Umi Kalsom prepares Laksa Kuale at her festival stall. — Bernama photo
KUALA KANGSAR (June 3): It is no secret to laksa lovers that this delicious dish is available in many versions throughout Malaysia.
Surely then, it would be a dream come true for an aficionado if the laksa from every state is made available in one place.
That’s exactly what the two-day ‘Laksa Kuale Festival’ at the Kuala Kangsar Arena here which begins today offers, bringing together unique flavours of laksa from 10 states
A visitor from Langkawi, Kedah, Anisah Mohd Nor, 35, said she was very excited to be able to visit the festival.
“I am currently on vacation with my family in Perak, so when I saw an advertisement about this festival on Facebook, our family came here to taste various laksa.
“I am most interested in ‘Kuale laksa’ (of Kuala Kangsar) because I have never tasted laksa made from wheat flour. It tastes better than regular laksa,” she said when met here yesterday.
Laksa Kuale is unique because the noodles are made of wheat flour. — Bernama photo
Civil servant Khairul Affendi Mokhtar, 56, said he often attended such events as he was an avid laksa lover.
“Last year, there was the ‘Temasya 99 Laksa Kuale’ here which I visited with my family. This year I am also here because the difference this time is that there is laksa from various states, compared to last year which brought together 99 laksa traders in Kuala Kangsar,” he said.
For laksa trader Umi Kalsom Bakri, 56, Kuala lakse offers its own taste and uniqueness.
Among the specialties of Kuala Kangsar variant is its main ingredient – the laksa noodles – made from wheat flour, which is different from the laksa of other states.
Umi Kalsom, who has been making Kuale laksa for 15 years, said wheat flour laksa could now be found in grocery stores without having to spend time making it from scratch at home.
“The gravy is usually made from fish. Other places often contain prawn paste (belacan) and serve it with pineapple. The deliciousness of laksa (dish) actually lies in the gravy, which contains thick slices of fish,” she said.
Meanwhile, a Sarawak laksa trader, Jamaiyah Sulaiman, 55, was specially flown from Land of the Hornbills to promote Sarawak laksa to visitors in the peninsula.
“Among the differences is that laksa in the peninsula uses a lot of fish but in Sarawak, we use our own spices and have a special paste. Sarawak laksa uses vermicelli instead of laksa which is better eaten with sliced omelette, shredded chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, calamansi, and coriander leaves,” she said.
Chemah says Nyonya Laksa gravy is made from dried shrimp and fresh shrimp. — Bernama photo
Chemah Omar, 60, from Melaka who is promoting Nyonya laksa, said the laksa is eaten with vermicelli and the gravy is made from dried shrimp and fresh shrimp.
“Boiled eggs, torch ginger (bunga kantan) and kesum leaves are used as garnish. In Melaka, we have various races including Baba Nyonya, Portuguese, Javanese, and Banjar. Kuale laksa is popular here, but back in our place, we have Nyonya laksa that uses candlenut (buah keras) as the main ingredient in the gravy,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the event, organised for the second time since last year, aims to re-inject the district’s tourism economy after being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This time, it is being held at a bigger space, gathering various types of laksa and also traditional delicacies from various states in Malaysia as well as the 12 districts in Perak. — Bernama