History of Laksa is Like Some Love Stories, it's Complicated

Nyonya laksa is synonymous with laksa in Singapore. Most Singaporeans are familiar with Nyonya laksa and many know the history of the spicy noodle soup dish. But, to the bigger question of where do laksa come from - that's a harder one to answer.

Woo Ji laksa

First things first, there is no agreement on whether the dish is named after the noodle or the spicy soup dish.

One theory traces the name "laksa" to the Persian word lakhshah which means vermicelli or noodle.

The Persian word lakhshah gave its name to many noodle dishes across Eurasia.

Russian lapsha.

Uyghur laghman.

Jewish lokshen.

Afghan lakhchak.

Italian lasagna.

There are other Eurasia region noodle dishes like Ukrainian lokshina, etc., that sounds like the Persian lakhshah - you got the idea 😄

Lik Ming laksa

Others speculate that the name "laksa" came from the Sanskrit word laksha लक्ष meaning "many", alluding to the spicy soup's numerous ingredients. Others believe that "laksa" came from Mandarin Chinese phrase "la sha" 辣沙 literally meaning "spicy sand" because of the grainy, gritty sediment in laksa soup.

Already told you it's complicated.

Singapore imports Laksa from Batavia. Singapore Chronicle 13 Jun 1833

My own take is that the word "laksa" is more likely to refer to just the noodles / vermicelli. The vermicelli can be served with many different variations of sauces or broths depending on the region.

Hence, the regional laksa dish is usually prefixed / suffixed with the location or community name e.g. laksa Johor, laksa Siglap, Penang laksa, Sarawak laksa, Nyonya laksa, etc. The sauce or broth may vary but it is always a noodle / vermicelli dish i.e. always a laksa.

The origin of laksa is a little murky but we know there are a few branches of the dish today, each with their regional sub-varieties. I shall divide laksa into those based on coconut milk, and those that are not.

Coconut Milk Base or Laksa Lemak

Janggut Laksa

We start with Nyonya laksa which is an icon of Peranakan cuisine.

History of Peranakan. Image credit: Wikipedia

Peranakan which means "local born" in Malay refer to descendants of Indian or Chinese traders who married locals in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Trade between India, the Malay Archipelago and China began in the first Millennium (AD 1 - 1,000). The heyday of the Malacca Sultanate (1400 - 1511) saw the largest movements of Chinese settlers to Malacca up to that time. The Malacca Sultanate enjoyed excellent political and trade relations with China's Yuan, and the succeeding Ming dynasty.

Malacca was literally an international emporium with gems from Arabia, spices from India, and silk, ceramics and tea from China. Malaya and Indonesia supplied spices, incense wood, hornbill casques etc.

Some Chinese and Indian traders settled down in Malaysia and Indonesia creating Peranakan enclaves in Malacca, Batavia (Jakarta), Phuket (in southern Thailand), etc.

Nyonya in their traditional kebaya dress. Image credit: Wikipedia

The Chinese Peranakan created Nyonya cuisine which is a hybrid of Chinese and Malay traditions - Nyonya laksa is one of them. Peranakan ladies are addressed as Nyonya, hence Peranakan dishes are often called Nyonya dishes.

George Laksa

In Nyonya laksa lemak, fresh coconut milk is added to a fried rempah (spice) paste of pounded spices like chili, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, shallot, belacan, etc. The resulting spicy soup is poured over blanched thick rice vermicelli, covering the noodles. The dish is garnished with blanched prawns and the essential fragrant daun kesum or laksa leaf. An optional dollop of sambal chili, if you feel the creamy curry soup needs more umami and spicy heat.

History of Katong laksa

In Singapore, Katong laksa is synonymous with Nyonya laksa. Katong on the east of Singapore was a Peranakan enclave. Peranakan families are very proud of their cuisine and protective of their heirloom recipes.

Until the recently, if you are not a Peranakan, you will have no chance to taste Nyonya dishes unless you are lucky enough to be invited to their homes for dinner. The Peranakan community which held a relatively higher social economic status in general, at that time, loathed to hawk their cuisine for a living.

A mobile laksa hawker. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Immediately after the Second World War, jobs were scarce and the economy was bad in Singapore. Many people were jobless and had to resort to selling food in the streets for a living. One of them was Janggut who sold Nyonya laksa on foot, walking the streets of Katong with two pots balanced on a bamboo pole across his shoulders.

Janggut laksa was a huge success. Today, his descendants run a chain of Janggut Laksa shops. Janggut's relatives and former workers also run their own laksa stalls based on Janggut's recipe which he generously shared.

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

In an interview with Janggut's brother Ng Chwee Seng on Singapore Mediacorp TV, he said that Janggut learnt the Nyonya laksa recipe from a Hainanese man who was selling laksa on foot in Katong in the 1950s. This sounds credible as many Hainanese men worked as domestic helpers in the homes of wealthy Peranakan (and colonial officer) families. That was how the Nyonya laksa recipe "leaked out" into the public domain.

