Food Ingredients In Lao: #1 Easy Vocabulary Guide

food ingredients in Lao

Have you ever tried sticky rice, fish sauce, and other Lao food? If yes, you must know that Lao cuisine is a magnificent concoction of different ingredients that makes delicious, finger-licking items one cannot stay without. And if you plan to visit Laos soon, learning some food ingredients in Lao, like ໝາກໄມ້ (Fruits), ຜັກ (vegetables), etc., is a must. Before you enjoy Lao cuisine, it is only fair to go through the different mixes of spices and fresh herbs that the locals use to proffer the delicacy of wonder.

This post will specifically take you on a Lao food ingredient ride that will familiarize you with all the traditional Lao food elements and everyday kitchen items in the native language. If you are excited to learn, let’s get right into it.

traditional food and ingredients in lao

Commonly Used Food Ingredients In Lao

Now we will learn about the ingredients that Laotian dishes cannot survive without. These are the elements that every ethnic Lao food item is made of.

1. Chilies – ໝາກເຜັດ

The first most common ingredient is ໝາກເຜັດ. Pronounced as makphed, no Laotian food can be perfect without the hint of chilies. From chili peppers to chili powder, makphed play a vital role in proffering the authentic spicy food that every local is proud of. Especially for food like spicy salad, Khao Poon (Spicy noodle soup), and meat fry, chilies add flavors that one cannot overlook.

2. Bamboo Shoot – ໜໍ່ໄມ້

The essential ingredient in making more ethnic Lao dishes is fresh bamboo shoots, known as nomai. From chicken curry, Bamboo stew to Keng no mai of northern Laos, all the classic Laotian food items depend highly on the flavor and aroma of bamboo shoots. If you are new to this cooking style, you will fall in love instantly.

3. Green Papaya – ໝາກຫຸ່ງຂຽວ

Another potent ingredient in the Laos kitchen is the green papaya known as makhung khiav or mak hoong. The texture and mild flavor of the unripe fruit of the papaya tree are highly used to produce solid flavors and tenderize meat. And as we know, the papaya salad is already a famous dish that makes the green fruit one of a kind in Laos culture.

4. Yanang Leaf – ໃບຍາງ

Something that must be pretty new to you, the ໃບຍາງ or bai nyang comes from a climbing plant with green leaves and yellow flowers. It is used in almost every traditional soup item to thicken the liquid and give the dish a fresh aroma. It is quite popular in Cambodia as well.

5. Fresh Herbs – ສະໝຸນໄພສົດ

Fresh herbs like lemongrass, basil, coriander, green onion, mung bean sprouts, etc., are the primary ingredients in Laotian food. No matter how savory or sweet an item you order, you will always find the hint of fresh herbs in the dish that leaves behind a beautiful aroma and taste.

6. Buffalo Skin – ຜິວໜັງຄວາຍ

As surprising as it sounds, ຜິວໜັງຄວາຍ or phiuanang khuaai is a unique Lao ingredient that every local of Luang Prabang keeps safe in their kitchen. Lao stew with dried skin and the Vheo Bong, a chilly paste made with buffalo skin, are the two favorite items you can try. Besides buffalo skin, boiled pork skin is also commonly consumed, and many unusual and mouthwatering dishes are developed with it.

7. Salt – ເກືອ

Coming to a more common ingredient, no food can be complete without a hint of salt. And when it comes to Lao food, locals are strict with savory food being salty and not sweet. They consider it unnatural to make savory food sweet in any proportion and have rigid boundaries between salty and sweet dishes.

8. Rice Flour – ແປ້ງເຂົ້າ

Where crispy chicken meat and fish items are concerned, ແປ້ງເຂົ້າ or aepng khao is essential. Although seafood is not popular, you will find many things that can make you go crazy. Mainly, to make crispy fillets or nuggets, locals use aepng khao to wrap the item and then fry it till crispy. It tastes mindblowing, and you must undoubtedly try out their deep-fried seafood items.

Different Food Ingredients In Lao

food ingredients in lao lao food

Now we will dive into different ingredients under different categories. From green leafy vegetables to condiments, we will discover translations of every component that a standard food item requires to be whole.

Condiments – ເຄື່ອງປຸງ (Kheuong Pung)

EnglishLaoPronunciation
Bay leavesໃບ Baybai Bay
Black pepperພິກໄທດຳphik thaidam
Clovesຫົວຜັກທຽມhua phak thiam
Chilli Powderໝາກເຜັດmakphed
Cardamonໝາກແໜ່ງmak aenng
Cumin seedsແກ່ນຜັກກູດaekn phak kud
Fennel seedsແກ່ນ fennelaekn fennel
Fish sauceນ້ຳປາnam pa
Garlic powderຜົງຜັກທຽມphong phak thiam
Mustard seedsເມັດ mustardmed mustard
Onion powderຜົງຜັກບົ່ວphong phakbov
Paprikaໝາກເຜັດmakphed
Soy sauceຊື່​ອິ່ວsu iv
Thymeໝາກເຜັດmakphed

Fruits – ໝາກໄມ້ (Makmai)

EnglishLaoPronunciation
Avocadoອາໂວກາໂດa ov ka od
Appleໝາກໂປມmak opm
Bananaກ້ວຍkuany
Berriesຫມາກໄມ້ປ່າເມັດmakmai pa med
Guavaໝາກກ້ຽງmakkiang
Kiwiກີວີki vi
Orangesໝາກກ້ຽງmakkiang
Peachesໝາກເຜັດmakphed
Papayaໝາກຫຸ່ງmakhung
Strawberriesສະຕໍເບີຣີsato boe ri
Watermelonໝາກໂມmakom

