Capturing an Opportunity: Food Brings Harmony

Rome has the Coliseum, Seattle has the Space Needle, Spain has the Run of the Bulls, and Penang (Malaysia) has.....food and lots of it!! This creates a culture all its own. Aside from the bustling streets, mish-mash of nationalities, and steamy hot weather, Penang is literally known for its excellent cuisine. From sit-down restaurants to superb hawker stall street food, Penang has it all. Even the free tourist maps handed out are plastered with pictures of Penang food specialties and various food awards Penang has garnered over the past few decades. Here are a few fun facts about Penang and its awesome foodie culture.

-Ranked in Yahoo Travel's Top 10 Islands To Explore Before You Die

-Ranked in CNNGo's Asia's 10 Greatest Street Food Cities in 2012

-Ranked 3rd in Forbes list of 10 Best Street Food Cities in the World

-Penang Assam Laksa (Noodle Fish Soup) ranked 7th in CNN's 50 Most Delicious Foods in 2011

Now obviously those are just a few facts and going to explore for yourself is a much better option but let me tell you my taste buds agree with those facts. As a fun little game with myself I took that free tourist map with all the Penang favorites and attempted to indulge in every one. One side of the map plots out the most popular city in Penang, Georgetown, while the other side lists 29 of the most popular dishes the area has to offer. Below is a picture of these 29 savory indulgences and as you can see I nearly crossed off every single item. 27 out of 29 to be exact. Unfortunately I left out two and those two were Chee Cheong fun and Nyonya Kuih.

27/29 was definitely a good effort

Although let me give credit where credit is due. On my second day in Georgetown I met a wonderful Malaysian friend named Patrick who was on vacation there from Kuala Lumpur. He was on a mission to help this poor Seattle backpacker finish the list of 29 as if it was his first time eating all these gems as well. Patrick was a major foodie just like myself so he not only brought me to all the food stalls and restaurants that has these items but the ones the local Georgetown residents went to. I felt so grateful being in his presence. I could go on and on describing these wonderful eats but what made my time with Patrick so special was that I honestly stuck out like a sore thumb and I couldn't be happier about it. I found myself surrounded by people of many different cultures in Georgetown and I’m not talking about just westerners. There is no price to put on things like that.

I had read my lonely planet and heard from fellow backpackers about this “food culture” that Georgetown and Penang offered but it wasn't till I saw it with my own eyes that I truly believed it. Eating is more than just filling your belly in Penang from what I could observe in my eight days there. Families gathered, friends got together all to sit down, have some remarkable eats, and exchange in wonderful conversation. I truly believe eating and the social aspect of it is a very important part of human culture and Georgetown hits the nail on the head. There is something to be said about having a good meal and good conversation with the people you really enjoy being around. Sometimes I think that gets lost in the American world of go-go-go.

If I ever have the chance to head back to Penang, Georgetown in particular, I will do it in a heartbeat. Not just for the food but for the opportunity to see so many different types of people in the world come together in harmony. They say Malaysia doesn't really have an individual identity or culture but I think it does. That identity lies in-between the structures of what the world thinks an identity should be as so many different races, religions and attitudes create one cohesive unit.

Below are a few pictures from the delicious meals I ate during my time in Georgetown.