Kiam Chye Boey, Penang local Dish

Kiam Chye Boey (24 January 2009)


Kiam Chye Boey or Salted Vege Odds and Ends is a stew created from leftovers. Well, at least that's what it was traditionally expected to be. Today, however, kiam chye boey is probably made with choice - and expensive - ingredients bought specifically for the dish. Naturally the main ingredient is kiam chye (salted vegetable). Once regarded as food to starved off hunger through the winter months, kiam chye has since been gentrified, and eaten for taste rather than necessity.

After the kiam chye comes roasted duck. While previously leftover duck meat is used for kiam chye boey, it is not uncommon nowadays to buy duck specially for the purpose - and this will set you back at least RM30 per duck. Having said this, it is usually the leftover part of the duck that goes into the pot, while choice cuts are eaten as they are.

Next comes sio bak (roasted pork belly). You can get sio bak from most pork vendors at the market in Penang. Tell them that you need the sio bak for kiam chye boey, and they'll get you the type most ideal for the dish.

To give your kiam chye boey the required tang, add asam gelugor (assam phoay) and huan jio kua (dried chilli). For additional flavor, drop a few shiitake mushroom, whole or halved, into the pot.

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