It can be said that Lao specialties are very diverse from ingredients to presentation. These dishes all have many similarities with the taste of Vietnamese people. When you come here, you definitely have to try these specialties and let’s take a look at the top super attractive Laotian specialties with Asia News Daily!
A few words about Lao cuisine
Laos is a country of a million elephants and has a geographical location very close to Vietnam, possessing countless interesting things to explore and experience for all tourists. When traveling to Laos , you and your family will have the opportunity to visit famous historical sites, explore world cultural heritage in the ancient capital of Luang Prabang and, most interesting of all, experience the cuisine. Laos is extremely unique waiting for you to explore.
A quite sumptuous Laotian dining table with attractive specialties
Lao cuisine is similar in style to neighboring Thailand and Cambodia and is spicy, salty and sour. However, Lao cuisine has its own unique styles and among them is the popularity of sticky rice.
The most attractive Lao specialties
MIA.vn travel guide will summarize for you the top attractive Lao specialties that you must try once when you have the opportunity to travel to Laos.
Grilled Chicken
Maybe you don’t know, but grilled chicken is one of the Lao specialties that you and your family should not miss when coming to Laos. This dish is easy to find and buy as it is sold at almost every roadside stall, but is most famous in Savannakhet province.
The chicken skin is succulent and the chicken meat has a certain chewiness
Laotian grilled chicken is usually grilled whole, after being marinated with spices, it is clamped in place with a bamboo stick cut in half and tied tightly, the chicken will be grilled on a hot charcoal stove. The chicken skin is grilled crispy, the meat is firm, the flavor is delicious and is often enjoyed with a sauce made from lemon juice, coriander, fish sauce, garlic… and some other spices.
Minced Meat Salad (Larb)
This is a nom dish made from minced meat and accompanying herbs. Minced Meat Salad is considered the national dish of Laos. The main ingredients to make this dish are usually beef, chicken, duck or pork along with some traditional spices such as ground rice, fish sauce, lemon juice and fresh herbs. Besides, this salad is often eaten with raw vegetables and sticky rice to increase the taste of the dish, helping us not easily get bored and bloated.
Minced Meat Salad is enjoyed with fresh raw vegetables
Fried seaweed Kaipen
Not only the Japanese but also Laotians have famous snacks made from seaweed and Kaipen fried seaweed is a super famous snack in Laos. Lao people make this dish by pounding seaweed and some typical spices. Then, arrange them on a tray, spread them thinly, sprinkle sesame seeds on top and dry them using the industrial method.
Crispy seaweed leaves are seasoned with extremely delicious spices
In addition, seaweed is also dried in the sun until dry to obtain the finished product. You can enjoy this seaweed dish with white rice, fresh sasimi or eat it alone, it is very delicious.
Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hoong)
Tam Mak Houng is an extremely famous dish in the Land of a Million Elephants. When you come to Laos, you can easily enjoy Tam Mak Houng at sidewalk stalls, traditional markets or luxury restaurants at affordable prices.
Eye-catching colorful salad plate of different vegetables
Similar to Vietnamese papaya salad, Tam Mak Houng is also made from unripe papaya fibers, tomatoes, cowpeas… all mixed well with fish sauce, sugar, garlic, dried shrimp, and chili until cooked. When the spices are absorbed, at the end, herbs and roasted peanuts will be sprinkled to create the perfect deliciousness for the dish.
Lao Sticky Rice
Sticky rice in Laos, commonly known as “khao niaw”, is a daily dish of Lao people, especially on important occasions such as parties and family gatherings. Lao sticky rice is made from sticky rice grown in the fields, so it is sticky and has an ivory white color that looks very beautiful. It can be said that sticky rice is a traditional dish of Lao people and is considered to be more delicious than any other type of rice in the world.
The sticky rice grains are cooked just enough to retain their inherent elasticity and aroma
Traditionally, sticky rice is steamed in a bamboo basket and is often enjoyed with grilled chicken or dipped in a typical Lao dipping sauce called “cheo deck”.
Steamed Fish (Mok Pa)
Mok Pa is a steamed fish fillet dish often wrapped in banana leaves and tied with bamboo string. The dish’s ingredients include lemongrass, green onions, green chili, kaffir leaves, shrimp paste, fresh dill… all mixed with steamed fish pieces. Like many other Lao specialties, Mok Pa is also often eaten with sticky rice.
