The Story of Penang Coconut Curry

The Mysterious Scent

Many, many years ago, Birgit opened a small spice shop in London – brand new, on Portobello Road. At the same time, she also had her market stall there. Since the shop was still very new, but the markets were her main source of income, she continued to focus on the markets and had to be present there in person. The shop was therefore run by changing hands – sometimes friends, sometimes acquaintances, sometimes people who had applied for the position.

And then came Aini.

An older woman from Malaysia, calm, warm-hearted – and with a flair for spices that Birgit had never experienced before. Her English was rough, but that didn't matter: when it came to cooking and spices, the two understood each other perfectly. The ideal woman for the shop.

Birgit herself only came by sporadically – a quick trip from the market, refilling spices, taking a breath, moving on. Or at closing time, when everything was over. But eventually, she noticed something.

Again and again, usually in the afternoon around lunchtime, there was this scent in the shop. And yes – of course, a spice shop smells. Of everything. Always. But this was different. It stood out.

A mixture of kaffir lime and something roasted, nutty, deep – warm, rich, almost like freshly cooked. Like from another world.

Birgit sniffed her way through her shelves. Nothing. Opened her blends, smelled the new creations – had one changed, intensified? She found nothing.

The crazy thing: the scent wasn't always there. Sometimes just a hint, a brief moment upon entering – and then gone again.

This went on for weeks. A scent like a phantom.

One Sunday, after a long market week, Birgit and Aini closed the shop together. Counting the till, checking stock for Monday – and sorting out what was close to its expiry date. That day's item: kaffir lime leaves.

Birgit paused. Kaffir lime... Was that the solution to the mystery? Did the leaves, close to expiry, perhaps give off a more intense smell?

She wasn't entirely convinced – the phantom scent was different. Fuller, warmer, indescribably aromatic and deep. But at least: a clue.

She was about to dispose of the leaves and finish up when Aini stopped her. Could she take the leaves? She could still make good use of them.

Kaffir lime leaves were hard to come by and expensive in London at the time – especially if money was tight.

Birgit, of course, handed her the whole stack. And secretly wondered if Aini could ever use them all – kaffir lime leaves are so intense that usually a small amount is enough for entire dishes.

A few days later, a quiet Wednesday evening, shortly after six. Again, closing the shop, again counting the till, tidying stock. Then Aini approached Birgit – with a small pot in her hand.

Inside: a bright orange curry with green pieces.

A thank you, she said. For the lime leaves.

A traditional dish from her homeland Penang: spices individually roasted and freshly ground, the kaffir lime leaves also roasted and simmered for hours in a creamy curry sauce. With chicken, topped with fresh herbs.

Birgit – always the very first to try new things – couldn't open the lid fast enough. Wide eyes, full enthusiasm, heart pounding...

The scent was rich, nutty, citrusy, roasted – with that unmistakable note of kaffir lime, but different, more roasted.

One of the most delicious scents she had ever encountered – and it was exactly the smell that had haunted her own shop for weeks.

It was Aini. It had been Aini all along.

She regularly cooked this curry for her family – and always brought some of it to the shop for her lunch break. The dish was so aromatic that the scent lingered in the air for hours afterwards – even after lunch was long eaten. The phantom had been found.

One spoon – and Birgit was in heaven. To this day, this curry is one of her absolute favorite dishes and one of her most beautiful dining moments ever. Never forgotten.

To this day, she raves about that first spoon, about that taste – she has never experienced anything like it again.

That same evening, she sat down with Aini and had her show her everything: which spices, how roasted, in what order, with what movements – and wrote down the recipe and the blend.

And exactly this spice blend – unchanged to this day – is available from us: our Penang Coconut Curry. With origins directly from Malaysia.

A blend for the soul.