Motormouth From Ipoh

Heo Pia or Heong Peah, or Heong Peng in Cantonese is literally translated to ‘Fragrant Biscuits'; a type of confectionery believed to have originated from Teluk Intan of Perak, but there are detractors who claim that Gunung Rapat in Ipoh was the place that started baking this biscuit.

So where does Taiping come in the picture? Seriously, I do not care much about the origin of Heong Peah, for you can’t get the same generic taste in Ipoh, Teluk Intan or even Taiping.

I have written about Seng Kee; the coconut shell-broiled in large urns heong peah in Gunung Rapat of Ipoh and how the fantastically crispy and flaky pastry won me over …. not to mention the sheer delight in knowing that they STILL bake the biscuits in the most traditional manner.In Teluk Intan, you can find various confectioneries selling Heong Peah, from the famous Tiger Head brand named Sin Joo Heang to Ta Sin Guan Tin and Sin Guan Hoe.

For this post, let me bring you up north … to the serene town of Taiping where we ventured to seek for this legendary Heo Pia (‘legendary’ for the famed biscuits, as well as the notoriously hidden location) in Aulong; a small township to the west of Taiping town.

If you can’t read Chinese (like yours truly) then you will just zoom by and wonder where is this ‘factory’ that churns out thousands of Heo Pia on a daily basis.

Thanks to Food Paradise’s post (her loving hubby got the biscuits from a stall in Sungai Ara) I managed to grab hold of the address and started my recce and planning for a brief journey to Taiping. For work, and of course … for the biscuits.

The house numbered 768 on Lorong 29 in Aulong Baru faces this field. Though I doubt this is of much help, being in the centre of a residential area packed with houses of all shapes and sizes.

Thanks to the wonder of GPS, we managed to scout our way into the labyrinths of Aulong. Not to indicate that the place is of a most rural nature, but the maze of small lanes, lined with individually built houses was a tough nut to crack; requiring countless turns before reaching the destined ‘Mecca’ of good Heo Pia.

Remember this packaging, for there are other brands of Aulong Heong Pneah, much like how Teluk Intan’s various confectioneries and Ipoh’s Gunung Rapat’s contenders fought for business.

I once tried another famous Aulong heong peah from a shop named Eng Huat (read the post HERE) but found that their biscuit was not to my liking. So I stuck to my Gunung Rapat’s variety for good. Until now.

If you bite into one while it’s still hot from the oven, then you get to taste the oozing caramelized liquid from within; very soft fillings with a distinctive fried shallots and sesame aroma.

I had no expectations for these in the beginning. Maybe I have always been biased towards Gunung Rapat’s version (Yee Hup when they first started, and of course Seng Kee) that is broiled with coconut shells in a large urn (much like how they make the Indian naan bread and Sitiawan folks make their Gong Pia) that lends a roasted, smoky aroma to the crust and with a sticky, caramel filling of molasses, shallots and ‘lenga’ (though I have no idea what this is, anyone?).

But one bite into the Heo Pia smaller than the size of one’s palm (about 3 inches in diameter), revealed a deliciously flaky pastry with the initial crunch, then the sweetness and fragrance of the lighter-coloured caramel filling came through. I was surprised, amazed, delighted and craving at the same time. How could I have not known about this throughout my 3 years of incessant travels to Taiping?!

This has suddenly became my favourite Heong Peah. I can’t compare head to head with Gunung Rapat’s or even Teluk Intan’s versions, but I can safely attest to the fact that this Aulong Heo Pia is among the BEST that I have tasted. Period.

Oh, and at RM3.00/USD0.90 for 12 pieces (note : smaller than Ipoh’s variety) you can easily buy home tens of packets to be distributed to family members, relatives, friends and colleagues. And the Heo Pia here is labelled as suitable for vegetarians.

AULONG BISCUIT & CONFECTIONERY
No 768, Lorong 29,
Aulong Baru,
34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-808 7608.
Opens from 7am daily.
*Enter from the main gate, and proceed to the back of the house from the side.
GPS Coordinates : E100 42′ 36.3″ N4 51′ 7.1″
Google Map to Aulong Biscuit & Confectionery
Directions : Make your way towards Aulong in Taiping. Exit at Changkat Jering toll.You can either follow Jalan Simpang towards Taiping town centre, or a shorter route will take you straight from the crossroad of Jalan Kuala Kangsar-Jalan Simpang towards Medan Simpang/Kampung Dew. Then after passing by some palm plantations you will need to turn RIGHT towards Kampung Baru Aulong. But the safer route will be to go towards Taiping town, then proceed towards Aulong/Kamunting. Then find Jalan Pasar where the Aulong morning market will be at. That area will be Aulong Baru; with streets named Lorong xx (xx being numbers). Navigate your way to Lorong 29, and you will see a vast field facing this Heo Pia house.