Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coconut curry soup or a broth seasoned with a souring ingredient like tamarind or asam gelugur.

[6][7] Laksa is a dish of Peranakan Chinese origin, with a variety of ingredients and preparation processes that vary greatly by region.

Nevertheless, a number of laksa recipes have been developed along the trade channels of Southeast Asia—where the ports of Singapore, Penang, Medan, Malacca, Palembang, and Batavia (now Jakarta) are the major stops along the historic spice route.

The intensive trade links among these port cities enable exchanges of ideas to take place, including sharing recipes.

One goes back to the 15th-century Ming Chinese naval expeditions led by Zheng He, whose armada navigated Maritime Southeast Asia.

[10] The name laksa is derived from the word spicy (辣) and grainy or sandy (沙) in the Min Chinese dialect, which denotes the spicy taste and the grainy texture (either from grinding onion, granules of fish or meat, or curdled coconut milk) of laksa, since the Peranakan Malay is a creole language that is heavily influenced by a dialect of Hokkien.

In Indonesia, the dish is believed to have been born from the mixing of the cultures and cooking practices of local people and Chinese immigrants.

[2] The most common toppings for the various versions of coconut soup laksa include eggs, deep-fried tofu, beansprouts, and herbs, with a spoonful of sambal chilli paste on the side as a relish.

The main ingredients for tamarind-based laksa typically include shredded fish, normally mackerel (ikan kembung), and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillies, pineapple, mint leaves, laksa leaves, and shredded torch ginger flower.

Common spices include turmeric, coriander, candlenut, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and pepper cooked in coconut milk.

[61][62] In 2018, the Kuala Lumpur variant has been named the second-best food experience in the world on Lonely Planet's Ultimate Eat list.

[63] In Indonesia, laksa is a traditional comfort food; the spicy warm noodle soup is much appreciated on cold, rainy days.

First appearing on the menus of eateries in cities like Adelaide in the 1970s, the coconut soup laksa variant is considered to have been normalized as one of Australia's 'borrowed' foodways since the 2010s.