We have visited the four big gardens of Penang, each with its specialties and we have learnt a lot about natural products and natural foods. You can check this other post for a summary of all you can do in a week in Penang.
Penang is a paradise for foodies and one of the reasons why is probably because it’s in a really nice spot for growing tropical foods as well as spices.
The Nutmeg Factory in Penang
There are not so many countries where nutmeg grows for example. And it was very interesting to see that in Penang they use everything from the nutmeg, not just the nut.
The nutmeg is a nut with a very interesting pattern and we learnt a lot of things about it during this visit to the factory. There was no one and the owner took her time to explain to us how she used everything, from the flesh, to the nut for different purposes. For example, the flesh was used to make a juice, the nut is used for spices (which are sometimes referred as the natural viagra for women). She also told us that depending on the fruits having one or two lines, the next tree will grow as female or male but males are not necessary and don’t produce fruits, so they basically only plant females (with two lines). You can visit the factory for free and you can choose to buy some juice for just 3 RM. The juice is very refreshing, which is nice after a motorbike ride.
The Tropical Spice Garden in Penang
Another interesting thing to see was the tropical spice garden in Penang. The place is beautiful and is directly by the sea, so you can enjoy a visit to a natural garden with some spice trees and also some forbidden plants that you should not touch or eat since they can lead to stomach ache, coma or even death… You also get the chance to put your feet at a natural pond that has a natural fish spa, which love to clean your feet and is very ticklish.
Price: 28 RM per person
The Tropical Fruit Farm in Penang
Another place that we loved from the west of Penang is the tropical fruit farm.
The tropical fruit farm is huge and you get a guide that will show you some of their fruits that are ripe during the season when you visit. The guide will explain many things about the tropical fruit farm such as where to find these fruits, how to cook them and replant them, etc. You also get to try some of the fruits while you are visiting the farm and at the end you even get to try all the “enzymes”, which are fruits combinations that have been fermented for a long time (a couple of years) and are used as antioxidants and probiotics. They are quite acidic and bitter but the taste is not that bad. The farm is enormous so you don’t get to see all the fruits since they have hundreds of species from all around the world and the visit lasts only between 50 minutes and 1h.
But we were really lucky to have been the first guests after breakfast there (we arrived at 9:40 with the motorbike). Then, we were alone and we got to have a private tour with only one guide and no other guests. Usually a private tour would cost 200 RM per person but we had it with the normal ticket ^^
Price: 44 RM per person or 56 RM if you want a fruit platter at the end of the tour.
The Botanical Garden
Another natural thing to see with many fruit trees and other types of plants is the botanical garden. It's beautiful, it's free of charge and it's full of monkeys, which makes it worth it to check out the place and go for a walk.
Price: 0 RM
We hope you liked this post summarizing the fruity and spicy adventure that Penang has to offer.
M'apunto als sabors de les fruites però us podeu quedar les olors que de ben segur deuen fer