Deepavali not complete without kacang putih Buntong

IPOH: For one private-sector employee, Deepavali celebrations are never complete without coffee snacks from Kampung Kacang Putih in Buntong, which he serves to guests at home, even if it means travelling more than 200km from Kuala Lumpur to get them. It has become an annual routine.

For P. Ravi, 56, Buntong kacang putih snacks are more than just a Deepavali treat. He said their quality was distinctly different from those sold elsewhere, while their prices were also more affordable.

"I leave Kuala Lumpur at around 7.30am and it takes me more than two hours to get here. It is not a burden because this place has been my family's choice for the past six years.

"We usually come here a week before the festival, and among our favourite items to serve guests are mixed murukku, plain murukku and tapioca chips," he told Bernama at Kampung Kacang Putih today.

The Melaka-born man said he usually set aside between RM500 and RM1,000 to buy various types of snacks from several shops in the area.

He said the snacks were not only served during Deepavali but were also given as gifts to relatives, neighbours and colleagues who visited their home.

"It has become a family tradition every time we celebrate the festival, as a way of strengthening ties with colleagues and neighbours," he said.

Civil servant K. Gaayathri, 30, said the snacks were a must-have during Deepavali celebrations as they were among the favourites of guests visiting her home.

Gaayathri, who hails from Kuala Lumpur, said the wide variety of snacks and flavours made them popular among many people.

"That is why I never forget to get white these snacks here. Deepavali celebrations just do not feel complete without such snacks being served to guests," she said.

She also hoped that this year's Deepavali celebrations would further strengthen the spirit of harmony and bring the light of goodness and joy to all Hindus in the country.

Meanwhile, DNS Kacang Putih manager S. Sathis Kumar said demand for the snacks at his premises increased by 60 per cent during the Deepavali festive season compared with normal days.

He said demand came not only from Hindu customers but also from people of various ethnic backgrounds across the country.

"Usually, we start making preparations two weeks before Deepavali as we know demand will increase and customers will want to buy the various types of snacks sold here.

"Among the products that are in high demand are spicy mixed murukku, kuih loyang, round murukku, kuih batu, as well as various types of sweets and ladoo," he said.

Kampung Kacang Putih in Buntong here has been renowned for its wide variety of white kacang putih snacks and other delicacies, particularly in the run-up to Deepavali, for the past 60 years.

The business has been passed down through three generations and remains popular among Malaysians of various ethnic backgrounds.

Among the varieties of snacks sold at the business centre are mixed murukku, pakoda, sivel, dal, aulu, poori, Sri Lankan pakoda, omom, kadalai, kacang susu and tapioca chips.