Have you tried squatting on a bench as you gobble down your food? No? Then you have missed the fun that some Penang oldies experienced when they were young!
But not to worry! Everything old in Penang is now gold. So you still have the opportunity to squat on a bench with your bottom on a stool while you enjoy your porridge!
When I was kid, Mum would sometimes go to the Prangin Road Market, ‘Seah Boey’, the largest wholesale market in Penang. This would usually be just before festive seasons when she needed to buy huge volumes of everything!
While waiting for Mum, Dad enjoyed looking for something yummy for the tummy. I recall following Dad to this stall selling porridge a couple of times. Lots of people would be squatting on benches while slurping on porridge! It seemed as if the food tasted better when they were in that position!
What if their knees were not strong enough? Not to worry, there were stools placed on top of the benches for those who needed support for their bottoms!
I don’t recall having any problem squatting on the benches then. In fact, I don’t think I sat on a stool when I was there! It was all about squatting!
Many of the customers at the stalls selling teowchew porridge were trishaw pedallers who probably found this a convenient and cheap food paradise where they could while away their time. Somehow, this brought on the name ‘trishaw pedallers’ porridge’.
It is said that trishaw pedallers found this sitting-squatting position comfortable and also good for the leg muscles! I leave it to avid cyclists to test this out!
Anyway, don’t let that term mislead you! Many millionaires those days frequented these stalls! In fact, although I only visited one when I was a kid, I am aware there were quite a few similar squatting porridge stalls in Penang in the 1950s and 1960s!
These slum-like stalls obviously didn’t impress my generation of kids ! So whenever possible, I chose to go marketing with Mum while Dad went for his porridge feast!
But values change! Many tourists come to Penang in search of this experience! Thank heavens there is at least one porridge stall which still serves customers the traditional old Penang way!
So, following the fad, I made my husband take me to the porridge stall along Magazine Road a few weeks back! I was all prepared to squat for my meal!
But help! I never expected to really see stools on top of the relatively high benches! How on earth was I supposed to squat or even sit on this structure without tumbling over?
As I studied this contraption carefully, I realized there were two stools stacked one on top of the other! These stools are placed on benches, and customers have a variety of choices, the simplest being to just squat on the bench!
Alternatively, they can decide whether to sit on one or two stools, adjusting these to a suitable height so their feet can be planted firmly on the bench.
Thanks to a painting by renowned Penang water-colourist, Tan Choon Ghee, I learnt about another precarious position for those who prefer to tower over their food as they eat! Yes, customers can squat on the stool which is placed above the bench!
Whatever position you choose, it is a feat which requires skill! To really enjoy the meal, one needs to be adept in the art of balancing! It’s just like what we see in Chinese kung fu films!
I visualised myself climbing onto the bench, trying to sit on the stool. I couldn’t resist a smile as I saw myself, the bench and all the stools on that bench falling over! That would have garnered many hits on Instagram and Facebook!
I looked around in desperation and was most relieved to see that there were chairs and tables to cater to those who were too faint-hearted to take on the challenge!
The stall is something like an economy rice stall with a decent variety of dishes. You point to whatever you want and they are served in little plates.
We ordered some dishes and a couple of bowls of piping hot porridge and I made sure we sat in a cosy corner with a table and chairs. I can’t remember if the food was really good and I would be doing the vendor a big injustice if I were to rate it!
Yes, I did eat! But I was actually deeply engrossed while I was munching! I was waiting for someone brave enough to squat on the bench! All the other customers were comfortably seated on chairs! I thought the novelty was in the squatting experience!
I was so relieved when I finally saw a guy heading for the stools! He ordered his food, but then, instead of sitting on a stool with his feet balanced on the bench, he just sat on the stool and stretched his legs out! I wanted to go up to him and request that he do it the traditional way!
I am told that during peak hours, there are many people, both locals and tourists, who queue for a chance to balance on the benches! But I didn’t get a chance to see that!
I am pretty disappointed with myself for chickening out on this and I have decided that if a day should come when my knees allow me to, I may go back to try the authentic squat to eat experience! I believe the food probably tastes better when you are in the right sitting-squatting position!
Meanwhile, if you happen to be looking for an old Penang feel, and if you haven’t tried squatting over a meal, do give it a go. Even if you do topple over, it’s an experience you’ll probably treasure for life!
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