For some families, Deepavali means a trip to Buntong for kacang putih

For P Ravi, preparing for Deepavali involves more than decorating the house and getting ready to welcome guests. It also means getting into the car and driving more than 200km from Kuala Lumpur in search of the snacks his family has come to associate with the festival.

For the past six years, the 56-year-old has made Kampung Kacang Putih in Buntong, Ipoh, one of his regular pre-Deepavali stops – usually arriving about a week before the celebration to stock up on favourites such as murukku and tapioca chips.

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

Ravi, who was born in Melaka, usually spends between RM500 and RM1,000 at several shops in the area. Much of what he buys eventually ends up on the table for guests, while some is packed up for relatives, neighbours and colleagues.

For his family, that sharing has become as important as the snacks themselves. “It has become a family tradition every time we celebrate Deepavali, as a way of strengthening ties with colleagues and neighbours,” he said.

K Gaayathri, 30, also makes it a point to buy her festive snacks in Buntong. The KL resident said the sheer variety available there has made the area a dependable stop whenever the Festival of Lights approaches.

For her, serving kacang putih to visitors is simply part of the celebration. “Deepavali just does not feel complete without such snacks being served to guests,” she said.

That sentiment helps explain why Kampung Kacang Putih becomes especially lively in the weeks before the festival. At DNS Kacang Putih, manager S Sathis Kumar said preparations begin about two weeks before Deepavali to cope with the seasonal rush.

Demand, he said, can rise by around 60% compared with ordinary periods, with customers coming from different communities and all parts of the country.

“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.

Decades of crunch

Buntong’s connection with kacang putih stretches back around 60 years, and many of the businesses in the area have been passed down through generations. What began as a local speciality has since become familiar to Malaysians well beyond Ipoh, particularly during festive seasons.

The selection reflects that long history. Alongside better-known favourites such as murukku and tapioca chips are pakoda, sivel, dal, aulu, poori, Sri Lankan pakoda, omom, kadalai and kacang susu – giving visitors plenty to choose from before heading home.

For Ravi, however, the attraction is not simply the variety or price: after six years of making the same journey, the drive to Buntong has become woven into his family’s Deepavali preparations.

Indeed, the snacks they bring home are part of the pleasure of opening the door, setting the table, and sharing the celebration with others.

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