The T’ng Tok Panjang in Ancestral Worship

WHEN T’NG TOK is mentioned in Penang, it is in reference to the sumptuous feasts[1] prepared to celebrate occasions like weddings, significant birthdays and funerals. The food is served on a long but narrow table, hence the name t’ng tok (Penang) or tok panjang (Singapore and Melaka). For the uninitiated, the Hokkien dialects spoken in the North and South of Peninsular Malaysia are slightly different from each other, as can be seen in the different pronunciations/spellings used for many of the same dishes—e.g. fish is hu in the North and he in the South.