Fish, water buffalo and pork are key to Laotian cuisine as well as spatterings of chilis, mint, lemongrass and fish sauce.
Culinary inspirations in Laos come from China and Malaysia as well as India.
What's distinctive about Laos is that it is practically the only South East Asian country where glutinous, or sticky, rice makes an appearance at almost every meal. Sticky rice is useful in Laos as people eat with their fingers, grabbing some rice and collecting other foods with it before it hits the mouth.
By the way, Laos is bordered by Myanmar (Burma), China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. It was once part of French Indochina which may explain some French influences in its food. The civil war in Vietnam spilled over to Laos at one time and from 1968 to 1975, the Royal Lao Army battled the North Vietnamese forces.
The North Vietnamese Army was ultimately victorious, displacing King Savang Vatthana from the throne. In 1975, the "Lao People's Democratic Republic" was born.
What makes the food interesting in Laos is that the country has a multitude of ethnic groups from the ethnic Lao (thought to derive from China), to the hill people such as the Hmong, Yao, Tai dumm and Shan. There are minority groups from Vietnam, Tibet-Burma and China living in remote areas.
The northeast region of Thailand, known as Issan/Isan, was once a part of the Lao kingdom. A majority of the people living there are actually ethnic Laotians. That's why you'll see some Lao dishes like Larb Salad, Gai Yang/Ping Gai and Papaya Salad on Thai menus.
By the way, my other food introductions include Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
COMMON INGREDIENTS AND DISHES:
When you eat in Laos, you'll always be served a garnish of fried shallots, onions and garlic and chopped scallions.
DORK KHIING: aromatic ginger flowers, a.k.a torch ginger, usually added to salads or fish curries.
LAAP: a cousin to steak tartare, raw or half-cooked beef or water buffalo is pounded into a puree with cow liver and seasoned with galangal roof, lemon/lime juice, fermented fish sauce, salte, chilies, scallions and mint.
PA DAEK: fish sauce with hunks of fermented fish, rice dust and husks.
SOMMUU: a popular pickled pork sausage. Very spicy.
KAENG JEUUD KALAMPI: Pork and cabbage soup with eggs.
KAENG ORM DUUK NGOUA: Beef soup with rice, includes lemongrass, shallots and crushed ginger.
KAENG SOM PA: the most typical fish soup of all with lemongrass, cilantro, fish sauce, lime and diced tomatoes.
KAI YAD SAI: chicken stuffed with chilies cilantro, shallots and garlic, slowly braised.
KALEE PED: curried duck, leaning towards and Indian flavour, and served with potatoes.
KNAAP PA: fish baked in banana skins with lemongrass, chilies, pork , shallots and fish sauce.
MOWK SOM PA: picked fish roe wrapped in banana leaves and grilled then seasoned with the usual mix of lemongrass, scallions, shallots, garlic, chilies and cilantro.
ORW LARM NOK KHO: quail stew with fish sauce, chilies, eggplants, scallions and greens. Dried quail is used.
PED HUM SAI HOUA PHAK PEUK: duck stuffed with liver, gizzards, shallots, onions, and bread. Braised and served with Chinese radishes and garnished with cilantro.
