Penang cuisine is the cuisine of the multicultural society of
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Most of these cuisine are sold at road-side stalls, known as "hawker food" and colloquially as "muckan carts". Local Penangites typically find these hawker fares cheaper and easier to eat out at due to the ubiquitousness of the hawker stalls and that they are open for much of the day and night.
Penang island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
. On February 22, 2013, Penang was ranked by CNN Travel as one of the top ten street food cities in Asia. Penang has also been voted by
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
as the top culinary destination in 2014.
Snacks
Indian
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Apom
Apolipoprotein M is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''APOM'' gene.
The protein encoded by this gene is an apolipoprotein and member of the lipocalin protein family. It is found associated with high density lipoproteins and to a lesser ...
(Tamil: அப்பம்)—Indian-style pancake with a thin skin. It is crispy outside but soft and thick in the middle. Unlike
apom balik (''ban chean kuih''), it has no fillings.
*
Appalam
A papad is an Indian deep fried dough of black gram bean flour, either fried or cooked with dry heat (flipped over an open flame) until crunchy. Other flours made from lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato are also used. ''Papad ...
(Tamil: அப்பளம்)—a thin, crisp disc-shaped cracker typically based on a seasoned dough made from black gram (urad flour), fried or cooked with dry heat. Flours made from other sources such as lentils, chickpeas, rice, or potato, can be used.
* Samosa (Tamil: சமோசா)—fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, macaroni, noodles, and/or minced meat
*
Bhajji
Pakora () is a spiced fritter originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are sold by street vendors and served in restaurants in South Asia and UK. It consists of items, often vegetables such as potatoes and onions, coated in seasoned g ...
(Tamil: பஜ்ஜி)—a spicy Indian snack similar to a fritter.
Chinese
* ''
Eu char kuih ''(Chinese: 油炸粿) - Chinese-style deep-fried bread sticks usually eaten with
congee
Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...
or almond cream.
*
''Lor bak'' (鹵肉) - marinated minced pork, rolled in thin soybean sheets and then deep-fried. Usually served with a small bowl of ''loh'' (a thick broth thickened with corn-starch and beaten eggs) and chili sauce.
* ''Phong pneah'' (Chinese: 清糖餅) - Chinese light brown pastry filled with melted white sugar.
Peranakan
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Popiah
Popiah () is a Fujianese/ Teochew-style fresh spring roll filled with an assortment of fresh, dried, and cooked ingredients, eaten during the Qingming Festival and other celebratory occasions. ''The dish is'' made by the people and diaspora of ...
(Chinese: 薄餅) - Teochew style spring roll with a filling which consists of turnip, beancurd, egg bits and a dash of chilli paste and sweet sauce.
Malay
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Otak-otak
''Otak-otak'' (lit. brains in Malay and Indonesian) is a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. ''Otak-otak'' is traditionally served steamed or grilled, encased within the leaf parcel it ...
- fresh fish fillets are blended with light spices, coconut milk,
kaffir lime
''Citrus hystrix'', called the kaffir lime or makrut lime, (, ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia.
Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leav ...
leaves and other aromatic herbs, into a sort of fish mousse. The fish mousse is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed or grilled. It is stated that the dish originated from Johor.
Main dishes
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Banana leaf rice (Tamil: வாழையிலைச் சோறு கறி) - white rice (or parboiled rice in authentic South Indian restaurants) is served on a banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, curried meat or fish, pickles, and/or papadum. Is very much part of the few favourite local food in Penang particularly along Little India within the George Town Heritage zone.
*
Biryani
Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices, rice, and usually some type of meat (chicken, beef, goat, lamb, prawn, fish) or in some cases without any meat, and so ...
(Tamil: பிரியாணி) - also known as nasi beriani and has many different variant.
*
Fish head curry
Fish head curry is a Singaporean dish deriving from a hybrid of Indian and Chinese ethnic cuisines. The head of a red snapper is stewed in a curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and eggplants. It is usually served with either rice or bread ...
