Penang—those hawkers who sell you more flavorful food than you once thought imaginable—is a blend of the cuisines of these countries, as the traders brought their own dishes and spices with them and over time, the fusion became Penang.

So when you eat, expect to find something a little bit Thai, a little bit Chinese. Maybe a taste of Tamil mingled with Dutch flavor. It all goes together and somehow, it works. And while there may be specific dishes to look for, each hawker will have his own personal twist to it. That said, what does one eat in the streets of Penang? Here are five suggestions:

Nasi Kandar - This steamed rice dish originated in Penang. With the rice come innumerable curries and side dishes such as fried chicken, fish, squid, curried spleen, beef, fried prawns or fried squid. Vegetables include aubergines and okra. All of these side dishes are served in one plate with the rice. Finally, mixed curry sauce is always poured on top of the rice. Nasi Kandar is mostly served by Tamil Muslim stalls, and this is actually the top dish in Penang.

Laksa - This is a noodle dish that can either be served sour and spicy, or else it can be richly flavored and cooked in coconut milk. Laksa actually means "rice noodles" with black prawn paste, mackerel, ginger flower, Thai basil, tamarind juice, lemon grass, lengkuas, shallots, cucumber, lettuce, shrimp paste, pineapple, and spices like chili, turmeric, and mint. Indeed, where food in Penang is concerned, more is more. All this is served in a bowl with vegetables and gravy on top.

Hokkien Mee - This is a yellow noodle soup laced with prawns, shrimp heads, shells, vegetables, a soft boiled egg, and fried onions on top. The Penang version of this dish is so popular that people from other parts of Malaysia order this when they are here.

Eurasian food - This cuisine emanated from Dutch and British men who married Malaysian women. The Little Penang Street Market at Upper Penang Road still serves this cuisine at times, and there are some Eurasian restaurants in Penang as well. Usually a Eurasian meal has seven or eight dishes, and two of them must be curries. Debel (devil) curry pork is very popular. Other dishes would be something either fried or roasted, a pie, sweetmeat, pickels, spicy Mulligatawny Soup and kedgerees, among other possibilities. All the dishes are served with rice.

Roti Canai - You could call this Penang’s 24-hour dish. It can be served whether you are having breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can also snack on it. Usually it is served with chicken, mutton or lamb. It is actually dough made from flour, ghee, water and salt to taste. This flat bread is usually dipped in curry sauce. Have a coke with it, and you will have had a very tasty mid-afternoon snack.

Street food defines the character of Penang. It is a hawker’s haven but for the customer, it is hawkers’ heaven. You can eat amazing dishes worth many times over the very cheap cost of it. The sheer variety of flavors and choices may overwhelm, as there are literally hundreds of selections. This is one time when you should be guided just as much by your stomach as by your nose.

Lin writes for Briefcases Direct, a website that offers luxury briefcases and a great laptop briefcase selection, all direct from the manufacturer. Lin is an avid traveler and linguist. She currently resides in Calcutta, India and writes in her free time.

The photo from the capital of Penang, Georgetown, used in this post was obtained in commons.wikimedia.org so a special thanks goes to them too.