ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in Laos
Five dishes to try in Laos, the most typical first.
Five dishes to try in Laos
Larb ລາບ
Minced meat or fish salad with lime, fish sauce, toasted rice powder and herbs.
How to have it: The national dish, eaten with sticky rice rolled into balls by hand and raw greens.
Tam mak hoong ຕໍາໝາກຫຸ່ງ
Shredded green papaya pounded with chilli, lime and fermented fish sauce.
How to have it: Lao style uses padaek fish sauce and is funkier than Thai som tam; ask for it less spicy.
Khao piak sen ເຂົ້າປຽກເສັ້ນ
Thick, slippery rice and tapioca noodles in chicken broth with fried garlic.
How to have it: A breakfast soup at street stalls; Luang Prabang shops sell out by mid-morning.
Khao poon ເຂົ້າປຸ້ນ
Rice vermicelli in a spicy coconut curry broth with chicken or fish.
How to have it: Made for celebrations and sold at markets; add herbs, shredded banana flower and lime.
Or lam ເອາະຫຼາມ
Thick stew of buffalo or beef with eggplant, greens and sakhan pepper wood.
How to have it: A Luang Prabang speciality; eat it with sticky rice and expect a numbing peppery heat.
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Questions
What food is Laos famous for?
Larb (minced meat or fish salad with lime, fish sauce, toasted rice powder and herbs) comes first on our list, followed by Tam mak hoong, Khao piak sen, Khao poon and Or lam.
What is the national dish of Laos?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Laos is Larb: minced meat or fish salad with lime, fish sauce, toasted rice powder and herbs. The national dish, eaten with sticky rice rolled into balls by hand and raw greens.
Which dishes in Laos are vegetarian?
None of the five dishes on this page is vegetarian as usually made. Ask locally: many places have meat-free versions.
What street food should I try in Laos?
Tam mak hoong (shredded green papaya pounded with chilli, lime and fermented fish sauce).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Laos
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.