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Stories
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 Acar
Amber, Penang's heritage chutney
Zakiah
Basheer is the heir to a 120-year old chutney recipe. 'Famous since
1933', the first person to brand the Acar Amber in Penang was Zakiah's
grandmother. Her mother, Hawa Bee, was producing Acar Amber up till
the 1980s, selling 200-300 bottles daily, through sundry shops and markets.
Sales usually doubled during the fasting month.
Among the rice eating cultures of South Asia and Southeast Asia, fruit
chutneys are used to aid digestion and add variety, spice and relish
to any meal. 'The acar was famous and in demand not only among the Malays,
but also by the Baba Chinese, Eurasians and Sikhs.'
Acar Amber, literally, fragrant chutney, concentrates the fragrance
of dried fruits and spices. The secret recipe originated from the Malabar
cost of India and was brought here by Zakiah's ancestors in the late
19th century. Among the ingredients used in the acar are sour belimbing,
red dates and pickled lime.
Since her mother has recently passed away, it is up to Zakiah to continue
her grandmother's legacy. Zakiah wants to make Acar Amber a family business
again. In view of the heritage pickle's cultural value to Penang, Zakiah
is getting support from the Little Penang Street Market project to package
and market her acar.
Little Penang Street Market project aims to help develop Penang crafts
and other cultural products and through technical and marketing support.
The project is run by Lestari Heritage Network with funding and expertise
from the Institute for Cultural Enterprise.
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Written
by Khoo Salma Nasution. © All Rights Reserved
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