The fish meat is steamed in banana leaves to maintain a certain moisture
Steamed fish dishes are popular in many countries, but steamed fish in Laos is prepared in a very special way. People fillet the fresh fish meat, cut it into small pieces and mix it with herbs, garlic, chili, and onions. This mixture will then be wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Almost every eatery or restaurant in Laos will have this dish, so you and your family can freely choose a restaurant to enjoy this unique steamed fish dish.
Desire for insight
Khao soi or Khao Soy is a type of soup made from large rice noodles, minced pork, fermented soybeans, chili, shallots, tomatoes and garlic, then added pork rinds, green onions, bean sprouts and Chopped coriander on top.
A bowl of hot noodle soup with a variety of herbs
Although northern Laos have a special way of preparing this dish, other variations of this soup can be found in many different Lao restaurants.
Sindat – grilled on the lower hot pot
If you travel to Laos with your family or close friends, you must definitely try this extremely famous grilled hot pot dish in Laos. This dish can satisfy both grill lovers and hot pot lovers. Food includes meats and seafood like other common hot pot and grilled dishes.
A hot pot with integrated grill is very typical of Lao cuisine
Laap – lucky dish of Lao people
You can enjoy this Lao specialty in any restaurant in Laos at an affordable price. The ingredients to prepare this dish are also very simple such as pork, chicken, beef, duck… along with their internal organs such as heart and liver.
Laap dish is mixed with a variety of herbs
Some restaurants also use deer meat to make this dish. The meats are mixed well with rice, herbs, chili and spices before being cooked. Many people often eat Laap with sticky rice and raw vegetables to avoid getting bored.
Lao Sausage (Sai Uah, Sai Gok)
Lao sausage, also known as Sai Uah or Sai Gok, is a famous Lao specialty and is made from meat soaked in herbs, mixed with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves, chili, cilantro… then stuffed into the small intestine. and grilled or smoked. This dish is often dipped in Nam Cheo soy sauce and enjoyed with a bowl of sticky rice.
The big sausages are grilled to perfection
Khao Jee Pa-Ta
Khao Jee Pa-Ta is also known as Lao-style bread. The seller will cut the bread lengthwise, then spread it on a thin layer of pate with a greasy taste, then add toppings such as grilled sausage, pickled radish, cucumber, green onion, carrot and shrimp. meat with a layer of moderately sweet and spicy sauce. Many people said that for them, the most delicious bread can be found at Khua Din market, Vientiane.
The loaf of bread stands out with its filling, cut into small pieces, making it easy to eat
Mushroom Savannah
Lao-style dried beef is also one of the dishes that you should not miss when traveling to Laos. Sien Savanh is made from beef or buffalo meat. The meat is marinated with a mixture of fish sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame seeds, salt and pepper and then dried under the hot sun.
The pieces of beef jerky are fragrantly grilled with a cup of sweet and sour sauce
Then people will grill the dried meat on a charcoal stove, giving the meat a smoky flavor to increase the flavor. This dried beef dish is also often eaten with sticky rice or dipped in jaew maak len sauce – a sauce made from tomatoes and chili.
Or Lam
Or Lam is a dish with stewed meat and accompanying vegetables and has a quite spicy flavor. This dish originates from the ancient capital of Luang Prabang – Laos. The ingredients to make this dish are mainly eggplant, chili, tofu, lemongrass, wild mushrooms, basil, herbs and Mai Sakaan – the plant that gives the dish its spicy taste.
The stewed beef is so soft it melts in your mouth
The meat used to prepare this dish will usually be beef, chicken… and of course will be enjoyed with sticky rice.
Naem Khao Tod
Naem Khao Tod is known as a mixed dish with a variety of ingredients from meat and vegetables, along with fried rice balls, peanuts, pork sausage, and grated coconut to create just the right amount of fat. Combined with easily available spices such as dried chili powder, fish sauce, purple onions… and enjoyed with fresh fish mint. Thanks to the combination of ingredients that make up this dish, it is also often called crispy rice salad.
Feel the crunch of the shredded burnt rice in the dish
Currently, Naem Khao Tod is served more often in Laotian restaurants in Southeast Asian countries. However, if you have the opportunity, AsiaNewsDaily.Com suggests that you should enjoy the food at restaurants in the capital Vientiane – Laos to get the most delicious and authentic food.
Summary
With the check list of the top super attractive Laotian specialties of the Asia News Daily Travel Guide above, we hope you and your family can enjoy all of these specialties in Laos in the near future!