The land of intense & deliciously funky flavor
Sabaidee and welcome to my post about Laos. This country is another one of the #aroundtheworldin80dishes group’s entries and I am currently playing a bit of catch-up with the group as a very late member. 😅
Nevertheless, I am not just doing this to cross a country off a list. Laos, like every country on this pale blue dot we call home, deserves and will get the full treatment. Its cuisine gets researched, the ingredients are hunted down, everything is cooked, and finally my wife and I conduct the very serious task of meticulously taste testing it all.
Laos is a small, landlocked country surrounded by food powerhouses such as Thailand, Vietnam, and China. Because of that, I was curious to see what it would offer and how it would stand next to its famous neighbors.
Unsurprisingly, when you are surrounded by incredible food cultures, you do not necessarily need to reinvent the wheel. Laotian and Thai cuisine share many similarities, and several dishes exist in both places albeit with some regional differences.
That is also true for the main dish I chose for Laos, its national dish, Laab. Known as Larb in Thailand and cooked with slightly different ingredients there, you may have already come across it before.
Laab is essentially a slightly warm or room temperature crunchy meat salad. If you are European like me, or simply unfamiliar with Lao or Thai cuisine, that description might sound a bit strange. The reason is probably that we do not really have a comparable dish in our food culture.
Of course, that could be completely wrong. I have not yet explored Laos’s neighbors Myanmar or Cambodia, and I still have well over 150 countries left to cook my way through. For now, I will simply continue talking confidently while still learning along the way. 😅
Laab Moo, which is pork laab, was the version I chose. I used a fantastic authentic recipe by Saeng’s Kitchen. The dish combines finely chopped pork and crispy pork skin with punchy aromatics such as galangal and fresh herbs. Toasted rice powder adds nuttiness and texture, while fermented fish sauce brings an intense, funky depth of flavor that goes even further than regular fish sauce.
The result is an absolute flavor bomb. 💥
Traditionally it is served with sticky rice, along with cucumber, chili, and lettuce on the side.
I will admit that I use a small shortcut for sticky rice. Courtesy of Hungry Huy, it can actually be made in a rice cooker instead of soaking overnight and then steaming. It may not be perfectly traditional, but it works well and is very convenient. (Psst! Make a bit extra and make this recipe for Mango Sticky Rice here)
I personally turned the laab into little lettuce wraps, which sent me straight to food heaven. I am not sure if that is perfectly traditional, but it was absolutely delicious.
To complete the meal, I served a Lao pork soup alongside it. Traditionally, the whole cut of meat would be used in the meal. The good meat and skin go into the laab, while the tougher cuts and bones are turned into soup.
For dessert, I made Khao Nom Kok, small coconut custard bites that are typically topped with green onion, sweetcorn, or other sweet additions. The combination gives them a slightly sweet and savory character.
Personally, I preferred them without the green onion, I gotta be real, though the green onion topping is actually the most traditional way to enjoy them.
On the bright side, making them gave me the perfect excuse to buy a takoyaki pan, which I definitely needed. An absolutely necessary purchase. 🙂↕️
All in all, Laos was a big success as a stop on my culinary journey. I can already see myself making laab again during summer when it is far too hot to enjoy heavy meals.
👀 But what about you? Have you tried Lao food? How did you feel about the intense flavors of Lao cuisine?
As always – on to the next! ✈️ ☁️ 🌎 🌶️
Leave a Reply