Food and Drink Atlas

How The World Eats
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Dish

Asam pedas

Stews, Braises and Sauced Dishes

Asam pedas, meaning sour spicy, is a traditional sour and spicy gulai found across maritime Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, and associated with Malay, Minangkabau, Acehnese, and Peranakan cuisines. It is prepared as a broth of chillies and spices with various seafood or freshwater fish, with its sourness coming from tamarind, dried asam keping, or lime juice depending on the region. The dish is commonly associated with historic trading centers of the region such as Malacca and the Minangkabau heartland of West Sumatra, and remains widely prepared across Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Riau Archipelago. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Origin Region
Maritime Southeast Asia: disputed between the port city of Malacca (Malay Peninsula) and the Minangkabau region of West Sumatra 1
The Wikipedia Historical and cultural origins section states the exact origin of the dish is unclear and contested between Malacca and Minangkabau traditions; recorded as debated rather than a single attested region.
Classification
Dietary Suitability
Contains Fish or Shellfish 1
Sources
1. Asam pedas (Wikipedia)
  • Historical and cultural origins section
    Asam pedas is part of the shared culinary heritage of both Malay and Minangkabau traditions, making its exact origin unclear.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asam_pedas (dietary-suitability)
    The dish is typically associated with Malay, Minangkabau, Acehnese and Peranakan cuisines, and is prepared using various types of seafood or freshwater fish.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.