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Official Portal OfCity Council of Penang island

SCULPTURE 31 : KANDAR

04 July, 2024

ADDRESS : NO. 48 LEBUH AH QUEE

 sculpture 31

`Nasi kandar is a popular Malaysia dish, available twenty-four hours a day, that originated with Tamil Muslims hawking home-cooked curries from containers carried on a ‘kandar’ or wooden yoke across their shoulders. Originally this `food on the go’ was carried to manual labourers, working outdoors, but it has become widely recognised as a staple choice for all. Today the rice is typically served with several dishes such as fried chicken, mutton and seafood, and a selection of curry gravies.
 
This sculpture shows a hawker striking the same poses as a modern weight lifter, to indicate the weight of the dished the hawker carried, before triumphantly hoisting his ‘kandar’ and carrying it away.