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Penang Food

Penang Food is my island Penang is home to one of the country's finest cuisine. It is well known as a gourmet's paradise along the long white sandy beaches.

Penang is a livable urban municipality with a setting of mixed culture of Chinese or various origins, Malays, Indians, Mamaks, Eurasians and some Thais.

Penang Food, is like its people who are Chinese, Thai, Arab and Indian influence.

These ethnic groups have also merged within the Malaysian ethos and are an intrinsic part of the culture and food of the region.

In this page, are some of my favorite varieties:

Penang Hawker Food

It is no surprise when Penang Hawker food can be remembered by all visitors and Hokkien Mee being really famous now. Our street food is ridiculously cheap, the warmth and ever smiling local hawker would complete your stay with our delectable food. Peddling in food carts along the beaches or food courts, one finds food from all regions surrounding Penang Malaysia.

Penang Hokkien Noodles, A chinese hokkien specialty dish recipe
Hokkien Char, A Hokkien Dish recipe prepared with vermicelli and noodle with prawns, pork slices, bean spouts and chai sim. A Chinese noodle dish.

Lor Bak, Wan Ton Mee, Mee Goreng or Mee Rebus, Satay Rojak brings back fond memories for you, I am sure. These are what we called street food or hawker food.

Some of us are great food lovers:

Any of your Favorite food left out?

Penang Food is Malaysia's centre of good food and it comes as no surprise as we are unique in Malaysia because of our diverse culture.

Chinese Food

With Asian dishes top on the list, the diverse Chinese dishes and Chinese food in the restaurant is also surprisingly affordable for a romantic dinner for two.

 Nasi Dagang A Malaysian East Coast Malay Dish recipe
Nasi Dagang, One of a kind brownish flavored Glutinous Rice served with spicy Ikan Kayu and Pickle (A Malaysian East Coast Specialty Recipe Dish)

Malay Food

Traditionally, the lifestyle of Malays is one of agricultural and fishing. While fish is caught from nearby padi fields, rice is home grown on its home ground. In the past, Malays tend to have these attitude that they do not need much cash as all needed is surrounding their compound.

Wild roots, herbs and tree leaves are (salad) ulams for their daily diet of Malay Penang food. Belachan is in almost every Malay recipe.

For breakfast, they eat Kuih (cakes) made from starchy grains and roots such as glutinous rice, sweet potato, tapioca, or sago palm. The pandan (screw pine leave) is used the same way the English would use Vanilla. One Malay recipe dish stand out among the whole main course of dishes is the Nasi Lemak

English dishes from English cuisine but prepared by professional chef who left the hotel industry can be found all over the island. Fine class dining is one example. Their appetizer dishes as starters are mild, light and well prepared.

Some gourmet dishes flicking up European recipe, Korean Food recipe, done as main course recipe is commendable. The minority group of Eurasians. Portuguese or Dutch sailors also intermarried with the locals, forming a subculture called the Serani.

 A south indian main meal course set dishes in Penang
Southern Indian Food, Chapati, Pandan and Santan Layered Agar Agar (Jelly), Spicy chicken curry dish, Pickle cucumber and pineapple, Friend Bee Hoon (A pot luck meal set)

Eurasian Food

Unlike the Chinese entourage of the Princess Hang Li Po, the Serani or Eurasians as they came to be known, adopted the religion, language and cuisine of the Portuguese.

The Portuguese, like the Malay, were seafarers on a grand scale, and their cuisines blended beautifully.

The term Eurasian came to include the children of the Dutch and English liaisons with Malaysian women. The Penang Food of the Eurasian community represents the deepest blending of the cultures of Malaysia, including the influences of Malay, British East Indies, Dutch, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese and Nyonya cooking.

Indian food

Curry chicken recipe prepared by the Southern Indians Penang Food are usually hot and typically use spices like turmeric, coriander, ginger, aniseed, cummin and black peppercorn. The chicken curry can be prepared wet or dry by adding coconut milk or santan. Tamarind is added for fish curry dishes to cut the spiciness. Thosai (rice and lentil pancakes), idlee (steamed rice patties), are served with dhal or sambal

A Vegetarian Rice and Dhal recipe main course Indian meal
A Vegetarian Meal Course with Dhal Sambal, Sweet and Sour Beancurd, Fried Spinach and Spicy Sweetened Pumpkin dish.

Chutney made from young coconut, mint, onion with coriander leaves are grinded and served for this morning or light meals. They will end their meals taking rice beverage which consist of rasam (a soup filled with pounded ginger recipe, fried spices and tamarind juices). Tairu or yoghurt, payasam with vadai is a must to eat on this banana leaf affair.