(Tamil: மீன் தலை கறி) - head of the red snapper stewed with vegetables such as okra, tomato and brinjals in a curry, usually served with rice. Passion of Kerala at New World Park,
Burmah Road, is famous for this dish.
* Mee Goreng Mamak (Tamil: மாமா வறுத்த மி) - it is made with thin yellow noodles fried with garlic, onion or shallots, fried prawn, chicken, chili, tofu, vegetables, tomatoes, egg and spices, giving this fried noodle dish a distinctly unique Indian flavor.
*
Mee Rebus
Mee rebus, also known as mie rebus/mi rebus in Indonesian spelling, is a Maritime Southeast Asian noodle soup dish. Literally translated as "boiled noodles", it is popular in Maritime Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, ...
(Tamil: அவித்த மி) - a rich gravy made out of sweet potatoes, is ladled over fresh yellow egg noodles and bean sprouts. It is garnished with cooked squid, prawn fritters, boiled egg and fried shallots. A squeeze of a fresh local lime before serving.
*
Nasi Kandar
Nasi kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish from Penang, originally introduced by Tamil Muslim traders from India. The meal consists of steamed rice combined with an array of distinct curries, sides dishes, and gravies. The selection of curr ...
(Tamil: நாசிக் கண்டார்) - a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavoured, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes . Among the most well-known is a place called Line Clear, off
Penang Road.
*
Pasembur
Pasembur (locally ''Pasemboq'' or ''Pasembot'') is a Malaysian salad consisting of cucumber (shredded), potatoes, beancurd, turnip, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, spicy fried crab, fried squid or other seafoods and served with a sweet and spicy nu ...
(Tamil: பசெம்பூர்) - a spicy salad dish consists of fried titbits and shreded vegetable sold by Indian Muslims.
*
Penang Acar (Tamil: பினாங்கு ஊறுகாய்) - Indian pickles. Known as Urukai in Tamil language, made from certain individual varieties of vegetables and fruits that are chopped into small pieces and cooked in edible oils like sesame oil or brine with many different spices
*
Bak kut teh
''Bak kut teh'' (also spelt bah kut teh and abbreviated BKT; , Teochew dialect, Teochew Pe̍h-uē-jī: ''nêg8-gug4-dê5'') is a pork rib dish cooked in broth popularly served in Malaysia and Singapore where there is a predominant Hoklo people ...
(Chinese: 肉骨茶) - literally translates as "meat bone tea", the soup dish consists of meaty pork ribs and meatballs simmered in a complex broth of herbs and spices.
*
Bee Tai Bak or Mee Tai Mak (Chinese: 米苔目) - silver needle noodles served with clear soup and minced pork.
* Char Koay Kak (Chinese: 炒粿角) - stir-fried rice cake.
*
Char Koay Teow (Chinese: 炒粿條) - fried flat rice noodles with chilli spices with seafood typically prawns and cockles (and typically with fried eggs). (A stall at a corner along
Chulia Street which uses distinctive narrower noodles than other vendors.)
*
Claypot chicken rice (Chinese: 砂煲飯) - another popular hawker food in Penang comprises chicken cooked in a claypot over a fire, served with Chinese sausages, egg, salted fish and mushroom.
*
Duck soup noodles (Chinese: 鴨腿麵線) - a complex savoury herbal soup served with
Thin vermicelli and topped with a duck drumstick.
* Fried
Oyster Omelette
file:Oysterpanfry TW.jpg, 200px, Taiwanese style Oyster omelette
The oyster omelette, as known as o-a-tsian (), o-chien () or orh luak (; Peng'im: ''o5 luah4'') is a dish of Banlamese (both Hoklo people, Hokkien and Teochew people, Teochew) origin ...
'' or ''Oh Chien (Chinese: 蚵煎) - an oyster omelette dish available at many hawker stalls and coffee shops in Penang. Garnished with coriander or parsley, the omelette is served with a dip made of chilli sauce and garlic paste.
