The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Laotian Foods. If you manage to be in an Laotian restaurant or you are visiting Laos, I recommend the following:
1. Tam Mak Hoong
Tam Mak Hoong is what is known throughout Southeast Asia as Papaya Salad. The dish as such consists of shredded green papaya, mixed with tomato, lime juice, peanuts and lots and lots of spice. It is ideal with sticky rice. Delicious, a dish not to be missed.
2. Khao Jee
Lightly salted and crispy, with a final dip of oil in the fryer, the kaipen is drained on its side before cooking and garnished with sesame seeds for extra texture, tamarind water for a slightly sour taste and thin slices. Tomatoes. Mostly garnish.
3. Larb
Undoubtedly one of the most typical dishes in Laos. Similar in preparation to the famous Thai Lamb, Larb is a dish made of ground beef, cooked in lime juice and onion and seasoned with coriander, which gives it a similar touch to ceviches. With a spicy touch, it is ideal with the famous sticky rice.
4. Kaipen
Lightly salted and crispy, with a final dip of oil in the fryer, the kaipen is drained on its side before cooking and garnished with sesame seeds for extra texture, tamarind water for a slightly sour taste and thin slices. Tomatoes. Mostly garnish.
5. Som Moo
Som moo, literally “sour pork”, is a popular Lao sour or fermented pork sausage. It is made from raw pork, including pork, and is usually made with cracklings. It is sometimes wrapped in star currant leaves (‘bai ma yom’) or banana leaves for extra flavor. It can be eaten raw or cooked by conventional methods such as grilling.
6. Sien Savanh
Sun-dried beef strips, suitable with Lao beer or as a snack. Made from flank steak (sometimes buffalo meat is used), marinated in a combination of garlic, fish sauce, ginger, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and black pepper. The strips are then left to dry in the sun before being fried until slightly crispy and served with sticky rice or jaew maak len (tomato and chili sauce).
7. Khao Poon
Khao Poon or spicy rice noodles, a delicious dish from Laos. This dish differs from other dishes in that the rice noodles have been fermented for several days. It is then cut into noodles and served with pork or chicken and soup. The soup is a culinary art made from coconut water, ginger, garlic, chili and lime.
8. Laos Pho
A popular dish in Vietnamese cuisine, the people of Laos have created their own version of traditional Pho. Lao pho is known for its added sugar and many spices and seasonings, such as lime juice, chili oil, fried garlic and fresh herbs. If you love the food and flavors of Laos, you will love Lao Pho.
9. Lao Sausage
They are enriched with spices commonly found in Laos, such as galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, rosewood and spring onions. This has given it the name “Lao sausage” because many people can distinguish this sausage from other sausages. This is a very traditional Lao dish that goes well with sticky rice, papaya salad or sauces like jeow het. Grill your next barbecue.
10. Or Lam
This is a spicy Laotian stew made with meat and other ingredients such as beans, vermouth, citronella, basil, chili, coriander, mushrooms and mai saa kaan. The taste of Mai Saa Kaan is sour and slightly spicy.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.
The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Laotian Foods. If you manage to be in an Laotian restaurant or you are visiting Laos, I recommend the following: