Food & Drinks

Although Lao food doesn’t enjoy the variety and depth of the more famous cuisines of neighboring China, Thailand and Vietnam, those who already hip to any kinds of cuisine during their Indochina tours, would experience something distinguishing here.

It’s not surprising if you find Lao food shares some déjà vu with Thai food during your Laos tours, given the long interwoven history the two countries share. There are, however, some aspects of Lao cuisine that are unmistakably distinguishing, of which the khao niaw (sticky rice) might be the most obvious one. Sticky rice is also thought to be one of the main identifiers of Lao culture. But things are different from region to one another. In the Mekong River valley areas, sticky rice makes up breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even snacks in between. Mountainous Hmong people don’t eat sticky rice at all, and the culinary variety can be pretty limited, too.

Staple ingredients include locally raised vegetables, fish, chicken, duck, pork and beef or water buffalo. Due to the distance from the sea, freshwater fish is more common than saltwater fish or shellfish. Lao cooks prefer to emphasize savory tones imparted by grilling, toasting or mixing with cooked ingredients that are inherently savory, such as roasted rice.

One of the most popular Lao dishes is laap, a Lao-style salad of minced meat, fowl or fish tossed with lime juice, garlic, khao khua (roasted powdered sticky rice), green onions, mint leaves and chilies. Depending on the cook, your meal can be rather hot or mild. And many Lao dishes are quite spicy but they also have some less spicy food, such as Chinese and Vietnamese.

Noodles are also popular in the country, and usually for breakfast. Regular rice is eaten, although not so much as sticky rice, it’s also the foundation for all Lao meals, as with elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

The French colonists also made their mark on the cuisine of Laos and a popular breakfast, especially in Vientiane, is French bread, khao jii which is freshly baked each day and served with pâté, fried eggs and omelets. Alternatively, it is easy to find croissants in Vientiane. These can be enjoyed with a cup of the excellent local coffee.

Lao-grown coffee is regarded as among the world’s best, and you can’t miss that in your Laos vacation. A cup of Lao coffee is roasted by wholesalers, ground by vendors and filtered through a sock-like cloth bag just before serving, and the result is thick, black, strong and delicious.

Indian-style (black) and Chinese-style (green or semicured) teas are served in Laos. Teas are often served with sugar and condensed milk, and Chinese tea is traditionally free in restaurants.

The success of Beerlao increased Carlsberg’s market stake down to 50%, and you will understand how that happened after you sample a glass of Beerlao. Beerlao might be the source of much national pride but rice whisky, known as lao-lao , is responsible for many more sore heads. Decent French and Italian wines are abundantly available in restaurants and shops.

While few people do their Laos travel with food as their prime objective, a little experimentation can take you a long way towards appreciating the cuisine and can be very rewarding. Your Laos tours are meant to be so yum-yum!