Man... It's Laksa!

“Let’s go have laksa!” depending on where you are, you will get different laksa in different state! Don’t believe me? Allow me to take you on a Laksa adventure throughout my beloved motherland. Jom!

Laksa is actually a commercial dish consumed at any time of the day; that consists of two main elements, the noodle and the broth. The noodle itself is made of rice flour and it is thicker compared to mee, the yellow coloured noodle also used in certain laksa dishes; laksa is long and cylindrical in shaped. Unlike kuey teow that is also known as rice cake, which is long and flat noodle with approximately 1cm wide yet thin. What differ laksas from one state to another is the broth. Some laksa’s broth has coconut milk in it and some doesn’t.

In Johor, the southern-most state in the Peninsula, Laksa Johor is consumed with spaghetti. The gravy is a mixture of blended fish, coconut milk, lemongrass, torch ginger (bunga kantan), dried shrimps, kerisik (toasted, grated coconut ground into a paste), galangal (lengkuas) and other spices akin to make the thich gravy. This laksa (noodle and gravy) will then be garnished with sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, daun kesum (Vietnamese coriander), chopped long beans, finely sliced four angled bean and sliced onion. One may also opt to squeeze some fresh lime juice before eating.

Well that’s Johor’s specialty. Let’s head to Malacca and indulge in a bowl of Laksa Nyonya. This dish can be served with any type of noodles of your choice. My favourite will be the yellow mee. The stock of this laksa is a coconut milk based broth of which made with a mixture of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, chilli paste, candlenuts, shrimp paste (belacan) and few other spices. Prawns and fish balls may also be added in. This laksa is then garnished with shredded chicken meat, fried tofu, bean sprouts, coriander and hard boiled eggs. Check out Peranakan restaurants that serve this!

The ever famous Assam Laksa originated from Penang has a twist to it. Unlike the Laksa Johor and Laksa Nyonya which has coconut milk in the broth, this Assam Laksa has no coconut milk in the broth. However, what make this assam laksa interesting is the pineapple slices and a thick sweet shrimp paste (petis udang) that gives the dish its kick. The thick broth is made if ground or shredded fish and the sourness of the broth came from the tamarind also used in the broth.

People are often confused between Penang Assam Laksa and Kedah Laksa. Kedah Laksa lacks the soury flavour that Penang Assam Laksa is rich in. Often the Kedah Laksa is slightly dull in colour unlike the Penang Assam Laksa that is reddish in colour. The consistency of the broth varies too. Kedah Laksa is slightly lighter. Sharing some similarities to these two states’ laksas is the Perlis Laksa which differs from Kedah Laksa is the fact that it is topped off with eel of catfish and it too lacks in the sour flavour that can be found in the Assam Laksa. However, you may ask for a lime if you like.

Laksam is one of my favourite dishes from Kelantan. What separates laksam from other laksas is the noodle used. I’m not so sure if you want to call this noodle, since it is thicker that kuey teow and it is rolled and cut into an inch slices. The laksam is made of rice flour and it is steamed. As for the the gravy, it is a mixture of blended fish, shallots, ginger, lemon grass, black pepper and other spices. I like mine with just the noodle and the gravy. Some like it hot, so the sambal may be added into the dish. This dish is topped off with ulam, a mixture of green vegetable which includes chopped long beans, four-angled beans, cucumber, cabbage and beansprout. I guess it’s not too cheesy to say Bon Appetit!

Lastly, (I’ve been saving the best for last) there’s Laksa Sarawak. Unlike other laksas in Peninsula, Laksa Sarawak is served with vermicelli (bee hoon) and a shrimp based broth thickened with coconut milk. I don’t understand why this dish has been neglected as this dish is unique on its own. This dish, I must say is a fusion of Curry Mee and Assam Laksa. There’s a certain tanginess in the broth that makes you sip for more.  Together with its sibling Kolo Mee, this Borneo Treasure is sure to make you crave for more! It has been said that the best feature in Kolo Mee and Laksa Sarawak is the juicy pork in it. I myself, have to pass in this case, since the once I’ve tasted contains absolutely no pork (I’m a Muslim, in case you’re wondering).

I hope you enjoy this piece on the variety of laksas. Of course there are more than just these that you can try. I’ll keep posting more! See ya!