Laksa is a spicy noodle soup popular in Peranakan cuisine. Laksa consists of rice noodles or rice vermicelli with chicken, prawn or fish, served in spicy soup based on either rich and spicy curry coconut milk or on sour asam (tamarind or gelugur). Laksa is found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Southern Thailand.
The type of laksa is based upon the soup base employed in its recipe; either rich and savoury coconut milk, fresh and sour asam (tamarind, gelugur or kokum), or the combination of the two.
There are three basic types of laksa: curry laksa, asam laksa, and other variant that can be identified as either curry or asam laksa.
Curry laksa is a coconut milk curry soup with noodles, while asam laksa is a sour, most often tamarind-based, soup with noodles. Thick rice noodles also known as laksa noodles are most commonly used, although thin rice vermicelli (bee hoon or mee hoon) are also common, and some recipes might create their own rice noodle from scratch. Some variants might use other types of noodles; Johor laksa for example uses spaghetti, while a fusion recipe might use Japanese udon noodle.
Laksa lemak, also known as nyonya laksa (Malay: Laksa nyonya), is a type of laksa with a rich coconut gravy. Lemak is a culinary description in the Malay language which specifically refers to the presence of coconut milk which adds a distinctive richness to a dish. As the name implies, it is made with a rich, slightly sweet and strongly spiced coconut gravy. Laksa lemak is usually made with a fish-based gravy (with vegetarian food stalls omitting fish) and quite similar to Thai laksa (Malay: Laksa Thai), perhaps to the point that one could say they are one and the same.
Asam laksa is a sour, fish and tamarind-based soup. Penang Asam Laksa listed at number 26th on World's 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011. Asam is the Malay word for any ingredients that makes a dish tastes sour (e.g. tamarind, gelugur or kokum). Laksa typically uses asam keping, known as kokum in the English speaking world, which is a type of dried slices of sour mangosteens.
The modern Malay spelling is asam, though the spelling assam is still frequently used.
The main ingredients for asam laksa include shredded fish, normally kembung (small mackerel of the Rastrelliger genus), and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillies, pineapple, lettuce, common mint, daun kesum (Vietnamese mint or laksa mint), and pink bunga kantan (torch ginger). Asam laksa is normally served with either thick rice noodles or thin rice noodles (vermicelli). And topped off with petis udang or "hae ko" (蝦膏), a thick sweet prawn/shrimp paste.
Source: Wikipedia and Facebook
Prepare for stormy days ahead, says weather department
Bring out your umbrellas and rubber boots because heavy rains are expected to lash out soon, bringing with it high chances of floodings.
Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahari said the north-east monsoon was expected to last until March and has already brought heavy rainfall to Kelantan and Terengganu.
Rain will make its way to Pahang and Johor before shifting to Sabah and Sarawak later in the season.
“These states are expected to experience four to six heavy rainfalls as in previous years,” he said.
“If heavy rainfall, high tides and strong winds occur, it could cause rivers to overflow,” he added.
The situation could be worsened by spring tides that take place during the new and full moons.
While the east coast is typically the worst hit by floods during the rainy season, west coast residents should also be on the alert.
Last year, Penang was also hit by major floods, where the state sought help from armed forces after winds and rain lashed out, causing landslides and falling trees.
However, Alui said he did not expect such rainfall over Penang and Kedah this season.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Professor of Climatology and Oceanography Prof Dr Fredolin Tangang said the country was entering the monsoon period earlier compared to the average mid-November onset date.
However, he said this was within the “natural variability” of the monsoon period, which was affected by phenomena such as El Nino.
“Sea surface temperatures in the Eastern-Central Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual, indicating the progression of a weak El Nino by year end or early next year,” he said.
Due to this, he said, there was likely to be heavier rainfall in southern Peninsular Malaysia, which includes Johor and the Klang Valley.
He added there was a low possibility of extreme rainfall, which could lead to large-scale flooding as the Kelantan and Terengganu floods in December 2014.
According to his research, three phenomena should take place for such extreme weather to occur.
Firstly, he said there should be cold surges from the north and secondly, the Borneo vortex, a wind circulation system should be located close to Peninsular Malaysia.
“The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) must also be active and its low pressure-centre must be located near West Sumatra,” he said.
The MJO is a phenomenon in which a low pressure system crosses eastward from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
The people can monitor weather and flood situations through http://portalbencana.nadma.gov.my and www.met.gov.my or download relevant mobile applications such as myCuaca and myJPS.
~News courtesy of The Star~
明年6月起 离境国内外飞机乘客须缴税
明年6月1日起，政府将向所有乘搭飞机出国的本地与外国乘客征收离境税。
政府建议2019年6月1日起，向所有乘搭飞机出国的本地与外国乘客征收离境税。
财长林冠英说，离境税共分为2种，飞往东盟诸国的收费为20令吉，东盟以外的国家则收40令吉。他说，有关收费不比其他国家和地区征收的离境税来得高，例如香港15美元、日本10美元及泰国20美元。
～光华日报～
Travel, departure levy at airports
AVID traveller Shahida Sakeri will think twice about going overseas for her holiday next year when the departure levy on travellers leaving Malaysian airports is introduced on June 1.
