Do you notice when we talk about what to eat in Penang, the first thing people would say is Char Koay Teow!

So what actually is Char Koay Teow?

Char Koay Teow is a much-loved dish in Asia, in particular Penang. If you search through YouTube for Penang Street food, Char Koay Teow is definitely one of the segments.

You can literally find a Char Koay Teow vendor in most of the coffee shops (Kopitiam), and you will know there is a Char Koay Teow stall way before you can see it because of the aroma of the fried rice noodle and the smoke smouldering from afar.

Char Koay Teow is not just a stir fry noodle dish with seafood, vegetables and special sauce. In fact, it is much more than that. Frying Koay Teow is literally an art. The person who is frying this particular dish has spent many hours, days, and years refining the skills to cook this particular dish day in and day out.

You can see the sophistication of the way they handle the wok and the ladle, how to manipulate the heat to “char” the koay teow into the well-cooked aromatic, umami and smoky / “wok hei” plate of delicious koay teow, while at the same time, maintaining the consistency of the texture of the seafood, vegetables and the noodles as they are tossed into harmony.

Char Koay Teow

For those who enjoyed this dish growing up or have sampled this dish during a visit to Penang, you would agree with the above sentiment.

As it is said, our traditions and culture travel with us. Continue to enjoy your childhood dishes while you are overseas and share with family and friends when you can.

Check out the recipe:

Bang Bang Char Koay Teow Sauce 300ml