Laksa is probably one of Malaysia’s most distinctive noodle dishes and a comfort food for many, with its signature spicy broth.

So, it is no surprise that laksa recently made 27th place on the list of traditional dishes published by Taste Atlas, the world food atlas.

Hawkers and fans of the dish should rejoice at this recognition, as it is one of the two Malaysian dishes that were listed, the other being nasi lemak at 95th.

In addition, Penang asam laksa was recently included in CNN’s list of the Top 10 World’s 50 Best Foods, coming in at No 7.

What is it about laksa that makes it so popular with so many people? For that matter, where did laksa even come from?

There are many theories about the name “laksa”. Some say it is derived from the Sanskrit word, “lakshas”, which means “one hundred thousand”.

According to National Geographic, the name, “laksa”, originates from an ancient Persian word that means “noodles”.

Others suggest it comes from the Chinese words, “la sha” or “spicy sand”, which refers to the ground dried shrimp that gives the curry a sandy taste. A few believe its name comes from a Hokkien word that simply means, “dirty”, in reference to the look of the dish.

Because of the sheer number of varieties of laksa, each with its own distinctive characteristics, it is impossible to say where and when the first laksa was concocted.

Most certain is that it came from somewhere in Southeast Asia, where the ports were vital hubs of the historical spice trade. It is possible that traders passed on recipes along with their shipments of spices.

During the heyday of the Malacca Sultanate, Chinese traders settled down in the region and intermarried with the Malay populace, resulting in the birth of the Peranakan culture.

This probably explains why Malaysian laksa can be divided into two variants – curry laksa and asam laksa. The main distinction between the two is the ingredients and flavour.

Curry laksa uses a curry base with coconut milk (santan) for the broth and is generally accompanied by a hard-boiled egg, laksa leaf, cili padi, prawns, cockles and often sambal served on the side .

Penang curry laksa is often identified as curry mee, since it uses yellow mee or mee hoon rather than the usual thick, white laksa rice noodles.

This variation is sometimes served with congealed pork blood, a delicacy in the Malaysian Chinese community.

Asam laksa, which is made with tamarind, has a somewhat sour flavour. Asam refers to asam keping, which is dried slices of sour mangosteen.

No asam laksa would be complete without shredded ikan kembung chub (mackeral), onions, cucumber, chillies, pineapple, lettuce, mint and bunga kantan.

Fans of asam laksa have a choice of thick or thin rice noodles, which are topped with prawn paste.

Special mention must be given to Sarawak laksa, which has its fair share of fans. Coconut milk is used for the soup.

It has a chicken or prawn-based broth with tamarind and a special paste made of onions, chillies and many spices. A garnish of coriander is a must, as is the use of mee hoon.

Peninsular Malaysians may be surprised to find no bean curd in their bowl of Sarawak laksa, and in place of the usual hard-boiled egg, a sliced omelette.

There are also regional spins on laksa from Johor, Terengganu and Kelantan, each influenced by local taste and preference.

Malaysia can be happy to have laksa listed among its culinary treasures, but this dish also has a strong footing in Singapore and Indonesia.

Several dining establishments in the island republic are famous countrywide for their laksa, while in Indonesia, laksa tends to be somewhat overshadowed by soto.

The ambiguous national identity of dishes such as laksa, sometimes does result in regional feathers being ruffled.

This often ends in friendly ribbing between web users from the “rival” countries in online food fights.

There is some fun to be had with Malaysians and Singaporeans occasionally shaking their fists across the Tebrau Strait.

But at the end of the day, it should not really matter where laksa comes from and who has the right to call it their own.

What matters is that everyone can sit down and enjoy a spicy, comforting dish, tailored to suit one’s own tastebuds.