[Halal] Whenever we are in Penang, we make sure to tapau (take away) some tau sar piah for our folks back in KL. During our recent trip, we decided to order these from Tean Ean.
Once we took a bite into these delicious balls, we found them to be a strong contender to our favourite biscuits from Him Heang.
Like the latter, Tean Ean’s biscuits are certified Halal too – which make for perfect gifts for our Muslim friends!
Read on to find out more.
Origins of tau sar piah
For the longest time, we’ve been loyal supporters of Him Heang tau sar piah (or Tambun biscuits).
Whenever we take a trip to Penang, we are sure to buy a few boxes of these delectable mung bean pastries for our folks back in KL.
Arguably, Him Heang is considered the most popular confectionery store in Penang to get these biscouts.. Him Heang is said to have created Tau Sar Piah many years ago.
Tambun biscuit is essentially the baby version of Tow Sar Bing. Both Tau Sar Piah and Tau Sar Bing contain mung beans as the main ingredient and taste similar.
However, Tow Sar Bing is usually larger in size with a thicker crust, while Tambun is shaped into the size of ping-pong balls – making it easier to enjoy as a snack. The latter also has a thinner crust and more compact fillings.
These days, Tau Sar Piah is considered the most popular biscuit in Penang.
Tau Sar Piah – a Penang Specialty
Tau Sar Piah is truly a Penang specialty.
A good biscuit should have smooth, thin and flaky skin made from wheat flour.
The filling should also be compact, with lovely hints of savoury-sweetness from fried onions and salt.
The best ones are made fresh daily and contain no preservatives or additives. Hence, these morsels are best consumed within 10 days of purchase.
Tean Ean – one of the best in Penang
Over the years, we have tried many popular tau sar piah in Penang. The popular ones include Him Heang, Ghee Hiang, and Ban Heang.
We had always preferred Him Heang’s offering as it ticked all the right boxes: flaky crust, generous filling, and freshly made daily.
However, we think Tean Ean might be the best contender to Him Heang.
Superb tau sar piah
So what makes Tean Ean’s biscuits so good?
We like that the crust is as smooth and flaky as Him Heang’s. We also really enjoy the texture of the mung bean. It is not too mushy, with enough soft “sand-like” texture for an enjoyable bite.
The flavour is also very well-balanced – it is not too sweet with a good amount of saltiness from the fried onion and salt cutting through.
Hence, we think that the Tean Ean’s biscuits are quite comparable to Him Heang’s.
How does it trump Him Heang?
However, there are three reasons why we think Tean Ean is superior to Him Heang.
First, the biscuits are packed into smaller packets of 4 to extend the freshness. Him Heang’s biscuits are not individually packed.
Secondly, Tean Ean’s biscuits are also sold cheaper at RM12.50 for 32 in a box (vs. RM16.40 for 32 at Him Heang).
Thirdly, Him Heang’s biscuits are very popular. So you might need to queue or order in advance to secure your biscuits. When we dropped by Tean Ean on a weekend afternoon, there was no queue (although there were only a few boxes left).
Two versions
We bought two types of these biscuits – the popular ones in the size of ping-pong balls and the larger (and more traditional) size with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. They both tasted great.
Verdict
All in all, we are very pleased with these biscuits from Tean Ean. We prefer it to Ghee Hiang’s and think it is very comparable to Him Heang’s.
It is also Halal-certified – which makes for a perfect gift for our Muslim friends. Tean Ean might be our regular go-to for our future tau sar piah needs.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Tean Ean Local Products (M) Sdn Bhd
Address: 90, Jln Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Hours: 9am-6pm daily
Phone: 04-229 8130
Website: https://www.teanean.com.my/
