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Lucky Laab
Lucky Laab
    Laos Opens to Tourists
    Laos Opens to Tourists
      First LaoSafe Restaurants Certified
      First LaoSafe Restaurants Certified
        LaoSafe Programme Launched
        LaoSafe Programme Launched

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          1
          Vang Vieng Music Festival 2020
          1 24 Hours in Vientiane
          24 Hours in Vientiane
          2 The Cave of Teeth
          The Cave of Teeth
          3 Loving Lao Coffee
          Loving Lao Coffee
          4 Foodie Experiences in Laos
          Foodie Experiences in Laos
          5 Top Ten Instagrammable Spots in Laos
          Top Ten Instagrammable Spots in Laos

          Lao Food – If you love food, you’ll love Laos!

          With abundant use of vegetables, and the fresh tastes of lime and chilli, coriander, mint and basil, Lao food is uniquely special. Aside from being delicious, cooking is also a big part of life in Laos. A time when traditionally the women gather together and share stories and advice while chopping and pounding the food to make dishes that are crammed with flavour.

          Jump to more Lao Food Articles or just keep on reading.

          Sticky Rice, Lao Food

          Sticky Rice

          Think of eating in Laos, and the first thing that comes to mind is sticky rice. So fundamental to life here that a common greeting is ‘Have you eaten rice already?’ Every night around the country, the rice is cleaned and left to soak. In the early morning hours, it is steamed, ready for giving to the monks on their alms-rounds and for the family and any visitors who might pop by for breakfast.

          Fish

          Laos is a country of fishermen who can be seen with their nets in the cooler parts of the day, especially at sunrise and sunset. For some, the catch is for dinner, others might sell, ferment, or dry it. It’s easy to spot the fishing villages as you travel around the country, with stalls alongside the road selling the dried fish that is so popular here in Laos. And fish plays a fundamental part in most dishes here in the form of padaek, a fermented and cured fish sauce that adds a pungent umami flavour to many dishes.

          Lao Fisherman, Laos Food

          Lao Dipping Sauces (jeows)

          With most cooking taking place over an open flame, the taste of smoke is a large part of the flavour profile, especially in jeows – a spicy, smokey, fishy, garlicky dip that pulls a punch. These dipping sauces are traditionally made in a mortar, from a base of barbecued garlic, shallots and chilli which are pounded into a paste, before adding padaek. There are many different types of jeow, from the simple chilli, tomato or garlic flavours, to pork crackling, aubergines, or even one based on a small fish which is pounded into the base.

          Lao Street Food

          Head-to-Tail Eating

          Whilst head-to-tail eating is now catching on in the west, it is something that has been important in Laos throughout time. Typically, every part of the animal is used from the meat, to the cartilage, the blood and the organs. The unlaid eggs of chickens are cooked in stews, and the contents of the buffalo’s intestines are used to make a strong dipping sauce, particularly popular at weddings.

          BBQ Bee Larvae and Fried Crickets

          Barbecued bee larvae is a sweet treat, and you’ll see kids around the country snacking on chicken’s feet. The ants’ eggs found in the nests created from the leaves of mango trees are used to make a popular soup, and deep fried crickets are eaten as beer snacks as the sun sets over the Mekong River.

          Laab

          The national dish of Laos is laap. Traditionally made from finely chopped meat, banana flower, handfuls of mint leaves, padaek, chilli, and dry fried rice powder which gives it its distinctive taste. Laap is eaten with crunchy raw vegetables and sticky rice. Laap can be made with a variety of meats, including chicken, fish, beef (cooked or raw), and as you head into more rural areas, rat is not uncommon.

          Laab and Sticky Rice - Lao Food

          As with all Lao food, it is a dish made for sharing, so wash your hands, roll a ball of sticky rice, and use it to grab a mouthful of laap. All washed down with a Beerlao, of course.

          Lao Food Recommendations

          Does this sound good?  Then check out some of our articles listed below specifically on Lao Food featuring lots of recommendations for where to eat in Laos and enjoy the local food.

          Laab and Sticky Rice - Lao Food

          Lucky Laab

          Laab is often considered the national dish of Laos. Learn more about the fascinating history of laab, how to make it and what this means to the people of Laos.

          LaoSafe Restaurants in Laos

          First LaoSafe Restaurants Certified

          The first LaoSafe certified restaurants in Luang Prabang and Vientiane for your delicious (and safe!) dining experience in Laos. Check this out to find out more.

          Papaya Salad, Laos Food

          The Culture of Lao Food

          There is no better way to understand Lao culture than through the medium of Lao food. Join us on this culinary exploration of Lao food and insight into Lao culture. Better still, follow this up by visiting an enjoying a traditional Lao meal.

          Rice Paddies in Laos

          Foodie Experiences in Laos

          Laos is a foodie’s paradise, especially for those looking to add an experiential flavour into the mix. Ever had a yearning to milk a buffalo, plant rice in paddy fields or to harvest your own coffee beans while learning about and enjoying the fruits of your labour? Then Laos sounds like a place for you!

          Lao Coffee

          Loving Lao Coffee

          To really understand about Lao coffee, nowhere is better than the Bolaven Plateau. Over 95% of all the coffee in Laos is grown here. To learn more about the process, and to explore the coffee plantations check out the amazing tours from Mystic Mountain Homestay

          Street Food Tour of Luang Prabang with Mark Weins

          One of the best places to get started eating Lao street food in Luang Prabang is the morning market. It’s low-key, relaxing, the vendors are incredibly friendly, and there’s so much delicious food to try. From wild grilled beehive and honey to khao piak sen noodles, the food is so good, it’s hard to ever go anywhere else when you’re in Luang Prabang.

          Exploring Street Food in Vientiane with Mark Weins

          Laos is an amazing country for food lovers, and there’s no better way to start sampling street food than to visit a local market in Vientiane.

          #LOVE LAOS

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          Here you will find a selection of my favourite photos, videos and travel articles from around the web that will give you an insight into Laos and hopefully inspire you to come and visit.

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