Penang laksa

Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coconut soup or a broth seasoned with sour ( tamarind or ).

Originating from Peranakan cuisine, laksa recipes are commonly served in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Origin

Laksa is one of the most popular dishes of Peranakan origin, with a diverse variety of ingredients and preparation processes that vary greatly by region. Because laksa has different varieties across the region, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the dish. Nevertheless, numbers of laksa recipes has been developed along the trade channels of Southeast Asia—where the ports of Penang, Medan, Malacca, Singapore, Palembang, and Batavia (now Jakarta) are the major stops along the historic spice route. The intensive trade links among these port cities enables exchanges of ideas to take place, including sharing recipes.

There are various theories about the origins of laksa. One theory is that the word ''laksa'' is theorised to come from an ancient Persian word for "noodles". According to Denys Lombard in the book (The Javanese Crossroads: Towards a Global History, 2005), one of the earliest record of the word ''laksa'' to describe noodles was found in the Javanese Biluluk inscription dated from 1391 of Majapahit era that mentions the word ''hanglaksa''. ''Hanglaksa'' in Kawi means "vermicelli maker". In Sanskrit, ''laksa'' means "one hundred thousand", referring to numerous strands of the vermicelli. The term ''laksa'' or ''lakhshah'' is also believed to have come from Persian or Hindi which refer to a kind of vermicelli.

Another theory about the dish's origins goes back to the 15th century Ming Chinese naval expeditions led by Zheng He, whose armada navigated Maritime Southeast Asia. Overseas Chinese migrants had settled in various parts of Maritime Southeast Asia, long before Zheng He's expedition. However, it was after this that the number of Chinese migrants and traders significantly increased. These Chinese men intermarried into the local populations, and together they formed mixed-race communities called the Peranakans or Straits Chinese. In Malaysia, the earliest variant of laksa is believed to have been introduced by the Peranakan Chinese in Malacca.

In Singapore, the dish is believed to have been created after interaction between the Peranakans with the local Singaporean Malays.

In Indonesia, the dish is believed to have been born from the mixing of the cultures and cooking practices of local people and Chinese immigrants. Historians believe laksa is a dish that was born from actual intermarriage. In early coastal ''pecinan'' (Chinese settlement) in maritime Southeast Asia, it was only Chinese men that ventured abroad out from China to trade. When settling down in the new town, these Chinese traders and sailors set out to find local wives, and these women began incorporating local spices and coconut milk into Chinese noodle soup served to their husbands. This creates the hybrid Chinese-local (Malay or Javanese) culture called Peranakan culture. As Peranakan Chinese communities have blended their ancestors' culture with local culture, Peranakan communities in different places now demonstrate diversity according to the local flavour.

Ingredients

A wide variety of laksa exists in Southeast Asia, with regional and vendor-specific differences. Laksa can be broadly categorized by its two main ingredients: noodles and soup. Most preparations of ''laksa'' are garnished with herbs. Two of the most widely used herbs are mint and Vietnamese coriander, known in Malay as ''daun kesum'' or by its colloquial name ''daun laksa'' "laksa leaf". Another popular garnish used for many laksa recipes is the unopened flower bud of the torch ginger, usually sliced or shredded.

Noodles

Thick rice noodles, also known as "laksa noodles" are most commonly used, although thin rice vermicelli ( "bee hoon") are also common. Some laksa variants might use fresh rice noodles handmade from scratch, other types of noodles; Johor laksa for example uses wheat-based spaghetti, while Kelantanese laksam is served with wide strips of rice noodle rolls similar in texture to '' shahe fen''.

Soup

The type of Laksa is generally based upon the soup base employed in its recipe; either rich and savoury coconut milk, fresh and sour ''asam'' ( tamarind, tamarind slice), or a combination of those two.

Laksa with a rich and strongly spiced coconut gravy is typically described in Malaysia and Singapore as Laksa Lemak or Nyonya Laksa (). ''Lemak'' is a Malay culinary description that specifically refers to the presence of coconut milk which adds a distinctive richness to a dish, whereas ''Nyonya'' alludes to the dish's Peranakan origins and the role of women in Peranakan cuisine. "Laksa" is also an alternate name used for curry mee, a similar coconut soup noodle dish widely popular within the region which is sometimes known as curry laksa. The most common toppings for the various versions of coconut soup laksa include eggs, deep-fried tofu, beansprouts, and herbs, with a spoonful of '' sambal'' chilli paste on the side as a relish.

The Malay word ''asam'' refers to any ingredient that makes a dish taste sour (e.g. tamarind ( ms, Asam Jawa) or tamarind slice ( ms, Asam Gelugor), which comes from a different tree despite its name). The main ingredients for tamarind-based laksa typically include shredded fish, normally mackerel (''ikan kembung''), and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillies, pineapple, mint leaves, laksa leaves, and shredded torch ginger flower. Preparations for tamarind-based laksa usually produce tangy, spicy, sour flavours. This type of Laksa is normally served with either thick rice noodles ("laksa") or thin rice noodles (" mee hoon") and topped off with '' otak udang'' or ''hae ko'' (蝦膏), a thick sweet shrimp paste.

In Indonesia, most laksa variants are coconut milk-based soups. Common spices include turmeric, coriander, candlenut, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and pepper cooked in coconut milk. Widely available ''daun kemangi'' ( lemon basil leaf) is commonly used instead of ''daun kesum'' commonly used in Malaysia and Singapore. Thin rice vermicelli ("bee hoon") is most commonly used, instead of thick rice noodle ("laksa"). Some recipes might even add slices of '' ketupat'' or '' lontong'' rice cake.

Regional variations

Indonesia

* Banjar Laksa () is a laksa variant from Indonesian city of Banjarmasin that has snakehead () as one of its ingredients. Similar to Palembang Lakso, instead of rice noodle or vermicelli, Banjar Laksa uses steamed noodle-like balls, made from rice flour paste, served in a thick yellowish soup made from coconut milk, ground spices, and snakehead fish broth. Sprinkles of fried shallots () and hard-boiled duck egg might also be added.
* Bogor Laksa () is perhaps the most famous laksa variant in Indonesia from Bogor

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