Book excerpt: The best recipes from Penang, an island obsessed with food. Penang is an explorer’s dream and a food-lover’s paradise. It’s the nasi lemak or kaya toast eaten for breakfast, served with a hot cup of kopi ‘O’ (black coffee), at one of the city’s bustling food courts. It’s the rejuvenative laksa after a morning’s sight-seeing, followed by a cooling cendol in the afternoon heat. It’s the char kuey teow prepared in a flash at one of the many late-night hawker stalls, washed down with local beer. Like the island itself, Penang Local celebrates the traditional cuisine that is cherished by locals and fervently adored by visitors, while embracing the multicultural influences that continue to shape this vibrant and historic food scene. Penang Local is packed with delicious yet approachable recipes, so you can recreate the magic of Penang at home.