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15 MUST-BUY Souvenirs When You’re Visiting Penang

There's something for everyone in Penang!

‘Remember to get us souvenirs, alright?!’ Sounds familiar? That’s right, this is the first thing your friends will say to you when they find out you’re going on a vacation, and who can blame them? Souvenirs are what most people look forward to. Some people get it for themselves, some people get it for their family and friends, but one thing stays the same: the meaning behind it all. It’s a memento of your visit to a new place. It’s also a great way to share your experience with the people you love, as most souvenirs are a physical representation of the place it originated from.

Penang is a place of diverse ethnicity and culture, which is why those returning from a holiday in Penang will always come back with a bag full of souvenirs! The best part is, it’s not just keychains and fridge magnets! Souvenirs that come from Penang can range from food & beverage, art pieces and even cooking spices! Read on for the complete souvenir list.

Food & Beverage

#1 Tau Sar Piah

Tau Sar Pia, Penang Souvenir
Photo credit: Timeout.com

Tau Sar Piah in English means savoury Mung Bean paste biscuits, and this is one of Penang’s most famous food souvenirs. This bite-size savoury snack is very popular in Penang among locals and tourists alike, particularly the ones made by Him Heang in George Town. People will often bring back a few large boxes of it to share it with their family, friends and colleagues.

Where to get it: Him Heang, 162A, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: Everyday except Sunday, 8.30am - 5pm

 

#2 Rojak Sauce

Rojak Sauce, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: sunshineonline.com

Fruit Rojaks are all about of the sauce. You can find fresh fruits almost anywhere in the country, but some of the best Rojak sauces can only be found in Penang. Lucky for you, there’s a place in Penang near the Kek Lok Si temple, called Cheong Kim Chuan, that sells delicious Rojak sauce as souvenirs!

Where to get it: Jalan Balik Pulau, Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang
Business Hours: 9am to 5:30pm daily

 

#3 Pepper Biscuits

Pepper Biscuits, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: hungrygowhere.my/

One of the more unconventional souvenirs, the pepper biscuits made by Ban Heang Bakery in George Town, Penang is something you should not miss out on. The biscuits are made of pepper and milk. Its sweet and savoury taste, paired with its crispy texture is sure to beautifully haunt your taste buds for life.

Where to get it: Ban Heang Bakery, 200 Macalister Road, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 9am - 6pm daily

 

#4 Crushed Peanut Candy

Kacang Tumbuk, Penang Souvenir
Photo credit: what2seeonline.com

Also known as ‘Gong Candy’ or ‘Kacang Tumbuk’, this delicacy is a traditional snack that people will bring to watch Chinese Street Opera shows. This delicious candy melts easily in your mouth, making it a lovely pick-me-up snack for your colleagues! For this, we recommend going to Ang Seng Heong Enterprise.

Where to get it: Ang Seng Heong Enterprise, 326-U Ground Floor, Jalan Perak, 11600 Penang
Business Hours: 9am - 6pm on Monday, 9am - 7pm from Tuesday to Sunday

 

#5 Nutmeg

Nutmeg, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: sunshineonline.com

Nutmeg is a very potent herb with rich healing properties. In Penang, there’s a shop that specialises in Nutmeg products, called Cheong Kim Chuan. They produce pickled nutmeg, nutmeg juice, nutmeg slices and more.

Where to get it: 99-B, Lorong Selamat, George Town, 10400 Penang
Business Hours: 8.30am - 5.30pm daily

 

#6 Instant Noodles

Instant Noodles, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits:skythomasfood.com

It’s not uncommon for people to bring back instant noodles as souvenirs. The MyKuali Penang White Curry instant noodles is dubbed as the most authentic instant noodles out there, and is another one of Penang’s most famous food souvenirs. Its deliciously-rich broth made of its signature chili paste and non-dairy creamer is what most instant noodle brands find difficult to achieve. You won’t regret bringing this amazingly-popular instant noodles back for your friends and family!

Where to get it: Every supermarket in Penang

 

#7 Beh Teh Saw Biscuits

Beh Teh Saw Biscuits, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: shopee.com.my

This round-shaped biscuit comes with delicious malt sugar filling. People love it because of its crispy upper layer that’s baked with sesame seeds. Some places make it with different fillings as well, such as durian. For this, we recommend going back to Him Heang, as they make one of the finest Beh Teh Saw biscuits you can find in Penang.

Where to get it: Him Heang, 162A, Jalan Burma, 10050 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: Everyday except Sunday, 8.30am - 5pm

 

#8 Ghee Hiang Sesame Oil

Ghee Hiang Sesame Oil, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: shopee.com.my

Ghee Hiang Bakery is a 150-year-old brand, famously known for their sesame oil, among other products. Tourists from all over the world are absolutely in love with it, and the same is to be said among Malaysians. Used by restaurants across the country, the Ghee Hiang Sesame Oil is one of the more premium souvenirs you can find in Penang.

