Penang, Malaysia

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We arrived in Penang this morning about 8:00am and by 9:00 we were on a coach headed for our excursion, Penang’s Spice Trail. Locally, Penang is known as Pulau Pinang, and is the northern gateway to Malaysia. It is the country’s oldest British settlement. The word “Pinang” in Malay refers to the areca nut palm, which provides the betel nut, an essential ingredient in a delicacy chewed by millions in the Far East.

Penang is an island state off the west coast of the Malay Peninsula with the capital being Georgetown. It is a major vacation destination and in July 2008 was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Known as the Pearl of the Orient for its natural beauty, Pulau Pinang has a mixture of very gracious colonial architecture, vibrant Chinese communities, Indian temples, mosques and very nice beach resorts. The population is primarily Hokkien Chinese, with a sizeable Indian community, plus many Malays. Georgetown was built on swampy land that had to be cleared of vegetation, leveled and filled. Georgetown was founded in 1786 by Captain Francis Light, a trader for the British East India Company, and was named after Britain’s King George III. It has a population of 220,000, or about 400,000 including the suburbs. In 2007, it was voted the 10th most livable city in Asia.

As we left the pier, we drove through Georgetown and along the beach road to the Tropical Spice Garden. On the way, we drove past a new Hard Rock Hotel and several other high-end hotels along the beach.

When we arrived at the spice garden, our guide took us on a nice walking tour and explained the spices they grew, as well as some of the trees and plants on the property. After that we were treated to an outdoor cooking demonstration from a lady that prepared a Malay-Indian chicken marsala dish. Some of us got to participate in the preparation using traditional grinding stones and secrets of how to maximize the flavor and aroma of the spices. It was fun and quite tasty! We didn’t leave without buying a few spices and some natural mosquito repellent.

It was then back to the ship as our stay here was short. We cast off at 2:00pm for three days at sea and our arrival at Male, Maldives on the 29th. Another place in this world that we could spend more time enjoying!

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Photos

Along the Coast
Fishing boats dot the water along the coast on our way to the Tropical Spice Garden.

Hard Rock Hotel
There are many nice hotels in the Georgetown area. This one opened recently.

Tropical Spice Garden
The entrance to our excursion. It is across the road from the shore.

Scenic Pond
Looking a bit like Monet's in Giverny.

Picturesque Waterfall
Small waterfall on the pond.

Coffee Plant
Coffee beans.

Pretty Flower
Just can't pass up a nice flower.

Protea Plant
A beautiful flower, not quite open yet.

Various Spices
A sample of various spices displayed along the path.

Fan Palm
Fan Palm growing along the trail. They always grow north and south.

Another Spice
Not sure what this is, but it's pretty.

Cooking Demonstration
At the end of our tour, we were treated to a cooking demonstration.

Chef's Assistant
This young lady is helping the chef by using an old method of scraping out a coconut shell. She and her husband were backpacking their way around that part of the world and was working here part time.

Smells Great
She has the chicken and grated coconut cooking.

Cracking a Coconut
The chef is demonstrating the proper way to crack a coconut...with a hammer of course.

Annette and Peachy
Waiting for lunch to be ready.

How Hot Would You Like It?
The chef is adding the chilis into the recipe.

Spice Rolling Demonstration
She shows how to crush the spices the old-fashioned way and get the most flavor out of the spices...no Cuisinart.

A Good Student
Doug rolls-um and rolls-um.

The Finishing Touches
She is tasting and adding to adjust the final product.

Let's Eat!
It was a very labor intensive recipe but really tasty.

White Sand Beach
The ocean and beautiful beach across the road from the Spice Trail.