Penang and Venice may not seem very alike at first glance, but Frances Wilks uncovers some fascinating resonances between the two maritime heritage cities including ancient spices, contemporary food, and buildings on water

Both Venice and Penang owe much of their wealth to the spice trade. Nowadays, spices are so commonly found in every kitchen that we forget their former value. They were the true luxury goods, not only spicing up dull dishes, but also hiding the less-than-fresh taste which food frequently had before the days of refrigeration. The ancient seaport of Venice enjoyed a monopoly on the European importation of spice for most of the Middle Ages, which made the city-state rich enough to build exquisite palaces on its canals.  Later on, Western explorers found the Spice Islands in present-day Indonesia and the closely guarded secret origin of mace, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper was at last revealed. Penang was in a geographical position to benefit from this discovery and not only facilitated the spice trade, but became a primary producer of them, as well. Thanks to smuggled seeds, much of the island’s cultivated land became spice plantations. There are still some echoes of this in some of the place names such as Pepper Estate and Clove Hall, but spices are no longer commercially grown.

For an insight into Penang’s role in the spice trade and a chance to get up close and personal with the plants themselves, you can do no better than to visit the Tropical Spice Garden on the road from Batu Ferringhi to Teluk Bahang. Anyone who’s been to Sri Lanka will probably steer well clear of anything labelled ”Spice Garden,” as they are, for the most part, tourist traps selling ”locally-produced” spices (of dubious quality), which are, in truth, packaged in India and grossly overpriced. But in Penang, it is altogether different. Here, on eight acres of hillside terrain, spice trees and bushes have been planted, creating aromatic terraces on which one can inhale the distinctive aromas of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.

While Venice is built on water, Penang is built on land, except for one area: the clan jetties that stretch out from Weld Quay like fingers into the sea.  Now protected as part of the World Heritage site, these old communities are still home to the descendants of Chinese labourers who migrated to Penang in the latter part of the 19th century.  The new immigrants constructed the jetties and wooden piers with family houses branching off them over the shallow waters of the harbour. Like their Venetian counterparts (though considerably less grand) the houses are constructed on wooden piles driven into the mud.  However, the anaerobic waters of the Venetian lagoon have fossilised the wooden supports whereas the seas of Penang are less kind, and the pilings have to be regularly inspected and replaced.

The best-preserved jetty is Chew Jetty, which offers a fascinating insight into a fast-disappearing way of life. It can, however, be a hair-raising jetty to explore as there are no guardrails on the piers, and one false step could mean ending up in the murky waters of Penang Harbour. Nowadays, the inhabitants make their living as fishermen or ferrymen, taking goods to and from the larger vessels moored out in the sea.  Their gaily painted sampans may not be as elegant as gondolas, but they do much the same sort of work. Chew Jetty is the only surviving jetty to still have cultural festivals, such as the Annual Prayer to the Jade Emperor, which takes place on the 9th day of the first lunar month. There are actually two temples: one at the entrance to the jetty, the other at the very end of the pier, the latter of which is dedicated to the god of the sea… always a force to be propitiated amongst seafaring folk!  A Venetian parallel might be the ancient ceremony in which the doge of Venice married the sea by throwing a gold wedding ring into it, thus honouring the source of the city’s wealth.

The final port of call for those looking for Venetian echoes in Penang must be the recently opened Il Bacaro restaurant at Campbell House. The owners, Nardya Waray and Roberto Dreon, have lovingly restored a corner property in the heart of Chinatown and in so doing, created a spectacular boutique hotel. Bacaro is the Italian word for a backstreet tavern and the décor gives an eclectic, lived-in feeling of home. Roberto grew up in Venice, and photographs of his relatives adorn the walls. The food is creative Venetian, rather than purist. It’s family cooking at its best, making the most out of the ingredients that are available in the market on the day, and spicing up classical dishes with unusual twists. As well as the standard Italian fare of pasta and pizza, they serve bruschetta with yellow tomatoes, lemon and pea risotto, penne with home-cured salmon, and homemade gnocchi with a rich pomodoro (tomato) sauce. Roberti says the recipe for the gnocchi had to be adjusted because of the climate; he makes the mixture softer and lighter than usual. The experience is not only delightful for the taste of the food but for the laid-back Italian atmosphere of ll Bacaro.

With all these wonderful parallels, Penang is truly the Venice of the East. All we need now is a vaporetto – a Venetian water bus service – which could ferry passengers up and down Penang and give our crowded roads a little respite.
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Tropical Spice Garden, Jalan Teluk Bahang, 11100 Penang.
Chew Jetty, Weld Quay, 10300 Georgetown.
Il Baccaro, Campbell House, 106 Lebuh Campbell, 10100 George Town.
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This article was written by Frances Wilks for Penang International.
Source: Penang International June-July 2012
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