Vegetables – ຜັກ (Phak)

EnglishLaoPronunciation
Beansຖົ່ວthov
Cucumberໝາກແຕງmakaetng
Carrotsແຄລອດaekhlod
Cornສາລີsali
Green onionsຜັກບົ່ວຂຽວphakbov khiav
Mushroomເຫັດhed
Peasຖົ່ວthov
Potatoesມັນຕົ້ນmanton
Tomatoຫມາກ​ເລັ່ນmak len
Yamຢ້າມyam

Leafy Greens – ໃບສີຂຽວ (Bai Sikhiav)

EnglishLaoPronunciation
Broccoliບຣັອກໂຄລີbraok okh li
Cabbageກະລໍ່າປີka loa pi
Celeryຜັກຕັ້ງໂອphak tang o
Cauliflowerດອກແຄdok aekh
Kaleຜັກກາດphakkad
Lettuceຜັກກາດຫອມphakkad hom
Spinachຜັກຊະນິດໜ່ຶງphak sanid nung
Spring onionຜັກບົ່ວພາກຮຽນ springphakbouaphakhian spring

Meat – ຊີ້ນ (Sin) And Seafood – ອາຫານທະເລ (Ahanthale)

EnglishLaoPronunciation
Beefຊີ້ນງົວsinngua
Baconເບຄອນbe khon
Chickenໄກ່kai
Chicken legຂາໄກ່khakai
Crabປູpu
LobsterLobsterLobster
Lambລູກແກະluk kae
Muttonເນື້ອ​ແກະneu kae
Octopusປາຫມຶກpa muk
Oystersຫອຍນາງລົມhony nang lom
Prawnກຸ້ງkung
Porkຫມູmu
Turkeyຕຸລະກີtu la ki
Tunaປາທູນາpathu na

Healthy Sauce – ຊອດສຸຂະພາບ (Sod Sukhaphab)

EnglishLaoPronunciation
Lime juiceນ້ໍາປູນຂາວnoa punkhav
Olive oilນ​້​ໍ​າ​ມັນ​ຫມາກ​ກອກn o a man mak kok
Sesame oilນ້ຳມັນງາnamman nga

The Lao Cuisine: Southeast Asian Food Culture

Now that you know some vocabulary about ingredients in Lao, this section will give you a quick peek at the Lao food culture. If you are a first-time traveler or a newbie in the country, the following facts and tips will become a significant asset in enjoying your stay in a pure native style. So, let’s begin.

Lao Food Facts

If you have been to Thai restaurants or have tried Thai cuisine, you will find a lot of similarities between the food in Laos and Thailand. It is majorly because both countries eat sticky rice, fish sauce, and other dishes that have the same touch on the flavors. However, before the natives attack, it is essential to mention that they are not the same.

While Thai food and Lao dishes can be similar, Lao foods are more straightforward and have a subtle taste. Lao dishes have more herbs and vegetables that are not simmered. To attain their unique taste, the locals use fermented fish sauce, which is typical of the country and makes dishes less elaborate than Thai delicacy. However, once you visit Lao restaurants, you will realize that Laotian cuisine is much spicier and more fond of condiments than Thai.

Apart from the differences, Laos is the largest consumer of sticky rice. Although sticky rice is quite popular in Vietnam, Thai, Cambodia, and other Asian countries, nobody consumes it in an amount equal to the Laotian people. It is believed that the Lao sticky rice is the glue that holds the Lao community together, and it has become an identity of the Laotian culture that the natives hold dear to their hearts.

Another common fact of the Laotian food culture is that Lao meals typically consist of vegetables and soup. In fact, in every corner of southeast Asia, greens and soups play a vital role in the food culture. However, the thick Lao stew or the spicy green papaya salad with soy sauce is a national signature of the Laotian people, and you will find these side dishes in every place you visit in the country. The vegetables are usually raw, fresh, or steamed, served with sticky rice, grilled chicken, and soups.

The most famous Lao dish is Laap. It is a minced meat salad that is, again, served with herbs and soup. It is considered the national dish of Laos.

Top Laotian Dishes To Try Out!

Here is a list of the best dishes you must try without failure during your stay. Incorporate Lao dishes into your appetite and bless yourself with a unique culture.

  • Khao Niaw sticky rice basket (Steamed sticky rice)
  • Larb or Laap (marinated meat or Minced meat)
  • Khao Piak Sen (wet noodles)
  • khao poon nam prik (chicken soup with coconut milk)
  • Sai Oua (herbal pork sausage)
  • Bia Lao (Lao beer)
  • Khao Jee (baguette)
  • Or Lam (Lao stew)
  • Som Moo (fermented pork sausage)
  • Tam Mak Hoong (papaya salad)

Enjoy Laotian Food!

Now that you know what to eat and what elements to use while cooking, I am pretty sure you will have a splendid time in Laos. Visiting a country rich in culinary habits and knowing these terms and facts will help you adapt to the environment and relish the culture as an actual native person. Moreover, you will also make many new friends with your language skills and receive a wholesome response.

If you think this blog was helpful, share it with your friends and download the Ling app from App Store or Play Store for free. You will learn more about the culture and language with just a few months of patience.

Learn Lao with Ling App

Learn Lao With Ling

If you are new to learning Lao using Ling, there is nothing to worry about. The Ling App is the most versatile and straightforward app that can help you become a pro speaker in just a few months. From greetings to common vocab and essential phrases, you will get to know about everything that will help make your stay in Laos a fruitful one.

The best part is that you can access all this content for free with just a few clicks. The app also has AI features that help retain knowledge and make communication smoother. So, if you’re eager to learn, click the download button and start learning Lao today!

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