IPOH: The celebration of Deepavali would be a little ‘tasteless’, meaningless even, without the traditional muruku which is a favourite snack not only of Indians but also for everybody from all walks of life in this country.
A muruku entrepreneur in Kampung Kacang Putih, Buntong, J. Ganesan, 42, said the muruku produced by his family for the past three generations has been in high demand for the past month, even outside of the muruku festival, it has always seen a queue of die-hard customers.
According to him, the hereditary business was started 60 years ago by his grandfather N. Ammamuthu and inherited by his late father A. Jayabalan who died in 2020.
Uniquely, the muruku he sells is spun from a recipe inherited from his grandfather to his late father to this day and he still maintains the same ingredients.
He said no change has ever been made since 60 years ago and the ingredients used must follow the prescribed measurements.
The mixing of flour is done manually by hand and cannot be mixed in large quantities for fear that the quality and taste of muruku will be affected.
The specialty of Ganesan’s muruku lies in its crunchiness and the special spices used to make the snack with its texture crispy for consumption at any time.
“Some muruku may be a bit thick and too hard, sometimes you don’t taste the spices used. We don’t say our products are the best but we are religiously careful every step of the way.
“That is why we focus on one product only and do not venture into other products or beans because we want to take care of the quality churned out,” he said at his home here.
Ganesan said his munchy snack always gets bookings from distributors all over Perak including from outside the state from companies and individuals and year-round demand usually surges not only during the Deepavali festival but it is also muruku-mode for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Chinese New Year.
Genesan said the name ‘Kampung Kacang Putih’ in Buntong is already synonymous with the community in Malaysia and it also endorses the development of his business.
“Kacang Putih is a badge and symbol of the success of the Buntong family and community that runs this business, indeed we have received feedback from the public that ‘kacang putih’ (‘white’ mung beans) from Ipoh are among the best.
“I still remember we followed my father doing small business at the night market, from house to house, under trees and sometimes even went to Batu Caves to do business but now not anymore, it’s ‘kacang putih’ legions who flock to Buntong,” he said, selling his muruku for RM20 a jar to the supplier and usually the supplier will sell the ‘snack attack’ at a price of RM25 to RM27
Meanwhile, his wife T. Kavitha, 37, said she was proud to be part of the famous muruku makers and entrepreneurs in Buntong.
“The muruku business has been a source of income for my husband’s family for ages, so we agreed to continue that tradition that remains to this day,” said Kavitha, who is also training their three daughters so that the legacy of a family affair will not be lost and will flow from generation to generation.
“So far they have been exposed to how to mix the mixture and the process of forming the twisty shape of the muruku, including wrapping while the cooking process will be handled by my husband himself.
“It is true that my husband impresses on our children to learn every twist and turn of the process to understand it well so that the legacy of this business will live on in the future,” she said.