Nyonya laksa stalls are today found all over Singapore emulating Janggut's recipe. Many, if not most, are run by non-Peranakan.

A non Nonya laksa lemak is Siglap laksa, which is no longer sold commercially.

Unlike Nyonya laksa lemak, Siglap laksa is thick vermicelli smothered in a thick sauce made with ikan parang fish stock, coconut milk, kerisik (toasted grated coconut pounded into paste), asam gelugur, asam Jawa (tamarind), dried prawns, pounded fresh ikan parang fish meat, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, dried salted fish (ikan kurau), dried shrimp and aromatic spices like turmeric. It is more like a thick grainy sauce than a soup as less coconut milk is used in Siglap laksa than Nyonya laksa.

Laksa Johor

Across the Causeway in Johor, there's laksa Johor which uses the same thick heavy sauce as laksa Siglap. Only difference is, rice vermicelli is replaced by spaghetti.

Why spaghetti?

According to legend, Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor (reign 1885 - 1895) fell in love with spaghetti when he visited Italy. When he returned to Johor, he ordered his palace chef to make laksa Johor with spaghetti instead of vermicelli. Since then, laksa Johor is always made with spaghetti and is the de facto state dish.

Warisan Kelate Restaurant

Laksam is Kelatan style laksa which is found in Kelantan and Terengganu states of Malaysia and also in southern Thailand. The rich creamy thick sauce is made with coconut milk, ground shallot, garlic, ginger and mackerel fish. The sauce is poured over thick rice noodles (like thick hor fun).

Laksam is eaten with garnish of daun kesum (laksa leaf), torch ginger flower, daun selom, daun pegaga, bean sprout, julienned cucumber and cabbage. Laksam has a unique white milky colour. The sweet savoury dish can be spiced with sambal belacan chili paste as desired.

Sarawak laksa

Sarawak laksa soup is coconut milk and prawn & chicken broth spiced with cardamon, shallot, garlic, chili pepper, lemongrass, candlenut, macadamia nut, cashew nut, peanut, star anise, nutmeg, cloves, sesame seed, coriander seed, cloves, cumin seed, etc.

The creamy heavily spiced soup is poured over vermicelli and topped with prawn, shredded chicken, fried egg strips. Garnished with lime and eaten with Sarawak belacan. The taste profile of Sarawak laksa is very different from Katong Nyonya laksa due to a different blend of base stock and spices used. I found it very interesting and I like it a lot.

Anthony Bourdain loved Sarawak laksa. He called it "best breakfast ever", "breakfast of the gods" and "weapons grade plutonium of breakfast".

Padang Melang Festival, Anambas

Lakse Kuah found in Riau Islands Indonesia has a heavy thick curry of coconut milk with mashed mackerel and spice mix of chili pepper, coriander, cumin, star anise, shallot, garlic, ginger and turmeric over thick chewy sago noodles.

Non Coconut Milk Base Laksa

Malay laksa hawker in Penang 1930. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

From the description "elongated rice cake taken with fish curry and onions, leaves and chillies" it is not clear what type of laksa this Malay hawker in Penang in 1930 was selling. Can anyone help?

Nevertheless, the best known laksa from Penang is asam laksa, the flag bearer of non coconut milk based laksa.

Asam laksa

Asam laksa is often referred to as Penang laksa where the dish came from. Asam laksa soup is made with mackerel fish, tamarind paste, asam gelugor, daun kesum and fried spice paste of turmeric, chili, galangal, lemongrass, belacan, shallot etc.

The resulting spicy savoury sweet sourish soup is poured over blanched thick rice vermicelli. The dish is garnished with julienned cucumber, chopped pineapple, mint leaf, diced torch ginger flower, cut chili pepper, and very importantly, fermented prawn paste (known as hei ko in Hokkien Chinese). No coconut milk is used in asam laksa.

This list of types of laksa is by no means complete as there are many varieties of laksa which I have not tasted before, especially from Indonesia and Thailand. So, I am eating, learning and updating this article as I progress.

List of popular laksa stalls in Singapore and Malaysia.

