48 FLAVORS
The
NATIONAL DISH of LAOS
A
round the world, diners of all stripes have come to know larb as part of the Thai culinary tradition – evidenced most recently by Aunt May’s (portrayed by Marisa Tomei) "I Larb You” Thai restaurant scene in Marvel’s Spiderman Homecoming. But the dish actually originated in Laos. While it hasn’t yet been nominated for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Asset standing, larb is considered unofficially to be Laos' most prized dish. If you ever needed an ambassador of Lao cuisine, this savory meat salad ensemble would be your best bet. In its simplest form larb is a dish comprised of minced meat seasoned with lime juice, fermented fish sauce, and a variety of other ingredients such as finely ground roasted sticky rice, chilli, mint leaves, onions, herbs and spices. When tossed together, they create a deliciously sophisticated blend of sour, spicy, salty and bitter flavors.
Virtually any meat (bleu, medium, or well-done) can be minced and larb-ed. While pork, beef, chicken, duck, turkey and fish are the more household larb meats, special circumstances – whether it be economical or adventure-derived – call for other more exotic meats to be used. The likes of squirrel, rabbit, venison, horse, offals of all the above, quail, salmon, tuna, crab and many more have been enjoyed by larb enthusiasts in Laos. Even vegetarians need their dose of fresh tofu larb! Larb is typically served with sticky rice but it is also enjoyed by many with steamed rice. And larb should never be eaten without raw vegetables, especially green beans, lettuce, cabbage and cucumber – whatever can be found in season.
Pork Larb Fish Larb (pureed, raw)
raw vegetables
