T hanks to shared histories and cultural connections, travellers from Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan are getting a taste for the Malaysian state of Penang. That’s good news for Heritage on a Plate, which offers tours of Georgetown aimed at satisfying appetites for both history and food. Manned by Penangite Danny Mahes and American Jeremy Bernozzi, the tour operator takes guests to some of the best street food outlets in Penang, while explaining the area’s history and culture. View this post on Instagram Some scenes around George Town during this year’s Pai Ti Kong festival! We stayed out so late and were lucky enough to be offered some of the Jade Emperor’s offerings of siu bak (crispy roast pork) and some ang ku kuih (turtle shell shaped sticky rice flour cakes filled with sweet bean paste). Ho chiak!—that’s Hokkien for “delicious!”—words you might find yourself uttering around this town, pretty often. . . . . . . #chinese #food #foodie #tradition #newyear #hokkien #penang #malaysia #culture #history #travel #travelphotography #traveling #tour #tourism A post shared by Heritage on a Plate (@heritageonaplate) on Feb 13, 2019 at 10:22pm PST <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- //--><!]]> “I think many of our guests are very surprised at the cultural connections, because although Penang is well known as a food destination, its place in the Chinese diaspora is not as widely articulated,” says Danny, 36. “Some guests have been taken aback at how long the history of Chinese trade and migration here stretches, and the contributions of the Chinese community in making Penang what it is today cannot be denied.” Although the entire region has had trade and migration links to China since at least the 15th century, Penang specifically functioned as a “metropolitan nexus” of trade, culture, politics and beliefs, says Bernozzi, who has come across historical records that say – anecdotally – that Admiral Zheng He used to stop his fleet here for water, as “the springs here were known to the Chinese to be of higher purity”. The walking tour takes in temples, decades-old restaurants, and old clan homes; but it’s not all architecture – Heritage on a Plate also serves up meals rich in history as well as flavour. Eateries like the Hok Poe Lye cafe run by Tan Bong Chee, 64, have been around since the 1940s. The char kway teow – flat rice noodles fried in fat with prawns, cockles, bean sprouts and lapcheong (Chinese preserved sausage) and served on a banana leaf for added aroma – is light and complex, flavourful but with bite. Danny says that unlike some vendors who emphasise ‘wok hei’ (breath of the wok) and heavy flame and char, “Auntie Tan” prefers to use a gas stove which allows for a gentle, subtle mingling of the flavours. Why are so many Penangites settling in Hong Kong? Another stop on the three-hour tour is family-run restaurant Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (or Straits Chinese Snacks). Owner Mook Hian Beng, 64, only decided to open a brick and mortar store when the traditional method of selling these glutinous rice confectionery – tray-laden Indian vendors who took to the streets on foot or motorbikes – became unsustainable. “We have been in operation since 1933. But the shop as you see it has only been around for four years,” says Mook. The various treats – flavoured with pandan [screw pine], grated coconut, dark sugar and coconut milk, are a hit with Singaporean and Indonesian crowds. “Hongkongers like it too, but they have never tried this specific style. Singaporeans are more familiar with the taste, but they say that the way we make it is far better than in Singapore ,” he joked. This heritage and history is what elevates the food from being a random assembly of ingredients to something deeper, says Bernozzi. “The food here tells so many small stories about what has gone on not only in Malaysia , but across the world, whether it was famines or dynastic changes in southern China that sent people overseas, spices brought by Europeans from the Americas, or Muslim Indian nasi kandar [curried rice] vendors feeding the influx of people from South Asia with their local fusion curries.” For Hongkonger Jessie Chang, a financial consultant, the food tour was a cultural eye-opener. “I enjoyed learning about the cultures of Malays, Chinese and Indians. Compared to Hong Kong, they are all very traditional. They are quite different and yet live in harmony in a small town together.” The food, Chang says, was a throwback to a simpler time. “Although we have a variety of food in Hong Kong most of it is modernised. Whereas foods in Penang keep the historical taste with not much change.” Etienne Gad, 36, a French expatriate worker visiting from Hong Kong, was surprised to “see that all those regional cuisines were very much alive”. Penang wants to be like Hong Kong. Problem: its fishermen don’t Singaporean Goh KL, 50, enjoyed taking in Penang’s rich history, the similarities to his own hometown, as well as the historical clan buildings which reflected the state’s close links with China and Chinese merchants. Heritage on a Plate’s visitors come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are in Penang to settle, thanks to programmes like Malaysia My Second Home, which is popular with Chinese and Hong Kong residents. Others come for a holiday, and still others to connect with their roots – but all are keen to discover more about Penang. Businessman Cheah Cheng Hye, 65, still waxes lyrical about his days in Penang despite having long settled in Hong Kong. “Some of the city streets could be a scene from a Chinese movie set in the 1950s or 1960s. And Penang is best known for its hawker food – the most popular dishes include noodle dishes like hokkien mee and char kway teow, which I used to eat several times a week,” he says. “Malaysian food, which reflects the multi-racial composition of the country, is among the best you’re ever likely to encounter, and I’m so happy that it is being increasingly appreciated by people in Hong Kong and all over the world.” The operators of Heritage on a Plate entertain all sorts of visitors, says Danny. “Retired couples looking for a great place to spend their retirement, young parents taking their kids on a culinary adventure, and solo travellers looking to expand their experiences in a place steeped in history and Chinese tradition … Some of our guests have Penang heritage, and travel to rediscover their roots to this place and its food. It’s a peculiar thing about Malaysians, we identify so strongly with our food that even when you’ve lived somewhere else for most of your life, you have to come back to eat!” ■