The government has proposed a fee of RM20 per head for those departing for Asean countries and RM40 for other countries.
Shahida said since she was used to travelling solo, it might not affect her as badly as those travelling in a large group.
“For my aunts and uncles with many children, they will now have to bear the additional costs,” she said.
“I want to see more facilities for the disabled at our tourist attractions, such as increasing accessibility at museums and parks,” she added.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president Datuk Tan Kok Liang, on the other hand, described the move as “disappointing”.
“It will not have any significant impact on domestic tourism as leisure travellers are on extreme budget constraints and very price sensitive.
“Domestic tourism can be improved by providing healthier tourism fundamentals, better tourism packages and capping on domestic airfares,” he said.
However, Tan welcomed the RM100mil grant for private companies to boost international tourist arrivals through marketing efforts, which he called a “good surprise”.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Uzaidi Udanis said the money collected from the departure levy could be used to promote inbound travel.
However, he also warned that the move might deter airlines from increasing connectivity from the country.
“If there is lower demand for outbound travel, airlines might not be interested in introducing new routes from the country,” said Uzaidi.
Malaysia Airlines in a statement said that any funds generated and channelled back to the development of the aviation industry in general would only be positive for the sector.
Budget 2019 also allocated RM20mil to the Malaysia Healthcare Tourism Council (MHTC) to promote the country’s medical tourism industry.
MHTC chief executive officer Sherene Azli said this would further propel Malaysia’s profile as a leading global destination for healthcare tourism.
“This will go a long way in bringing Malaysia’s healthcare tourism to new heights while making a significant positive economic impact on the nation,” she said.
~Courtesy of The Star~
Apam balik (English: 'turnover pancake') or terang bulan (English: 'bright moon') or martabak manis (English: 'sweet martabak') common in Southeast Asia. It is usually sold at specialist roadside stalls throughout Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
The pancake's batter is made from a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, baking soda, coconut milk and water. The batter is cooked upon a thick round iron frying pan in plenty of palm margarine to avoid it sticking to the pan.
Then other ingredients are sprinkled as filling; the most common or traditional is crushed peanut granules with sugar and sweetcorn kernels (available from cans), but modern innovations such as chocolate sprinkles and cheddar cheese are also available. Then, the pancake is folded (hence the name: "turnover pancake") and cut into several pieces.
The texture of the apam balik can vary depending on the amount of batter and type of pan used, from one that is akin to a crispier form of crumpets to small thin light pancake shells that break when bitten (the latter is usually called apam balik nipis, 'thin apam balik').
The dish has been declared a heritage food by the Malaysian Department of National Heritage.
~wikipedia~
卤面是来源于福建漳州、泉州、兴化及福州一带的面食，与打卤面或淋面相似，先煮好一锅浓稠的卤汤，在顾客点餐后才将黄面烫熟盛进碗内，铺上铺料，淋上卤汤再撒上香菜或油葱酥端上。随着早期福建籍的移民大量移民至马来半岛一带，目前在马来西亚与新加坡福建社区的面食可轻易找到这道面食。
早期是闽南人神诞时作为供馔供奉神明的一道面食。后来社会经济好转，开始在婚礼或其他喜庆中开始食用。在马来西亚的卤面随着煮面方式的不同而分为两派，在以槟城为主的北马地区及新加坡，当地的卤面是依循漳州及福州卤面的做法，先将黄面烫熟之后，在淋上预先做好的卤汤，其中卤汤是以虾汤为底，加入了黑酱油、五香粉等，使得汤汁呈现深褐色，搭配的配料以卤肉片、排骨、卤蛋、香菇、鸡脚等为主，吃的时候会拌入参巴辣椒酱及乌醋，一般贩售福建面（虾面）的店家都会同时贩卖这道面食。
在以吉隆坡为主的中马地区，当地的卤面的煮法与泉州及兴化地区的类似，即面条与汤汁同煮，最后才加入地瓜粉勾芡且打入蛋花。当地的卤面又因为汤汁颜色的深浅可分为黑白两派。
在雪兰莪州的乌鲁音（Ulu Yam）当地的卤面在烹煮的过程中，会在卤汁中加入酱油及乌醋，据说是上世纪20年代，在当地有人在新加坡吃了当地的漳州式卤面后，念念不忘，便依样画葫芦，自创了加入黑酱油及乌醋版本的卤面，有别于吉隆坡与雪兰莪一带的白色卤面，深受当地人欢迎，因此在乌鲁音许多店家也开始推出这道面食，成为当地的代表性美食。
在中马其他地区的卤面则出现在华人的大排档内，将蒜末及比目鱼粉爆香后，加入高汤、面条、蔬菜、猪肉片、海鲜等，加盖将面条焖至熟透，最后勾芡及打入蛋花，加上猪油渣，以浅色的汤汁与食客相见，吃时才依个人的口味，自行加入乌醋调味。
~维基百科~
