Pulau Pinang
Known as “ The Pearl of The Orient” – Penang Island or Pulau Pinang , is an island which is connected to the mainland, Peninsular Malaysia by the Penang Bridge.
It is the place where Nutmeg trees are grown. They are preserved with sugar or turned into pickles or make into spices. The Nutmeg Powder, used as part of the ingredients for chicken rice and even added to cakes or cookies as flavors.
Besides the Nutmeg, the island is also famed for its “ Penang Laksa ”. Unlike the Laksa Kedah and Perlis, this laksa , when served is normally accompanied with Petis ( a sauce made of sweet soya sauce with fermented prawn paste ). Nasi Kandar and the famous Kari Kepala Ikan ( Fish Head Curry ) are among the savory that visitors to the island will look for. The Nasi Kandar is a rice that tops with variety of curry gravies and eat along with Papadoms, whereas the Fish Head Curry consist of the red snapper fish head as its main ingredients. There is also the Nyonya Baba’s cuisines like the Curry Kapitan. A thick chicken curry that defines the nyonya cuisine, cooked in special spice preparation and named after the Kapitan Cina.
Overall, the Island comprises of interesting cultures of Malay, Chinese and Indians. These eventually proved by the mixture of dishes available throughout the island. The Gurney Drive, the hawker type food selling stalls, sells variation of foods that reflects these mixtures of ethnic cultures.
