MAIN INGREDIENTS
The perfect blend of spicy, sweet, savory, and umami flavors, penang laksa is a popular Malaysian street food, originating from the north-western state of Penang. This hearty noodle soup is made with poached mackerel (or sardines), tamarind, lemongrass, and chili peppers as the base ingredients.
Other commonly used garnishes include ginger flower buds, pineapple slices, onions, mint, and shrimp paste (hae ko). But, regardless of all the specific recipes, the result is always a rich and strong-flavored dish that has earned the adoration of both locals and travelers alike.
Penang version of the dish known as Hokkien mee is significantly different from the varieties that can be found in other parts of Malaysia and Singapore. Often referred as prawn mee, the dish consists of a broth that is flavored with prawns and pork ribs, and which comes topped with ingredients such as sliced pork, rice and wheat noodles, bean sprouts, prawns, kangkong (water spinach), fried shallots, and boiled eggs.
This hawker classic is usually served with a chili-based sauce. As the name suggests, the origins of the dish are among the Hokkien community who emigrated from Chinese province of Fujian.
Assam laksa is a traditional fish-based sour noodle soup. It is the one of the numerous varieties of laksa, popular noodle soups widespread throughout Southeast Asia. The dish consists of rice noodles, shredded fish, and sliced vegetables, most commonly cucumber, onion, and lettuce.
It has a distinctively tangy taste, which is attributed to tamarind, the sour ingredient generously used to spice the dish. The exact origin of the dish is unknown, but it is believed that it has originated in the coastal areas of Malaysia among the local fishermen who assembled the dish out of available ingredients.
MOST ICONIC Assam laksa
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