Family dynasty keeps alive the flavours of childhood memories

 

The Kwongtuck shop in George Town is a cultural and culinary landmark.

GEORGE TOWN: The memories – and the aromas and flavours – linger on, two centuries after an immigrant from Hong Kong set up shop in Penang, purveying delicacies from his native land.

Today, the Kwongtuck sundries and liquor shop continues to supply memories as well as preserved meat, keeping alive the tastes of an ancestral homeland and a community’s cultural heritage.

The business has been run by four generations of the family since 1836, when Hong Kong-born Woo Fook Yin arrived in Penang.

At first, he went door-to-door selling liquor and Hong Kong-style preserved meats hanging from poles he carried on his shoulders.

Woo See Khow doing the accounts in his office at the back of Kwongtuck.

Woo’s 91-year-old great-grandson, and current boss, Shee Khow, told FMT that after several years Fook Yin had saved enough money to open the shop on Campbell Street.

Today, three further generations are heirs to the business and are ready and willing to carry on, in contrast to many other families whose younger generations are not keen on the family business.

“We pass the reins to our sons from generation to generation,” he said. “It is the Cantonese spirit of wanting to preserve our business lineage.” In 2020, Kwongtuck was presented with a platinum Cultural Continuity award by George Town World Heritage.

The Woo family’s reputation for reasonable prices has also ensured the shop’s prosperity.

The name, Kwongtuck, couples “Kwong”, as Guangdong province is called in Cantonese, and “tuck”, meaning of good moral character.

An assistant shows their famous lap cheong Chinese sausages

Kwongtuck has carved an enviable reputation among Penang’s Cantonese and remains the go-to shop to find preserved meats from Hong Kong.

A regular customer is realtor Jerry Chan, who describes Kwongtuck as an institution. “They are always reliable, and their products are backed by their long business experience and knowledge,” he says.

Michael Lee, 75, a retired English teacher and his wife Patricia, from Bukit Mertajam said Kwongtuck’s duck liver sausage is one of the best.

The shop itself is a time capsule from the past, housed in a classic two-storey prewar shophouse.

Preserved meat of all kinds but especially pork and duck are displayed in open boxes, and glass jars of plant roots are piled high in racks. Fruit is left outside to dry in the sun.

During the run-up to Chinese New Year, there is a seemingly permanent queue outside the shop as only five people are allowed inside in line with Covid-19 restrictions.

Customers buying supplies for the Chinese New Year.

The shop is famous for supplying hard-to-find Cantonese delicacies and is a one-stop centre for all the ingredients needed for an auspicious Chinese New Year.

Dried prawns, cuttlefish and oysters are much sought after by locals preparing for their upcoming reunion dinners. The most expensive item is dried fish maw, going for a hefty RM2,500 per kilo. This delicacy is reputed to heal weak lungs and kidneys.

Lap cheong or Chinese pork sausage is popular, especially a rare Hong Kong sourced “Wing Chow” sausage.

Woo See Khow adapting to modern technology, scanning items at the checkout.

One of the few signs of the 21st century is the mandatory MySejahtera QR code displayed at the entrance, and the computerised cash register and scanner inside. Shee Khow said that until recently, cash was kept in a tin box and sales were calculated on an abacus.

Since the pandemic hit, Kwongtuck has expanded online, taking orders from all over the country – still keeping up the spirit of the lone immigrant going door-to-door with preserved meats on his shoulder, calling out his wares.

The job is the same, delivering the tastes and smells of childhood through true traditional comfort food. - FMT