Singaporean Mandarin Database

This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.

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叻

lè

沙

shā

laksa

食物、植物

Food / Plants

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laksa

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Illustration by alenagungor / Shutterstock

食物、植物

Food / Plants

释义

名词

一种新加坡汤类面食，主要特色是加入椰奶和各类香料的浓汤。

DEFINITION

Noun

A noodle dish known for its rich soup made with coconut milk and various spices.

由来

在新加坡普遍写作“laksa”，而“叻沙”是其音译。
叻沙据说是一道融合华人文化和马六甲文化的美食，早在19世纪就已存在，后来传入新加坡。
对于叻沙的来源，说法不一。有一说法是这个词源自波斯语 lakhsha，就是“米线”的意思。另一说法是它来自梵语 laksha，意思是指“一万”，用来指代这道食材所使用的大量食材，包括姜黄、南姜、香茅、石栗、虾米、红辣椒酱、椰奶、叻沙叶等。
还有一说是这个词来自于方言词语“辣沙”，除了指这道面食的香辣味道，也形容浓汤中使用磨碎的虾米，汤底呈现像沙一样的小颗粒。

ETYMOLOGY

The dish is usually written in Chinese as “叻沙” in Singapore. It is the transliteration of the word “laksa”.
Laksa is said to be a dish that combines Chinese and Melakan culture. It existed as early as the 19th century and was later introduced into Singapore.
There are different beliefs about the origins of laksa. Some believe that the word “laksa” comes from the Persian word lakhsha, which means “rice noodle”. Others believe that it comes from the Sanskrit word laksha, which means “ten thousand”, referring to the large number of ingredients used in making the dish, including turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, candlenut, dried shrimps, red chilli paste, coconut milk and laksa leaves.
There is also another belief that the name originated from the dialect term “辣沙”. This is not only a reference to the fragrance and spiciness of the dish (as “辣” means spicy), but also describes the ground shrimp used in the thick soup, which imparts a slightly grainy texture (“沙”means sand).

例句

两家本地美食被提名“世界餐厅奖”，其中包括位于惹兰白锡的“结霜桥叻沙”，受访摊主表示，入围已经是一种肯定。（《新明日报》，17/12/2018）

SAMPLE SENTENCE

Two local restaurants were nominated for the World Restaurant Award, including Sungei Road Laksa at Jalan Berseh. In an interview, the stall owner said that being nominated was already a form of recognition. (Shin Min Daily News, 17/12/2018)