Buzz
1. Grilled Chicken Savanakhet
Grilled chicken from Savanakhet is considered a specialty in southern Laos. This renowned dish is beloved far and wide for its enticing aroma. However, one doesn't necessarily have to travel to Savanakhet to enjoy this dish, as diners can find establishments serving this grilled chicken in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and many other locations in Laos.
This is an incredibly enticing dish made from free-range chicken, with tender, flavorful, and firm meat. After being cleaned, the chicken is skewered and grilled over charcoal until cooked through. Savanakhet chicken is served with round sticky rice balls and dipped in a savory, spicy, and tangy dipping sauce known as cheo boong, making it an unforgettable culinary experience.
2. Laotian Sticky Rice
Laotian sticky rice is a traditional dish of the Lao people. Some say that Laotians eat more sticky rice than regular rice. It's practically their daily staple. Sticky rice in Laos is mainly used to make Xoi. Besides being cooked for consumption, Laotians also use sticky rice to make offerings to Buddha statues or to coat the walls of houses for religious ceremonies.
The traditional way of cooking sticky rice in Laos involves steaming it in bamboo tubes using spring water. The rice is put into the bamboo tube with a little water and then roasted over a charcoal fire. When the bamboo tube starts to burn slightly, it indicates that the rice is ready, and it is then left to steam until cooked through. This dish is often served with grilled chicken and boiled vegetables dipped in cheo boong, which is a typical Lao dipping sauce. The rich, dense flavor of Laotian sticky rice gives diners the sensation that the rice melts in their mouths even before chewing.
3. Khausoy
Khausoy is a famous dish in Luang Prabang. At first glance, it resembles Vietnamese pho, but the ingredients used are much simpler, yet it boasts a delightful flavor. The broth for khausoy is made by boiling clear water and adding thick noodles. Then, pour the broth and noodles over the khausoy. This dish is served with mustard greens, raw water spinach, fried shallots, ground pepper, and chili sauce.
The most important component of the dish is minced pork mixed with garlic, tomatoes, and various spices. What sets this dish apart is that it doesn't require simmered bone broth; the broth from mixing khausoy with water is sufficient to impress diners with its enticing aroma and rich sweet taste. Diners can enjoy this dish along the Mekong River in Luang Prabang.
4. Sien Savanh
This is a Laotian beef jerky that's perfect for snacking on the go or enjoying with beer. Laotian beef jerky is made in a rather simple way. After selecting good pieces of fresh beef, they are marinated with soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, chili, palm sugar, black pepper, and some other spices. Once the beef has absorbed the flavors, it is cooked until tender and then left to dry in the sun for several days until it becomes dry beef jerky.
This dish is sold at many roadside stalls and along the banks of the Mekong River in Vientiane. Sitting down with a glass of wine and some beef jerky while watching the local life along the riverbank is truly wonderful. If you like, you can also buy some to give as gifts to friends and family.
5. Tam maak hung
Tam maak hung, also known as papaya salad, is considered a Laotian delicacy. This dish is never prepared in advance; sellers only start making it when customers buy it. First, the papaya is shredded into long strands. The papaya chosen should be neither too green nor too ripe. Then, a few cloves of garlic, some chili peppers, lime juice, a bit of sugar, and MSG are put into a mortar and lightly crushed. Next, the shredded papaya, sliced tomatoes, and a type of fruit resembling tomatoes but with a hard, small shell, about the size of a thumb, are mixed in. Finally, a bit of fish sauce is added to the mortar and gently mixed, just enough to soften the fruits without making them soggy. The fish sauce used for 'Tam maak hung' is usually fermented fish sauce (or Pa Đet), so it has a strong smell. However, when combined with papaya, tomatoes, and various spices, it becomes fragrant and enticing.
While salads in Vietnam are often dry, Laotian papaya salad is made with a dressing that allows diners to dip other dishes in it. It can be enjoyed with beer or eaten with sticky rice. The aroma of the spices and the characteristic sweet, spicy, and sour flavors will provide each guest with a unique and unforgettable experience. Papaya salad is also served with fresh herbs, peanuts, and crispy fried pork skin, leaving a lasting impression on travelers after just one taste.
6. Sai Oua
Sai Oua (sausage) is one of the delicious dishes in Laos, quite similar to the famous type from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Pork is finely minced and mixed with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chili, and galangal before being stuffed into casings. Travelers can see strings of sausage drying along the roadside or being sold in markets.
