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Jen and dad ensure ‘kacang tumbuk’ business lives on

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Heritaste, a company that makes pounded peanut candy and other treats, was started in 1984 and is now run by second-generation owners.

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Free Malaysia Today
Heritaste’s founder, Tan Hook Heeng, with his daughter, Jennifer. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

KUALA LANGAT:
In 1984, Tan Hook Heeng started a confectionery business in his hometown of Jenjarom, Selangor, operating out of his house.

He initially sold a number of snack products, but before long he started focusing on his best seller, pounded peanut candy. This classic goody, which some say dates back to the Ming Dynasty, is better known in Malaysia as “kacang tumbuk” or, if you speak Hokkien, “gong tang”.

Tan used a recipe that he had perfected, but making the candy by hand involved a tedious process. “Nobody wanted to work for me even when I offered them high pay,” the 69-year-old told FMT Lifestyle.

So he decided to invest in semi-automated machines, including machines to roast and ground peanuts. Henceforth, the business prospered, enabling him to build a decent life for his five children.

But by the early 2010s, he found it a challenge at his age to keep the business going and contemplated giving it up.

Free Malaysia Today
Workers stir a mixture of roasted peanuts, sugar and molasses to make the ‘kacang tumbuk’. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

Lucky for him, his daughter, Jennifer, decided to step in. This was in 2014 and Jennifer, then a pharmaceutical sales representative, was 25 years old. She didn’t like the idea of her father giving up something he loved dearly.

After some serious brainstorming with her brother, Jennifer told FMT Lifestyle that they decided to “build the team and the brand so that people know they can come here to Jenjarom to get fresh pounded peanut candy”.

 

She changed their business name from Tat Lian to Heritaste. “I needed a name that is not only accepted by the Chinese community, but also something universal,” she said.

“I personally like the sound of ‘heritage’. And we are inheriting not only the business and the taste of our products, but also the enthusiasm to make good products.”

Free Malaysia Today
The delicious peanut candy melts in your mouth.  (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

In 2015, they moved the operations out of their home and opened a retail store in the vicinity.

Knowing that people were becoming more health-conscious, they reduced the sugar content in their candy and also offered a “less sugar” option for the health conscious.

When FMT Lifestyle visited the shop, their production area was a hive of activity, with workers roasting peanuts and making the outer layer of the candy. The aroma was heavenly.

With a retail store, Jennifer knew they had to increase their product offerings. So they reintroduced the peanut candy bars their father had stopped producing and launched other goodies too like the Oreo pounded peanut candy as well as almond and pumpkin seed crackers.

They also introduced new ways to enjoy pounded peanut candy. For example, it makes a great topping for fruit salads, chicken curry and yee sang.

As the business grew, Jennifer’s sister joined in to help manage the retail segment.

Free Malaysia Today
Pounded peanut candy is included in this elegant Chinese New Year gift set. (Heritaste pic)

In their charming retail store, there is a display of old tools once used in the business, offering customers a glimpse into its history and how far it has come.

According to Jennifer, Heritaste’s products are known in Singapore and as far away as Switzerland. Asked how he felt about this, Hook Heeng said he was happy that more people now knew about the family business.

They are grateful to Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans, an NGO that helps local artisans expand their distribution channels through its online website, physical stores and pop-up events.

Jennifer said they were planning on strengthening their online business. “But,” she added, “the best part of this whole thing is to know that people come here and they get to know us and to know Jenjarom. We get the chance to share and promote our place.”

  • Chinese New Year Gift set: RM138
  • Early bird offer until Jan 27: Buy 10 sets, get 1 set free.
  • To pre-book, contact 016-390 3828 / 014-981 3828 /011-3522 3828.

To purchase other products, check out Heritaste’s website, as well as Shopee and Lazada.

Heritaste
40, Jalan Intan 2,
Taman Yayasan,
Jenjarom, Selangor

Business hours: 10am-6pm (closed Mondays)

Follow Heritaste on Facebook and Instagram.

Read more PPA stories and get to know its artisans here.

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