This is a scene taken from Gurney Drive, Penang. A stall selling Sotong Bakar. If you are a Malaysian, you will know how heavenly roasted squid smells like. Or probably the smell will make you puke. It is that pungent and over-powering.
Dried squids are gently roasted over charcoal fire to bring out the great smell and also to make the squid crispy. There are a few varieties of squids. One can either have it rolled into very thin, mat-like pieces which is very crispy or asked for the un-rolled ones which can be described as the ‘chewing gum’ with rotten fish smell. LOL!
These squids are rather expensive and the mininum cost for a plate is about RM5. Usually, for two persons, it may cost RM10. And these are just snacks. Therefore, not many people sell these expensive snacks around Penang. (The usual cost for a plate of noodle/rice is only about RM3.)
The above is a plate of roasted squid with the accompanying sauce. The sauce is sweetish and flavoured with lime juice and some grounded peanuts.
The next time you are in Penang, just follow your nose and it will lead you to a stall. And never eat this on your first date! Or any other dates, for that matter. No one likes to kiss a mouth that smells of rotting fishes.