The ingredients for sai oua are meticulously prepared by chefs. Everything is kneaded, mixed, and stuffed into pig intestines, then boiled and fried until golden. When eating, it's sliced into small, bite-sized pieces. This dish is typically served with nam cheo chili sauce and can be enjoyed with sticky rice.
7. Khao Jee
This is an incredibly easy-to-find street food when in Laos. Khao Jee - Laotian baguette bears the influence of French style. With a crispy outer crust, stuffed with a rich filling of pork, tomatoes, cheese, and plenty of chili sauce. Additionally, smoked meat, chicken, and butter add to its allure.
This street food not only attracts locals but also many travelers for its irresistible appeal. When you visit Laos, be sure to indulge in these delicious Laotian baguettes.
8. Laap
Laap is considered the lucky dish of the Lao people. It is a traditional dish served during major festivals like New Year's Day. Lao people often use various meats such as beef, pork, chicken, duck, deer... and even tiger meat as ingredients for this dish.
With lean meat, heart, liver finely chopped and mixed with roasted rice powder, chili, lime juice, and some aromatic herbs like coriander and mint. When served to diners, this dish is accompanied by sticky rice and raw vegetables. It's also a staple dish for 90% of the Laotian population.
9. Or Lam
Or Lam is a specialty dish of Laos made from various vegetables, dried gourds, black mushrooms, beans, and fresh chili. The chef then adds some aromatic herbs to enhance the fragrance of the dish. This dish is very familiar to Laotians and it has become one of their favorite main dishes in daily meals, especially in Northern Laos.
Or Lam is somewhat similar to the mixed vegetable soup of Vietnam. The soup with delicious flavors from various vegetables will stimulate the taste buds of the diners. Moreover, when eating this dish, you will not feel overwhelmed, and it is also very easy to digest.
10. Ping Kai (grilled chicken)
Another beloved dish is Ping Kai (grilled chicken). Whole chicken marinated with black pepper, garlic, fish sauce, salt, and coriander roots before being grilled over charcoal. When the chicken is cooked, it emits an intoxicating aroma. Additionally, you can also chop the chicken into pieces, wrap them in banana leaves, and grill them, which is also delicious.
This is an incredibly enticing dish made from free-range chicken, with delicious, firm meat. After being cleaned, the chicken is skewered and grilled until cooked. The tender, flavorful, aromatic chicken combined with sticky rice is truly delightful.
11. Sindat
Sindat is a famous dish in Laos. It's a delicate blend of grilled and hotpot cuisines. This means that it's a hotpot dish where meat and seafood are grilled in the same metal pot placed in the middle of the dining table for guests to freely choose their favorite foods.
The ingredients for this dish must be fresh and of high quality. The broth must be rich and have a very distinct flavor. The ingredients used in Sindat are diverse, including pork belly, beef, goat udder, squid, octopus, vegetables, noodles, etc. The broth also includes two types: Thai-style broth or bone broth, allowing guests to easily choose according to their taste preferences.
12. Insects.
There's a special delicacy in Laos that you absolutely must try at least once, and that's insect dishes. Insects here aren't just one type but many. Among them are spiders, ant eggs, crickets, grasshoppers, and more.
Insect dishes can be fried, steamed, stir-fried, or grilled. But the most delicious is still grilled insects, which locals and especially tourists love. If you're brave enough to overcome the fear, this dish will surely surprise you with its unique flavor.
13. Larb Moo (minced meat salad)
In Lao language, Larb moo means good luck, symbolizing wishes for peace. The ingredients for this dish can be beef, pork, chicken... mixed with minced liver. Along with spices such as: Lime juice, chili, ginger. After mixing well, the larb dish will be served with raw vegetables like coriander, lettuce, and cucumber... all blending together to create an extremely enticing aroma.
The sour taste of lime juice, the spiciness of chili, the fragrance of spices... brings to the tourists an unforgettable experience. A dish that's so simple yet equally appealing, isn't it?
14. Mok Pa (steamed fish)
The enticing aroma from the specialty Mok Pa makes diners irresistibly attracted. Mok Pa is prepared from the boneless part of fresh fish. It is wrapped with onions, garlic, chili, and herbs in banana leaves and then steamed.
This dish can be found everywhere in the beautiful country of Laos. You can enjoy it from roadside eateries to luxurious restaurants.
