Food and Drinks

Lao food doesn’t have the variety and depth of the more famous cuisine of neighboring China, Thailand and Vietnam, but you can eat well in Laos if you take the time to learn a little about the cuisine while you’re there. While few people travel to this country with food as their prime objective, a little experimentation can take you a long way towards appreciating the cuisine can be very rewarding.

It’s little surprise that Lao food is similar to Thai cuisine, given the long interwoven history the two countries share. But while dishes such as meat salad and (som tam, papaya salad) will be familiar to anyone with even a basic knowledge of Thai food, there are some aspects of Lao cuisine that are unmistakably Lao. The most obvious of these is “khao niaw” (sticky rice), which is classed by scholars as being one of the main identifiers of Lao culture.

In the Mekong River valley areas, where Lao culture is strongest, sticky rice is ever-present. During five days of trekking through villages in Champasak Province we ate sticky rice with every meal. That might sound a bit repetitive, but the “khao niaw” was only part of these meals, and each one was complemented with at least two different and tasty Lao dishes.

Sticky rice isn’t so popular in mountainous areas – the H’mong don’t eat at all – and the culinary variety can be pretty limited, too. The limits come from a lack of money and difficult growing conditions.

LIST OF 10 OUTSTANDING FOODS IN LAOS

1. Sien Savanh (beef jerky, or "bò khô" in Vietnamese)

Lao beef jerky is very good with Beerlao, or as snack along a trip. It is made of fresh beef flank steak (sometime water buffalo meat is used), marinated in a mixture soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, palm sugar and salt, dusted sesame seeds, then deep-dried under sunlight until lightly crispy. At sidewalk eateries, beef jerky is commonly gently grilled to be smoky-flavored, tough and tasty. This dish is severed with sticky rice or jaew maak len (tomato-based chili dip), but best when sitting on Mekong river bank and enjoyed with Beerlao.


2. Sai Oua (Lao sausage)

Sai Oua is pretty like a renowned kind of sausage in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Pork is grounded finely, added lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chili peppers, coriander, shallot, garlic, galangal, salt and fish sauce before stuffed into pig intestines. Not hard to see sausage links dried under the sun along roadsides, or displayed for sales at markets over the country. This food is dipped into Nam Cheo chili sauce and served with streamed glutinous rice (xôi).


3. Khao Jee (baguette sandwich)

Khao Jee sandwich is under the strong influence of French-style similar to “bánh mì” of Vietnam. As a famous street food in Laos, it is sold in all towns over the country. The bread has a very crispy crust. A loaf of the bread is filled with pâté made of pork and pig liver, lean pork paste (“moo yor” or “giò lụa” in Vietnamese), chopped ham, julienne carrots, julienne white radishes, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, mayonnaise and chili sauce. It is great to taste Khao Jee sandwich in the morning with a cup of strong coffee.


4. Khao Piak Sen (noodle soup)

This dish is really popular in Laos, and also has many similarities to “bánh canh” of Vietnam. Khao Piak Sen is usually eaten for breakfast, but it can be savored at any time of the day. Chewy noodles are soused into broth of chicken (including lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves), added shredded chicken, a little chili oil or fish sauce, bean sprouts, spring onions, fried shallot, cilantros (corianders) and fresh lime juice.


5. Larb Moo (minced meat salad)

It is the national food of Laos, in which chicken, beef, duck, fish, pork or mushroom is minced, sprinkled a little fish sauce, lime juice and roasted ground rice to be tasty, then stir-fried with green onions, coriander, chili peppers and mint leaves, added basil, cucumber or other fresh herbs. Another Larb Moo version uses raw meat. The dish is very suitable to be served with streamed sticky rice (xôi) and raw vegetables.

“Larb” means “bud” (“lộc” in Vietnamese), implying money, wealth, good lucks, promotion, prosperity, etc maybe given by deities. So, Lao people traditionally eat Larb Moo on first days of a new year to hope that these good things will come. “Larb Moo” is cooked extremely careful in the Lao New Year celebration, because it’s believed that if “Larb Moo” is not good, bad lucks will happen during the year.


6. Tam Mak Houng (sweet and sour green papaya salad)

Tam Mak Houng is of Lao origin, but it is eaten throughout Southeast Asia. Green (unripe) papaya is shredded into thin strips, mixed with hot chili peppers, lime juice, salt, fish sauce and palm sugar. This dish can’t not be missed, especially when visiting Luang Prabang.