Unique culinary culture of Laos

When in Laos, you can't miss the culinary experiences here. Like many other countries, Laos has a fairly unique culinary culture. Let's find out more in the following article!

Unique culinary culture of Laos

Distinctive features in Lao cuisine

Generally, Lao cuisine is relatively simple. The main dishes in Laos are grilled dishes. Some typical grilled dishes include grilled pork, grilled hot pot, buffalo sausage, grilled chicken... Although the ingredients are not complex, they are always carefully selected. The accompanying vegetables are also very diverse, from ginger, chili, garlic, to green tomatoes, tomatoes... The ingredients also come from all the specialized cultivation areas in Laos.

Lao cuisine is not fancy, not focused on aesthetics, but very attentive to the flavor and richness of the food. Therefore, the dipping sauces are elaborately prepared, aiming to balance the sour, spicy, salty, and sweet tastes. Among them, the spicy taste is considered dominant.

Mam Padek is a specialty fish sauce, also the main ingredient that gives the rich flavor to most main dishes. The sauce is made from salted fish and Mekong river crab, with the characteristic sweet taste of seafood. After fermenting the fish and crab, Mam Padek is mixed with ginger, chili, and some other spices.

Xoom is the most elaborate dish in Lao cuisine. Xoom is the clearest expression of the blend of different flavors. The dish is a mixture of various vegetables: tomatoes, papaya, green tomatoes, red peppers, herbs, ginger, lemongrass, mango... mixed with the spicy, salty flavor of Mam Padek. Xoom is often eaten with sticky rice, so it is usually called 'sticky rice xoom'. The rice is made from Lao type 1 sticky rice, which is sticky and fragrant.

Highlight dishes

Laap (Larb)

Laap is made from finely chopped meat, eaten with fish sauce, lime, chili, various herbs, and thính (the name of a spice). This is considered a lucky dish and Laotians often give it to each other during Tet holidays.

Khao Piak Sen

Known as Lao pho, often likened by many international tourists to a 'wonderful breakfast'. Khao Piak Sen can be found in any corner because of its popularity with the locals. The dish consists of thick and chewy rice noodles, immersed in a broth filled with chicken, pork, and various herbs.

Or Lam

Or Lam (spicy stew), originating from the ancient capital of Luang Prabang. The main ingredients are eggplant, beans, lemongrass, wild mushrooms, basil, chili, various herbs, and Mai Sakaan. Mai Sakaan is a spicy plant grown locally. Diners often chew the plant and discard the residue to extract the spicy taste. Additionally, this dish can also be cooked with beef, chicken... and served with sticky rice.

Tam mak hoong

Quite similar to Thai Son Tam, Tam Mak Hoong or papaya salad, with a blend of spicy, sour, salty, sweet... Lao people often flexibly replace papaya with other ingredients, such as green bananas, green mangoes... Papaya is shredded or thinly sliced and mixed with spices, chili, tomatoes, onions, lime, salt, sugar, and fish sauce to create an attractive dish. To enhance the flavor, many people also mix in seafood.

Khao soi

Khao soi is a soup made from large noodles, finely minced pork, chili, tomatoes, fermented soybeans, garlic, and spring onions. Then add pork crackling, spring onions, bean sprouts, and coriander. Many other variations of the dish can be found in many restaurants in Laos.

Khao Jee Pa-Ta

The seller cuts the baguette lengthwise, then spreads a thick layer of pate, followed by grilled sausages, spring onions, carrots, cucumbers, pickled radishes, and shredded pork, finally pouring on the sauce. Overall, this dish is quite similar to Vietnamese banh mi, except that the filling only consists of traditional ingredients.

Sai Oo-ah (Sai Ua)

Sai Oo-ah is essentially grilled/fried sausage as in Vietnamese cuisine. The dish has a salty, sweet, and rich taste, with a chewy skin that brings a delightful feeling when eaten. This dish is best enjoyed hot and savored while sipping Laotian beer.

Khao Niaw

Laotians often cook sticky rice on important religious holidays. They consume a lot of sticky rice in a year and believe that they eat more sticky rice than any other country. The nickname 'luk khao niaow', 'the children of sticky rice', is self-assigned by the Laotian people, indicating the importance of sticky rice in their cuisine.

Sien Savanh

Laotian-style dried beef is often eaten with beer, making it a perfect snack. Sien Savanh is made from beef (or buffalo meat). The meat is marinated with a mixture of fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper, then dried in the sun until it is dry and curved. Then the meat is grilled over a fire, to give it a smoky flavor. The beef is eaten with sticky rice or dipped in jaew maak len sauce (a sauce made from tomatoes and chili).

Laotian cuisine always attracts every tourist passionate about spicy flavors. Your Laos travel experience would not be complete without these dishes. Follow Mytour for more articles about exciting travel every day as well as to receive attractive Lao tour deals!

According to Mytour

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour