What Penang Assam Laksa Taste Like?

Have you hear about Assam Laksa? If not, here is the right place for you to know more about Assam Laksa. So what is Assam Laksa?

Assam Laksa is a sour fish-based soup. Assam or Assam Jawa is the Malay word for tamarind. Tamarind is commonly used to give the stock a sour flavor. Some people will use dried slices of tamarind fruit to make the stock more sour. Modern Malay spelling of Assam is Asam although the spelling 'Assam' is still frequently used. The main ingredients for Assam Laksa consists of shredded fish, normally "kembung" fish or mackerel, and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillies, pineapple, lettuce, common mint, "daun kesum" (Vietnamese mint or Laksa mint) and pink "bunga kantan" ginger buds. Assam Laksa is normally served with thick rice noodles. The dish is topped with a thick salty shrimp paste.

Shrimp paste in Malay is 'petis udang' and in Hokkien is 'hae ko'. In Malays 'Petis' means paste and 'Udang' means shrimp and in Hokkien 'hae' means shrimp and 'ko' means paste. Salty shrimp paste is a must if you want to try the original Assam Laksa taste but if you are allergic to shrimp please avoid the paste. As a true Penangite, I have a passion for the food that is typical of the island. To eat food such as Assam Laksa I, like most of my friends, am willing to travel around the island. Most of us have a favourite place to eat a particular dish. Yet if you ask ten locals you will hear of ten different places to eat.

The dish will vary in its sourness its spiciness and other characteristics that all have different appeal to different people. The most recent Assam Laksa that I ate involved my travelling to Balik Pulau (Back of the Island). The hour journey was worthwhile as I enjoyed a great dish that to me had the right balance of flavours and an aroma that made my mouth water. The look of the dish also pleased my visual sense and added to the enjoyment of the dish. After such a dish what could I eat, the king of fruits Durian, but that is another story.