Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Indonesia. The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear. One theory traces it back to Hindi/Persian lakhshah, referring to a type of vermicelli. It has also been suggested that "laksa" may derive from the Chinese word "la sha" (辣沙; pronounced "latsa" in Cantonese), 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 (Malay: Laksa Sarawak) is one of the various kind of laksa, that comes from the town of Kuching in the Malaysian state Sarawak (on the island of Borneo). It is actually very different from the curry laksa as the soup contains no curry at all.
Left : Omelette strips, chicken strips and limes Right from top : Sambal belacan, prawn strips and bean sprouts
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.