[Penang Hawker ]Food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
*
Hainanese chicken rice
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of poached chicken and seasoned rice, served with chilli sauce and usually with cucumber garnishes. It was created by immigrants from Hainan in southern China and adapted from the Hainanese dish Wenchang chic ...
(Chinese: 海南雞飯) - a dish of Hainanese origin consists of rice cooked in chicken stock, and served with either roasted or steamed chicken, sometimes with sliced cucumber, bean sprout, spring onions and parsley.
*
Hokkien mee
Hokkien mee, literally "Fujian noodles", is a series of related Southeast Asian dishes that have their origins in the cuisine of China's Fujian (Hokkien) province.
Types
''Hokkien mee'' can refer to four distinct dishes, with each being ubi ...
'' or ''Hae Mee (Chinese: 福建麵 in Penang, 虾面 in Kuala Lumpur) - rice and egg noodles, served together with hard boiled eggs, small prawns, meat slices, bean sprouts and kangkung (water spinach) in a spicy prawn & pig bone (Chinese: 肉骨) stock.
*
Lor mee
Lor mee () is a Chinese Hokkien noodle dish from Zhangzhou served in a thick starchy gravy. Variants of the dish are also eaten by Hokkiens (Min Nan speakers) in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. In the Philippines, the local variant ...
(Chinese: 鹵麵) - rice and egg noodles in broth thickened with corn starch and beaten eggs, served with eggs (some feature duck eggs), meat slices and bean sprouts. The noteworthy stall is located next to the Goddess of Mercy Temple, with branches in Jones Road and
Pulau Tikus
Pulau Tikus is a northwestern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated between the city centre and Tanjung Tokong, this upper class suburb was named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island. It is home to small minorities of ...
*
Wan Than Mee (Chinese: 雲吞麵) - also known as ''Tok-tok Mee'' from the sound of knocking bamboo sticks made by the vendors in former times to draw attention to their food, of a dish of egg noodles and
wonton
A wonton () is a type of Chinese dumpling commonly found across regional styles of Chinese cuisine. It is also spelled wantan or wuntun in transliteration from Cantonese () and wenden from Shanghainese (). There are many different styles of ...
s with sliced barbecued pork and vegetables.
*
Penang Laksa (Malay: Laksa Pulau Pinang), a dish of thick round rice noodles in a spicy and sour tamarind-based (or assam fruit-based) fish soup. The dish is garnished with mint, cucumber, onions, shreadded lettuce and pineapple.
*
Nasi Lemuni - A rice dish that blended with ''
daun lemuni'',
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
,
ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...
,
fenugreek
Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...
,
lemongrass
''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family.
Some ...
,
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
.
Dessert
![Kulimcendol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Kulimcendol.jpg)
* Almond cream - a local dessert available at ''Restoran Traditional Home of Dessert'' along Kimberley Street which has been operating at the road side stall for three decades. Many people who have tasted it have described it as having the smell of cockroaches and a bitter aftertaste. It is usually served with
eu char koay (fried bread fritters).
*
Cendol
Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, ...
- a dessert with green noodles in coconut milk, brown sugar and shaved ice.
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Tau Foo Fah'' or ''Tau Hua (Chinese: 豆腐花) - Chinese pudding made with soft tofu in sugar syrup.
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Ice kacang (Malay: ''Ais Kacang'') - sweet red beans, seaweed jelly, barley pearls, sweet corn and fruits are covered with shaved ice, then laced with rose syrup, brown sugar syrup and sweetened condensed milk.
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Pulot tartal - a Nyonya glutinous rice dessert
*
Rojak
Rujak (Indonesian language, Indonesian spelling) or Rojak (Malay language, Malay spelling) is a salad dish of Javanese cuisine, Javanese origin, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The most popular variant in all three countries ...
- a fruit and vegetable dish in shrimp and chilli paste.
References
{{Cuisine
Penang