Laos Street Food

Lao street food centers on the mortar and pestle, with chilies and herbs pounded to order at roadside stalls across the country.

5 street food dishes from Laos — what each one is, why it's made that way, and what to expect when you order it.

Signature street foods of Laos

National Pride · Rice Lager Beerlao It's brewed partly with jasmine rice instead of an all-barley recipe, and Laotians drink so much of it that it's often called a national symbol in… Beerlao is a rice-based lager brewed by Lao Brewery Company since 1973, sold everywhere from riverside noodle shacks to night markets in its signature green bottle. It's typically served… Salad · Pounded to Order Tam Mak Hoong (Lao Papaya Salad) The dish is named for its cooking method, not its main ingredient — 'tam' simply means 'pounded.' Shredded green papaya is pounded in a mortar and pestle with chilies, garlic, lime, tomatoes, and fermented fish sauce until just bruised and dressed. Vendors make each bowl fresh to… Noodles · Breakfast Soup Khao Piak Sen Its name literally translates to 'wet rice strands,' a nod to the thick, hand-cut noodles at its center. Thick noodles made from a mix of rice and tapioca flour sit in a chicken broth simmered with lemongrass, galangal, and garlic, then get topped with fried shallots, garlic, and black… Charcoal Grill · Herbed Sausage Sai Oua Crack one open and it's more herb bundle than meat — lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaf are packed in almost as thick as the pork itself. Coarsely chopped pork is mixed with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, chilies, and shallots, stuffed into natural casing, and grilled whole over charcoal until the skin blisters and… French Legacy · Baguette Sandwich Khao Jee Pâté The baguette itself is a holdover from nearly six decades of French colonial rule, but everything stuffed inside it — pâté, pickled vegetables… A crusty French-style baguette is split and filled with pork pâté or sliced pork, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, fresh coriander, and a smear of chili paste or mayonnaise. Vendors…

More street food in Asia

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