Food of Laos
Lao cooking centers on sticky rice, served in baskets and eaten by hand, with fiery dips (jeow), herb-packed salads like larb, grilled meats, and fresh vegetables. Flavors are bold and often bitter or sour, with lots of fresh dill, mint, lemongrass, and galangal. Meals are shared, with everything dipped, rolled, and eaten together.
- Main dishes (10)
- Breakfast (4)
- Street food (5)
- Soups (4)
- Salads (4)
- Desserts and sweets (4)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (6)
Staples
- sticky rice, pork, buffalo, fish, herbs, vegetables
Signature flavors
- chili, lime, fish sauce, padaek, lemongrass, galangal, dill, mint
Main dishes
Minced meat salad with lime and toasted rice.
Key ingredients: pork, mint, lime, toasted riceFull guide →
Stew with eggplant, wood ear, and dill.
Key ingredients: meat, eggplant, lemongrassSteamed fish in banana leaf.
Key ingredients: fish, dill, scallionsGrilled chicken marinated with herbs.
Key ingredients: chicken, garlic, cilantro
Herby Lao sausage.
Key ingredients: pork, lemongrass, galangal
Chicken noodle soup with thick noodles.
Key ingredients: tapioca noodles, chicken
Papaya salad pounded with chili.
Key ingredients: papaya, chili, limeFull guide →Fermented fish sauce used widely.
Key ingredients: fish, salt
Noodles with pork and tomato sauce.
Key ingredients: noodles, pork, tomatoFull guide →Chili dip with dried chilies.
Key ingredients: chili, galangalBreakfast
Baguette with pate.
Key ingredients: baguette, pateChewy noodle soup.
Key ingredients: noodles, chicken
Served with dips and grilled meats.
Key ingredients: sticky riceCoconut rice cakes.
Key ingredients: rice flour, coconutStreet food
Grilled chicken skewers.
Key ingredients: chicken, garlicGrilled sausage.
Key ingredients: pork, herbsCrispy river weed sheets.
Key ingredients: river weed, sesameCrispy rice balls.
Key ingredients: rice, fermented porkBaguette sandwich.
Key ingredients: baguette, pateSoups
Bamboo shoot soup.
Key ingredients: bamboo shoots, herbsChicken soup with lemongrass.
Key ingredients: chicken, lemongrassClear soup with vegetables and pork.
Key ingredients: pork, vegetablesNoodle soup.
Key ingredients: noodlesFull guide →Salads
Herb-filled minced meat salad.
Key ingredients: meat, mintFull guide →Green papaya salad.
Key ingredients: papayaFull guide →Salad with greens.
Key ingredients: greens, lime
Crunchy rice salad.
Key ingredients: fried rice, sausageDesserts and sweets
Mango with sweet sticky rice.
Key ingredients: mango, sticky riceFull guide →Coconut rice cakes.
Key ingredients: rice flour, coconutGrilled rice pastries.
Key ingredients: rice, sugarCoconut jelly dessert.
Key ingredients: coconut milk, jellyDrinks
Strong coffee from the Bolaven Plateau.
Key ingredients: coffee, condensed milkIced tea with milk.
Key ingredients: tea, milkFreshly pressed.
Key ingredients: sugarcaneFresh.
Key ingredients: young coconutFruits and produce
Ripe fruit for desserts.
Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Used in many dishes.
Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Refreshing.
Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Sweet small fruit.
Key ingredients: eaten fresh
Used green in salads.
Key ingredients: som tamFull guide →
Grown on the Bolaven Plateau.
Key ingredients: brewed coffeeDish guides from Laos
More cuisines of South-Eastern Asia
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- LaoFood LarbNeua: Jpatokal, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- O-lam: Misterbenzen, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Lao Sai Oua: Isan1985, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Khao piak sen: Spencer, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- 2013 Tam Lao: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Khao Soi Northern Thai food ข้าวซอย ผักดอง: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Chapssal (glutinous rice): 국립국어원, CC BY-SA 2.0 kr (Wikimedia Commons)
- LaotianNamKhao: Isan1985, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mango sticy rice (3859549574): Dennis Wong from Hong Kong, Hong Kong, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Dragon fruit (Pitaya): Nakna06, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Longan tree at Pine Island Nursery: Pouletic, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Coffee Flowers: Marcelo Corrêa, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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