Coming to Laos, all visitors will be struck by the natural beauty of this country with magnificent gold leaf buildings and breathtaking landscape. However, besides enjoying the landscape, you can’t leave Laos without trying the special dishes here. Natural ingredients are the main characteristic of Lao cuisine. With fragrances like lemongrass, ginger and coriander, Lao cuisine shares similarities with Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai cooking. Travel to Laos with Indochina travel
- Laotian Sticky Rice
Every visitor travelling to Laos expects to see a small woven basket of sticky rice at every meal. Rolled by hand into small balls, the balls are then dipped into food and sauces with a bit of buffalo meat mixed in, and eaten with the fingers. This special food is first soaked in water for nearly four hours and then steamed in a cone-shaped bamboo basket. A Laotian family consumes a large number of sticky rice every day, using it in almost any meal. Sticky rice is famous not only for its pleasant taste but also because it is a symbol of traditional cultivation. That is the reason why this food is an indispensible part of Laotian’s everyday life. Sticky rice is regarded as the way Laotians identify themselves.
- Larb
This dish is a kind of meat salad, and considered to be a national dish of Laos. You can find larb made with chicken, beef, fish, or even pork. Larb is cooked with shallots, lots of chilies, fish sauce, lemon juice. This food is also usually flavored with ground rice and fresh herbs. Larb is a wonderful dish to pair with sticky rice. It is an ideal choice for you to try larb to have deeper understanding of Laos’s cuisine and to enjoy a national dish like a Laotian.
- Crispy Rice Salad
Crispy Rice Salad is a kind of salad that is made with fried rice balls, chunks of soured pork sausage, peanuts, coconut, fish sauce, chili peppers, and some other ingredients. It is traditionally eaten with fresh herbs and dried chili. Crispy Rice Salad is slowly gaining popularity in the West. However, you should enjoy this dish with locals in Laos for a truly authentic experience. Travel to Laos
- Green Papaya Salad
Green Papaya Salad is basically made of shreds of unripe papaya according to Lao origin, but served in different varieties around other regions. Green Papaya Salad was spread far and wide to many other countries from Lao immigrants. It is similar to a Thailand’s dish, but does not contain peanuts and is usually made with fish sauce. Other necessary ingredients like sugar, garlic, tomatoes or shrimp will make this food more and more distinctive taste. All of these ingredients are pounded together in a traditional dish creating a really sharp taste.
- Noodle soup
This noodle soup is somehow similar to Pho in Vietnam. It is prepared in a beef broth, and served with a basket of fresh herbs, chili and bean sprouts. It is one of the most common soup dishes you can find in this country, and the ingredients are various depending on if you are travelling to the North or the South of Laos. When ordering a bowl of noodle soup, you will often be asked if you want thin or thick noodles. After being served, add in some sugar, lemon or chili to match your desired taste and enjoy.
In any country, food always plays a large part of the culture. There is no better way to discover the local culture of Laos than enjoying some special dishes with the locals. By this way, you can touch the tradition of Laos in a natural way and fall in love with this peaceful country.
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