Lao cuisine, often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, is a hidden gem in Southeast Asia. If you’re asking “What Is Lao Food?”, prepare to discover a world of bold flavors, fresh herbs, and unique culinary traditions. This guide will delve into the heart of Lao gastronomy, exploring popular dishes and ingredients that define this vibrant cuisine.
Lao food is characterized by its emphasis on fresh ingredients, herbaceous flavors, and the use of fermented products. It’s a cuisine that marries herbs, chiles, and fermented meats and fish to create a symphony of taste sensations. While historically overlooked, Lao cuisine is gaining recognition, with Lao restaurants emerging in the United States and beyond.
Laos: A Culinary Crossroads
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic may be smaller than Oregon, but its culinary influence extends beyond its borders. The Mekong River, once designated by the French as the border between Thailand and Laos, effectively split a significant portion of the country, creating the Isan region of Thailand. Chef James Syhabout, in his book Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes From a Refugee Chef’s Isan Thai & Lao Roots, highlights the shared culinary heritage of Laos and Isan, noting that the border is merely political and that the people of Isan are culturally Lao.
Key Characteristics of Lao Cuisine
Lao food is distinct from other Southeast Asian cuisines, particularly Thai. Here’s what sets it apart:
- Herbaceous and Vegetable-Heavy: Lao cuisine utilizes a wide array of fresh herbs and vegetables.
- Bitter Flavors: Ingredients like banana flower and raw Thai eggplant add unique bitter notes.
- Simplicity: Lao dishes are often simpler and less elaborate compared to Thai cuisine.
- Spice: Lao food is known for its spiciness, often using dried chiles.
- Limited Coconut Milk: Unlike many Thai dishes, Lao cuisine generally avoids the use of coconut milk.
Must-Try Lao Dishes: A Culinary Journey
If you have the opportunity to try Lao food, either at a restaurant or by venturing into Northern Thailand, here are some essential dishes to explore:
Khao Niew (Sticky Rice)
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Rice is the cornerstone of Lao cuisine, and sticky rice (khao niew) is the most prevalent variety. It is often the first dish that Lao cooks learn to prepare. The prevalence of sticky rice is attributed to the Lao tradition of eating with hands, where it acts as a utensil, similar to Ethiopian injera. Khao niew is typically cooked in a thip khao, a woven bamboo basket, and can be steamed or deep-fried.
Jaew Bong (Hot Pepper Dip)
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Jaew bong is a popular Lao condiment made with fish sauce, palm sugar, dried chile, garlic, shallots, and tamarind. This mixture is fried and cooked to create a sticky, slightly sweet, and spicy spread. In Laos, it often includes dried strips of water buffalo skin, adding a unique chewiness. Jaew bong is a versatile sauce that can be served with vegetables, rice, or any dish.
Muu Haeng (Sun-Dried Pork) and Siin Haeng (Sun-Dried Beef)
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Muu haeng (sun-dried pork) and siin haeng (sun-dried beef) are made by marinating thinly sliced pork or beef in fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and various herbs. The meat is then air-dried, resulting in a chewy, jerky-like snack. To temper the chewiness, it can be quickly deep-fried. These are often served with jaew bong or rice.
Sai Oua (Herbal Pork Sausage)
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Sai oua is a popular Lao sausage made with ground pork, fat, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, and garlic, stuffed into natural casings. Fermented versions include white rice, which provides the sugars for bacterial development, resulting in a sour note that complements the other flavors.
Tam Muk Muang (Green-Mango Salad)
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Similar to green papaya salad but made with unripe yellow mango, tam muk muang offers a unique flavor profile. The crunchy mango is combined with tomato, garlic, and cashew, and dressed with soy and fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice.
Naem Khao (Crispy Coconut Rice)
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A specialty of Vientiane, naem khao is a mixture of salt-cured ground pork, pig skin, steamed and dried white rice, and dried shredded coconut. This mixture is wok-fried to crisp it up and served with lettuce leaves.
Laab Ped (Minced Duck Salad)
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Often considered the national dish of Laos, laab is a salad made from ground meat, herbs, fish sauce, and lime juice, topped with ground rice powder. Laab ped is a variation made with hand-chopped duck, offering a unique and flavorful experience.
Khao Soi (Rice Noodle Soup With Fermented Soybean-Tomato Sauce)
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Khao soi is a noodle soup found in both Isan and northern Laos. Wide-cut rice noodles are covered with a broth made from chicken bones and herbs, topped with a sauce made from tomato, vinegar, palm sugar, chile powder, and thua nao, a Lao fermented soybean paste.
Gaeng Som (Chicken Soup With Fish Sauce and Tamarind)
As the name suggests, gaeng som is a sour soup made with a chicken broth base and a sauce of tamarind pulp, sweetened with sugar, and seasoned with fish sauce.
Khao Poon (Soup With Fermented Noodles)
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Khao poon refers to fermented rice vermicelli, but the overall dish varies by region. It can be a chicken-broth soup with a red curry base (khao poon nam prik) or a similar soup without coconut milk, based on pork or fish (khao poon nahm kaew).
Gaeng Naw Mai (Bamboo and Yanang Leaf Stew)
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This stew is made from bamboo shoots and flavored with yanang leaf extract, which has a flavor similar to spinach. The stew often includes garlic, chiles, and padaek, a strong, unfiltered fish sauce.
Piing Hua Jai Kai (Grilled Chicken Hearts)
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Piing hua jai kai are grilled chicken hearts marinated in lemongrass, galangal, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and palm sugar. They are a common street food snack.
Muu Som (Rice-Fermented Sour Pork)
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Raw pork belly is marinated in a wet mash of cold steamed rice, garlic, vinegar, salt, sugar, and water for about three weeks. After fermentation, it is roasted and charred in a wok with various ingredients.
Paa Tod (Crispy Catfish)
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Laos may not have a coastline, but it has plenty of rivers, making catfish a common ingredient. In paa tod, catfish fillets are mixed with rice flour and fried until crispy, then topped with a bright dressing of fish sauce, chiles, palm sugar, garlic, and lime juice.
Discovering Lao Cuisine
Lao cuisine offers a unique and exciting culinary experience. From its emphasis on fresh herbs and vegetables to its use of fermented ingredients and bold flavors, Lao food is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Whether you’re seeking a spicy adventure or a comforting bowl of noodle soup, exploring Lao cuisine is a journey worth taking. So, next time you’re wondering “what is Lao food?”, remember this guide and prepare to be amazed by the flavors of Laos.
