Asam Laksa – Famous Malaysian Cuisine

Asam laksa is Malaysia in a bowl! This spicy and tangy noodle soup has made its way around the world and is an iconic street food in its state of origin, Penang.

Penang asam laksa is considered Nyonya cuisine—a combination of Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) recipes with Malay cooking styles—and draws its cultural background from both Chinese and Malay cuisines. It’s believed Chinese immigrants created this dish by combining Chinese techniques with traditional Malay ingredients, such as laksa leaves (daun kesum, aka Vietnamese coriander), shrimp paste, tamarind juice, and chillies.

There are many different versions of this culturally significant dish served on the streets or in hawker stalls throughout Penang. The common denominator is rice noodles in a spicy broth made with tamarind juice, fish paste, shrimp paste, and chillies. The soup is then topped with fresh herbs like mint leaves, laksa leaves, onions and cucumbers for flavour and texture. To complete the dish, it’s served with boiled mackerel slices.

When ordering Penang asam laska, ask the vendor if their version has any variations. Some may add extra chilli or use a different fish species. Once the bowl arrives at your table, mix everything together well to meld the sweet, sour and savoury elements into one delicious mouthful!

Shop name:
Bisu Asam Laksa
Pekan Ayer Itam, 11500 Air Itam
Penang
010-4616927

Famous Malaysian cuisine is a 50-video series produced by Masters of Malaysian cuisine(MOMC) in partnership with Tourism Malaysia.

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