Where to get it: Ghee Hiang Bakery, 216, Jalan Macalister, 10400 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 9am to 9pm daily

 

#9 Instant White Coffee

Instant White Coffee, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: shopee.com.my

Northern Malaysia is widely known for their delectable brands of instant white coffee, and Penang is one of them. In Penang, you will have the luxury of choosing from a wide range of instant white coffee brands from all the supermarkets in town. As long as it’s from Penang, it’s definitely delicious and worth your time.

Where to get it: All supermarkets in Penang

 

Art & Accessories

#10 Batik & Songket

Batik, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: https://www.expatgo.com/

Batik is a form of art that uses textiles as its canvas. It uses a traditional technique known as resist dyeing. In Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, Batik is very popular design for clothes, which is why it's considered as a unique gift, something you won’t be able to find in ordinary souvenir shops in George Town, Penang. For this, we recommend going to the Penang Batik Factory at Teluk Bahang. There’s a souvenir shop there that sells everything Batik. Furthermore, you get to watch them make Batik from scratch!

Where to get it: 651, Jalan Teluk Bahang, Penang Island 11000, Malaysia
Business Hours: 9am - 5:30pm daily

 

#11 Photographic Prints

Photographic Prints, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: tripsadvisor.com

One of the more interesting things you can buy in Penang are photographic prints. The ones available at Studio Howard, specifically, are photographic prints of the wall collages by the artist himself, Howard Tan. One of his most famous artworks is the widely-known bicycle and trishaw series. You can get postcards of said artwork at their gift shop. There are also books and small homewares up for grabs!

Where to get it: 13, Lebuh Armenian, George Town, 10300 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 10.30am - 5.30pm on Sunday, 10am - 6pm from Monday to Saturday

 

#12 Paper Ink Custom Calligraphy Prints

Paper Ink, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: Penangfoodie.com

If your friends, family or colleagues are extremely artistic and creative, they might love this souvenir more than others. Writer Store, one of the more unique souvenir shops in Penang, sells not only custom calligraphy prints, but also Nove rubber stamps and custom tees. If you want your souvenir to scream Penang, you can always get their Penang street food illustrations!

Where to get it: 88, Lebuh Campbell, George Town, 10100 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 9am - 6pm daily

 

#13 Jewellery & Accessories

Jewelry, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: straitscollection.com

Ladies love nothing more than jewelries and accessories that complement their appearance and outfit. Lucky for them, Penang has a jewelry and accessories shop that has it all, and it’s called Bon Ton The Shop. This shop’s collection of quality jewelry and accessories is all created by The Straights Collection, an established retail and hotel chain in Malaysia. There also sell various women’s wear and heritage textiles.

Where to get it: No. 86, Lebuh Armenian, George Town, 10300 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 10am - 7pm daily

 

Miscellaneous

#14 Spices

Herbs & Spices, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: Penangfoodie.com

Herbs and spices are the sources of amazing flavours and aromas, and Malaysia being a multiracial and multicultural country means that it has arguably one of the best spices you can find in the world. In Penang, there is Meera Sahib, a shop in Little India, George Town where you can find high-quality Indian spices. There’s also Tean Ean Local Products, a producer of amazing Bak Kut Teh spices. These are the two we recommend getting.

Where to get it

Tean Ean Local Products: 90, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 9am - 6pm daily

Mohamed Meera Sahib: 116, Penang St, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang
Business Hours: 9am - 9pm daily

 

#15 Nutmeg Oil

Nutmeg Products, Penang Souvenir
Picture Credits: shopee.com.my

Last but not least, Nutmeg Oil. On top of all the delicious Nutmeg products sold by Penang’s Cheong Kim Chuan, they also produce Nutmeg Oils. In case you didn’t know, Penang is the largest nutmeg producer in Malaysia, which is why nutmeg and Penang are synonymously used. Nutmeg oil is traditionally used to relieve various muscular pains, sprains, cramps and more – perfect for the elderly!

Where to get it: 99-B, Lorong Selamat, George Town, 10400 Penang
Business Hours: 8.30am - 5.30pm daily

 

Feeling spoilt for choice, already? We don’t blame you. Now, all that’s left to do is to make sure you buy them all, which is why you need to properly plan your trip, and a proper trip is never complete without a proper accommodation. After all, you will need a place to settle down and recharge after a souvenir shopping spree.

What better place there is for a comfortable and quality stay than Sunway Hotel Georgetown Penang? Not to mention, extremely affordable too! Most importantly, the hotel’s strategic location makes travelling to the above mentioned locations easy. Think no more, book a stay now!