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EveryMasala

Penang

A Malaysian island port where the British planted nutmeg and clove to break the Dutch monopoly.

A ring: peppercorns and other round berries, tipped from the jar and counted by the spoon.

Also: Prince of Wales Island, Pulau Pinang, Georgetown spice garden

Penang, off the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia, was acquired by the British East India Company in 1786 and became a free port. Seeking to break the Dutch hold on nutmeg and clove, the company planted seedlings there in the 1790s, smuggled from the Moluccas. Penang's nutmeg gardens grew until blight and the lure of rubber ended their dominance, but nutmeg remains part of the island's identity, in preserves, juices and sweets. Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage city whose food mixes Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan traditions, rich in spice pastes and curries. The Penang Tropical Spice Garden preserves the story.

See also

Banda IslandsPepper warsJaiphalWet masala

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