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5 Must-Try Authentic Peranakan Dishes in Penang, Malaysia

Must-Try Peranakan Dishes in Penang, Malaysia

As a traveler who is always on the go, I spend most of my tours worldwide walking around, admiring the local way of life, or visiting busy hotspots whenever my schedule allows me to. But other than exploring on foot, I also enjoy exploring by food. I recently visited the Malaysian state of Penang, one of the world’s spotlights of street food galore, coffee shops, and restaurants, where food and culture are literally on the same street.

Temple in Penang Malaysia
Temple in Penang Malaysia

Penang’s Peranakan dishes are renowned for their concoctions of Chinese, Thai, and Malay influences, and although there are endless numbers of these delightful, aromatic, spicy dishes to choose from, here are some of the top five must-try authentic Peranakan dishes in Penang:

Penang Assam Laksa

Authentic Peranakan Dishes in Penang, Malaysia
Penang Assam Laksa – Authentic Peranakan Dishes in Penang, Malaysia

This bowl of Nyonya noodles in hot and spicy fish broth is not to be missed. Topped with the aromatic ginger flower, mint leaves, and peeled tamarind for extra broth tartness, Penang Assam Laksa is one of the Peranakan dishes’ staples. It is often served with a dark-colored prawn sauce, which only adds more to the texture and flavor of this bowl of Peranakan goodness.

Nasi Kandar

Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar Photo credit: irwandy via Foter.com / CC BY

Usually eaten during lunch or dinner, the Nasi Kandar is a rice meal served with chicken, beef, lamb, prawn, or nearly any type of meat, along with various curries and side dishes. The rice, which is sometimes flavored, is steamed in a special wooden container. The curry sauce is directly poured onto the rice. This satiating dish is usually served on just one plate.

Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow
Char Kway Teow Photo credit: ecv5 via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Char Kway Teow is another flavorfully overloaded Peranakan cuisine. The preparation of this local favorite dish involves the stir-frying of koay teow (short flat rice noodles) and an abundance of prawns, blood clams, and garlic chives. This is flavored with a little belachan (prawn paste), soy sauce, and chili. Traditionally, Char Koay Teow is fried in pork lard and served on a plate with a banana leaf for extra aroma.

Oh Chien

Oyster Omelette
Oyster Omelette Photo credit: insatiablemunch via CC BY

Oh Chien, or Oyster Omelette, is a dish filled with the ocean’s finest. Known for its affordability, the omelet is filled with small oysters, and the egg batter is thickened by potato starch. Some stalls cook this egg in pork lard for extra flavor. This dish is also well-known in the nearby countries Singapore and Hong Kong and is sometimes served with a thick sauce for taste.

Cendol

Cendol
Cendol -Authentic Peranakan Dishes in Penang

The bursting flavors of Peranakan can only be handled by the cool dessert that is Cendol. Made with shaved ice, coconut milk, palm sugar, and pandan-flavored jelly noodles, the sweet Cendol resembles the Filipino dessert Halo-Halo that can be eaten as an individual snack as well. Cendol is also served ingredients like creamed corn, glutinous rice, and red beans.

Cendol
Cendol

Penang is a place with a vibrant and varied culture. Sometimes, all one needs to fully immerse in the traditions is by taking a bite into the area’s cuisines, which, although they are also quite varied, are all tied together by the same roots for ages.

How about you? What’re your favorite Peranakan Dishes in Penang?

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Written by Melo Villareal

Melo Villareal is the Online Publisher of Outoftownblog.com. He is an Accountant by profession who left the corporate world at the age of 23 to explore his beautiful country and the rest of the world. Today, Melo works as a part-time Social Media Manager for local and international clients. His full-time work focuses on discovering interesting culture, explore different cuisines and take memorable photos from local and international destinations he's visiting.

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