| |  | | Availability of Laksa
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Victor and Kathleen Wood
Posted on: February 20, 2001
My wife and I are Canadians living in Europe and have been growing herbs for our kitchen here for many years. I recently returned from Singapore where I was quite impressed by a seafood-noodle soup, called Laksa. Upon my return home I found recipes for Laksa in two of my cookbooks, but see that each calls for something called laksa leaves. I do not see it in your catalog, and I am wondering if you might carry this herb under another name. I believe that it is in the mint family.
Laksa is a mouthwatering spicy chicken noodle soup made with more than a dozen flavourings including lemongrass, chiles, ginger, galangal, turmeric, garlic, cilantro, tamarind paste and others. A sauce made with coconut milk and "laksa herb" is served with it, along with fresh "laksa" herb and other herbs served as a garnish.
According to Pat Solley, soup gourmand extraordinaire, laksa is "asian basil". There are several different types of basils used in southeast asian cooking, but we believe anise basil or possibly thai basil are the varieties used for laksa. By the way, basil belongs to the mint family, one of the most important plant families in the herb world.
Visit Pat Solley’s "Soup of the Evening...Beautiful Soup" website at http://www.soupsong.com/rlaksa.html for her favourite laksa recipe.
| | |
|
