New Balik Pulau market
I went to Balik Pulau today and found that the old market is closed. They have sealed up the place with zinc sheets. I love to go to Balik Pulau for its kampung feel and the little run-down market is the highlight of the visit.
The moment you stepped into the old Balik Pulau market, your nostrils will be assaulted or welcomed (depending on how Malaysian you are) with all kind of smells. The above is the bachang (or is it machang) which is a bit like mango but has this very, very strong smell. It is not palatable on its own but good as a kerabu. Then, there are the smell of the famous Balik Pulau Laksa, dried seafoods, belacan, different kind of pickles, nangka, chempedak, durian and a million other ‘homely’ things that make you feel so in touch with your Malaysian roots.
The old market is no longer there. All the traders have moved into this spanking new, huge complex somewhere on the outskirt of Balik Pulau pekan. There is a bus station, hawker centre, wet market, pasar malam wares and the original dried seafoods and pickles stores.
Although I think development is good for any place, somehow, the feel of the authenticity of Balik Pulau is no longer there. It is kind of different to have laksa in a brand new hawker centre. I miss sitting on those wooden benches, around the dinghy market, feeling like one of the villagers. So, I sort of lost my apetite for Balik Pulau Laksa.
The fruit stalls are still there but the number of stores seem to have increased three folds. I hope the traders there will get brisk business in future. At the time when I visit, the place was quite deserted. One of the trader told me it is normal around noon as the people (locals) usually visit the market early in the morning.
Balik Pulau is undergoing very fast development. New housing estates are coming up like mushrooms. So make a visit to Balik Pulau before they totally wipe out the magic of this little corner of Penang island. Balik Pulau is one of the rare constituency which still remains under Datuk Dr. Hilmi’s KADun. The Parliamentary seat was lost to PAS (or PKR) though. I hope they realise that Balik Pulau has the potential to attract tourists because it is less developed.
By the way, the durians are falling now. So if you are going to visit Penang, another week or two will be the best time to visit Balik Pulau for the best durian on earth. (I said so)
Related : 1) Laksa Janggus Balik Pulau
2) SamYeap’s post with more photos.
3) Balik Pulau famous handmade pau
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April 16th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
[...] found these rows of nutmeg mace and seeds being dried under the sun in Balik Pulau. More about Balik Pulau on my Penang Foods [...]
April 17th, 2008 at 9:48 am
lilian, pls check hor, when i click subcribe to your feed, it actually link to Justin Tadlock feeds. strangely it does not get listed in my Feed though. i also tried subscribing via firefox option but the page cant load.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:48 am
babe – Thanks for pointing out. LOL, I do not know how to change it to my own feed. Never mind, I will figure it out somehow or change template
April 18th, 2008 at 6:46 am
The good ol’ market has shifted? Albeit the hygiene is improved but I must agree with you. The old kampung feel, the smell, the atmosphere and the wet dirty paths are what I used to remember about local wet markets.
Oh nice to hear about the arrival of durian season! I’ll be back for holiday just in time for this stinky bad a** food
April 18th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
[...] go to sleep, I want to say thank you to 5xmom for linking my blog post on Balik Pulau Market in her penangfoods.com [...]
January 28th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Hi all
I was born in balik pulau and indeed i am agreed that the old market has sentimental value to all the balik pulau people. Although I have move and work in KL, if I go back to balik pulau , i still miss the old market with the assam laksa and soya bean milk.
July 6th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I was born in Balik Pulau but I left immediately after MCE due to no job opportunities unless I want to be a farmer myself.
We have an orchard looked after my brother. We have a small plot of land for rubber too and at one time when rubber was in great demand (RM10.00 per kg) my brother and his family enjoyed the fruits of his harvest but now the price of rubber has dropped considerable and he is back to his ikan kembong and rice.
Life in the estate is very tough. Our land is hilly and transportation is very difficult and is only accessible to a two wheeler vehicle. My brother would carry his harvest in a basket above his head on his bike. It is not easy but he managed it with no problem.
Though, I have been living in the city for more than 30 years but I still love my kampong house with the cool and refreshing spring water. Lately, we have refurbished it and depended on a generator for electricity. A stream beside our house was also an attraction.
July 6th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Recently I went to Penang and visited Balik Pulau- I am a Penang guy myself. If life in the orchard is tough – maybe you should consider going into the paksembur business. The last time I visited a paksember stall, they had stackedthe fried stuff so high I could not even see his face.After a few shouts only a forehead appeared on the other side. It was like talking to a jinn in a cave. Vijay. missionoflove72.blogspot.com