Janggut Laksa at Queensway Shopping Centre in Singapore is run by Janggut's niece. She has kept to Janggut's recipe as much as possible but has cockles in her laksa because customers expect heart warming cockles in their laksa nowadays 😂 Read more about Janggut Laksa @ Queensway 👈 click

The Original Katong Laksa at Roxy Square shopping centre is run by another of Janggut's nieces (and friends). Same rich mildly spicy laksa soup and toppings, and also have cockles like their Queensway compatriot 😂 Read more about The Original Katong Laksa 👈 click

George is a distant relative of Janggut. When George's father lost his provision shop in Joo Chiat to settle gambling debts, he approached Janggut for help. The sweet gentleman Janggut taught George's father his Nyonya laksa recipe. More than fifty years on, George today still serves one of the best Nyonya laksa in Singapore. Oh... unlike Janggut, George does not snip his vermicelli into short strands. Read more about my favourite Katong Laksa by George 👈 click

328 Katong Laksa founder Mdm Lim learnt the craft of cooking Nyonya laksa while working for Janggut. 328 Katong Laksa is arguably the most famous brand of Nyonya laksa today. Its fame shot to new heights in 2013 when it was chosen for a cook off with Gordon Ramsay sponsored by Singtel (Singapore Telecom). 328 Katong Laksa has several franchise outlets - their laksa soup is lighter on coconut milk than Janggut's. Read more about 328 Katong Laksa 👈 click

In Singapore, Sungei Road Laksa is equally as famous as Katong laksa. It is a Chinese interpretation of Nyonya laksa - the spicy soup is similar but there is no prawn topping. It is topped with fish cake slices and blood cockles instead. In Nyonya laksa, cockles are a no, no. Read more about Sungei Road Laksa 👈 click

Lik Ming Toa Payoh Laksa is another Chinese interpretation of Nyonya laksa. Heavy on sweet coconut milk balanced with loads of savoury umami dried prawns. Topped with tau pok (fried bean curd), fish cake slices and cockles (which are blasphemous to Nyonya laksa purists). Read more about Lik Ming Laksa 👈 click

Ye Lai Siang Laksa at Marsiling Mall is yet another Chinese interpretation of Nyonya laksa. It takes coconut milk creamy sweetness and dried prawn savouriness to extremes, so we get one of Singapore's heaviest, most flavour laden spicy soups here. Topped with fried tau pok, tau kwa, hard boiled egg, fish cake slices and blood cockles. Read more about Woodlands Ye Lai Siang Laksa 👈 click

Water Works Laksa is the most famous laksa in Johor Bahru. It's a variation of Nyonya laksa with a slightly different taste profile from Katong laksa. They use less coconut milk and a slightly different blend of spices. Whereas Katong laksa uses thick vermicelli, laksa lemak in Johor generally use thin vermicelli. Personally, I prefer thin vermicelli as the slender strands pick up soup better. Read more about W. W. Laksa House 👈 click

Yew Swee Laksa is the most popular laksa in Johor Bahru. By that I mean it is the laksa that gets the most organic, unpaid social media mentions. It is a lemak type laksa but besides coconut milk it has an underlying savoury umami stock. The spice blend and taste profile is moderately robust and nice. Generous with fried tofu pieces and crispy fried tofu skin. Read more about Yew Swee Laksa 👈 click

Cathay Laksa is one of the well loved stalwarts of laksa lemak in Johor Bahru. The spice flavours are mild, and the spicy soup not too heavy on coconut milk. Served with chewy flavourful freshly made fried fish balls. Read more about Tan Kee Cathay Laksa 👈 click

Lee Kee Laksa and Tan Kee Cathay Laksa are from the same family, their laksa lemak are very similar. Same tender fried tofu, crispy fried tofu skin and chewy fried fish balls. Same nice coconut milk spicy soup. Read more about Lee Kee Laksa 👈 click

Tampoi Laksa is another well loved laksa lemak in Johor Bahru. It is quite similar to Tan Kee and Lee Kee with fried tofu, fried tofu skin, blood cockles, fried fish balls and spicy soup with anchovy umami savoury sweetness underlying the coconut milk. The kampung ambiance also adds to the charm of this laksa. Read more about Tampoi Laksa 👈 click

Foon Yew Laksa is deep in the psyche of generations of Foon Zhong High School students as the laksa stall was in the school tuck shop. Today, it is run by the founder's nephew and it is still as popular. Locals love its rich coconut based spicy soup and the many fried yong tau fu pieces which you can eat with the laksa. Yeah..., it has gone a long way from the original Nyonya laksa. Read more about Foon Yew Fong Zhong Laksa 👈 click

Kim Laksa in Balik Pulau is a 80 year old brand. The savoury sweet sourish soup is made with fresh fish and spices. Garnished with fresh vegetables and aromatics. The spoonful of hae ko (fermented prawn paste) adds in robust savoury umami and sweetness to the dish. Read more about Kim Laksa 👈 click

Home based, home cooked asam laksa in Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru. Fresh, generous ingredients, delicious food in rustic Malaysian home ambiance. Read more about Jalan Keembong 32, Johor Jaya, Bong Family Asam Laksa 👈 click

You have tried all the laksa stalls in Singapore and ready for something different. Then, give this Sarawak laksa a try. I don't want to say much, except that you run a big risk of becoming addicted 😝 Read more about Sarawak Delicacy Laksa & Kolo Mee stall 👈 click

I am adding to this list as I go. Please share with us your favourite laksa too.