LAKSA SARAWAK
LAKSA SARAWAK
– More Than Paradise
Any visit to Sarawak, Malaysia especially to the major cities and towns like Kuching, Bintulu, Sibu and Miri would not be complete without a sampling or indulging in the very delicious Sarawak Laksa. Many locals swear by their favourite stalls and some stalls are really famous.
The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear. One theory traces it back to Hindi/Persian lakhshah, referring to a type of vermicelli, which in turn may be derived from the Sanskrit lakshas meaning "one hundred thousand" (lakh). It has also been suggested that "laksa" may derive from the Chinese word (Cantonese: [lɐ̀t.sáː]), meaning "spicy sand" due to the ground dried prawns which gives a sandy or gritty texture to the sauce. The last theory is that the name comes from the similar sounding word "dirty" in Hokkien due to its appearance.
Sarawak laksa is actually very different from the curry laksa as the soup contains no curry at all. It has a base of Sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. Ingredients such as bean sprouts, (sliced) fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but are sometimes added.
The most important criteria in Sarawak Laksa is the paste itself. The recipe for making the laksa's spice paste is quite elusive because not many people know how to make it, not even Sarawakians. Many people rely on shop-bought and mass-produced paste that looks much like the instant pastes people use for convenient cooking nowadays. Laksa paste to cook laksa can be purchased from supermarkets. Laksa flavoured instant noodles are also available at supermarkets.
