I jump at every opportunity to take a drive into Alor Setar.
I know I'm really there for the sight of the expansive paddy fields .
And then,there's the majestic Gunung Jerai that makes you wonder if tales connected to the Raja Bersiong,a mythical vampire king, were true....
Sweltering in your face heat ,bouncing off an unforgiving tarmac.
Our reward is this....not much traffic on a Sunday.
Leaping straight out from the pages of our history books is this beautiful mosque.
Finally,we reach our destination.Pekan Rabu,a 70s style two storey market square complex.
Parking here is quite a headache.
Sign of trouble to come?
Typical stalls selling local delicacies on the 2nd floor of Pekan Rabu.
Manned by friendly staff who coax you with dirt cheap offers.
Introducing Pekasam....a fermented freshwater fish, sourced from paddy fields, adjoining canals and waterways.
Mainly processed by local farmers wives as a side income,the smell can be so overpowering,your neighbours might think you didn't take out the trash for a week.
Deep fry first before consumption as these are still in its raw form.
These cute little sticks are Sagun,a snack made out of coconut milk and sugar,stirred in a wok till it attains a dry,powdery texture.
If you open your mouth while eating this,it'll look as if you just swallowed gunpowder.
Sadly these are from Kelantan and not made in Kedah.
I was delighted to find Emping sold here.
It's an authentic Kedahan snack,much like a crudely made cereal made from pounded young rice.
One is greenish hued,meant to be cooked with coconut shavings and sweeteners.
The other version,is spicier and can be eaten straight from the pack.
These have got to be the most gorgeously mouthwatering assortment of local pickles (jeruk)I have ever come across.
Heading home with our booty,we took the old trunk road and stumbled upon this golden semi harvested rice field
Passing by the old town of Gurun proved to be nothing short of picturesque.
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