North Indian Penang food tends to be milder. The curries dishes features aromatic spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, aniseed and saffon.

The masala recipe in food india uses cashew nuts, almonds and raisin. Dairy products like milk, cream, yoghurt and paneer (cottage cheese).

The most popular of all and a new trend to eating are Mamak food called Nasi Kandar. These Indian Muslims Penang Food are not rice cooker recipes. They are cooked in huge cauldrons. A typically main course recipes of rice based buffet with ten over curry dishes. The chicken or meat curries have a distinctive flavour. You should try this Nasi Kandar flavored dishes with a mixture of curries from beef, mutton or chicken recipes.

 Nian Gao with Yam and Sweet Potato a sweet dessert from Penang
Kuih Kodoh (Sweetened Banana Patties) and Deep Fried Yam and Sweet Potato with Kuih Bakul (Nian Gao), a lovely Nyonya dessert

Vegetarians dishes by both Chinese and Indians are a hit too as more people are getting to be health conscious. The soybean based vegetarian food, cooked and tasted like meat or seafood is a recent craze.

No garlic or onions are used by the strict vegetarians when cooking their dishes. Some vegetarians are allowed eggs in their diet.

Nyonya Food

The Peranakan Food or Nyonya Penang Food is another great choice of mix cultural food. Spicy, hot, sourish, salty from the Chinese cuisine and curry recipes and dishes from the Malay and Indian influences. The food is generally spicy with the use of sambal and curry.

The Nyonyas are famous for their kuih, like Pulut Tatai, Huat Kuih, Kow Chan Kuih (9 layers sweet cakes), Rempah Udang ( a cake made of glutinous rice stuffed with chukur (kind of root) and prawns.

Some of the shrimp curry or fish recipes are unforgettable meal recipes. The Nyonya Penang Food are enchanced with Thai influence while our Malacca Nyonya has Malay recipes elements.

 Gaik Chin Economy Food Restaurant in Prai Penang
Mrs Chuah Gaik Chin Restaurant behind Megamall Prai. Daily she serves the very best of economy food with over 30 recipes dishes both Chinese and Nyonya.

Lastly we have the economy food in Penang. Most office workers wishing to have rice as their staple meal will opt for these wide array of meat, fish and vegetable dishes. This Economy food is commonly called economy rice. Usually in a coffee shop or kopi tiam, there will be 4 to 6 noodle hawker stalls. Tucked in the corner is the "economy rice" man.

The wonderful dishes comes with porridge and rice. You have abundance of Chinese prepared or Nyonya dishes to choose. You have over 20 to 30 dishes to choose from. Chinese or Nyonya food is a much chosen choice.

It is very economical to eat out in kopi tiam as a choice of 4 dishes with a plate of rice come to not more then RM5.

Desserts

In Penang Food, we have the best cream of all dessert you can find in this best of Asia. Dessert are the only dish I eat every week without fail. It could be pudding, porridge, sugar coated or syrup covered recipe dish. We must have the last moment of surprise to complete the meal.

There is no denying that our island Penang is a food heaven and we are reaping the fruits of this happy mixed culture. If you live to eat, Penang is surely a paradise for you to live.

Going for holidays?

Cheap airline tickets are also demanding among people specially when they go for vacation with their families. Go airlines offer a very special package for the travelers on online booking. The spirit airline it is always been proud to offer low rate fares to its customers. They give full entertainment and excitement during journey.

Go to Top of Penang Food Page

Not enough of food, back to  Nyonya Food Page

What about Malay sambal?

Some Eurasian Affair

Need hot and spicy Indian curries?

Don't salivate, go for more Nyonya desserts

Home cooked but away from home food, try then if you are never invited to our houses or too shy to accept invitations.

Drool over my Nyonya food

Still have more space in your stomach, eat my cookies

Enough of wishing, come back to My Island Penang Home Page

 

 

 

 

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Eurasian Food

Lina Jam Puffs
Jam Puff Photos
Baked Beans
Garlic Asparagus
Baked Potato

Nyonya Food

Kerabu-Pineapple
Kerabu Sauce
Sambal Udang
Nyonya Lor Bak
Fish Tumis
Assam Laksa

Malay Food

Sambal Belachan
Sambal Chicken
Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak Delights

Chinese Food

Indian Food

Curry Deep Fried Chicken
Onion Pickle
White Carrot Pickle
Vegetable Salad
Mee Goreng

Street Food

Hawker Food Photos

Kopi Tiam Food

Penang Home cooked Food

Penang Desserts

Kuih Kodok

Malaysian cookies

Ti Kuih
Photos Ti Kuih
Ti Kuih Dessert
Kuih Kapit
Making Kuih Kapit
Kuih Bangkit