| Heong peng | |
| Country: |  Malaysia |
| Region: | |
| Type: | Pastry |
| Main Ingredient: | Malt, shallots, sesame seeds |
| Similar Dish: | Hopia and bakpia, banh pia, and other Chinese flaky pastries |
Heong peng or heong peah, in English, are round pastries that contain a sweet sticky filling made from malt and shallots, which is covered by a Chinese flaky pastry crust and garnished with sesame seeds on the surface.[1] Originating in Teluk Intan in Perak,[2] heong peng are available in many stores around Ipoh, and other parts of Malaysia and Singapore. Heong peng is popular with the Malaysian Chinese community, especially those in Northern Peninsular Malaysia.
Heong peng is the Cantonese pronunciation of, while heong peah is the Teochew and Hokkien pronunciation of the same Chinese term. They are also known as beh teh soh in Hokkien.[3]
In addition to the original maltose taste, the Malaysian cakes are also available in various flavors such as durian, coffee and pandan leaves. Cake shops in Penang, Kedah, Malacca and Johor have also started selling Heong peah cakes, becoming one of the local mainstream traditional pastries. The cake easily becomes wet and soft, so the local shops sell the cake in small units, usually in packs of eight or ten. Due to the low revenue, cheap red plastic bags are used to package the cake. On the days when these shops bake Heong peng cakes, they will hang signboards at the door to let the locals smell the cakes in order to entice them to buy them.