You Thai Some, You Laos Some: The Culinary Similarities Between Thai and Lao Cooking

You Thai Some, You Laos Some THE CULINARY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THAI AND LAO COOKING While food varies among different Asian countries, Thai and Lao food in particular share many of the same base ingredients, spice blends, and menu staples. Which dishes reflect the influence of these neighboring cuisines? Sticky Rice KHAO NIAOW An essential component of Lao diet,khao niaow is usually served during the meal, with each person, taking a handful, kneading it into a ball, and dipping it into a dish or a condiment. KHAO NIAOW MAMUANG After a meal comes the dessert, and khao niaow mamuang is a classic on every Thai menu. Steamed glutinous rice is served with freshly cut mangoes and poured over with coconut milk. Green Papaya Salad TAM MAK HOONG Tam mak hoong is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya, which kicks up the sweet, sour, salty and hot flavors of Laos, and is usually eaten with sticky rice and grilled chicken. SOM TAM A mainstay of Thai cuisine, som tam is a healthy salad-style dish eaten as a snack. Much like its Laotian cousin, it combines the sweetness of honey, the spice of red chili, and the saltiness of fish sauce. Red Chicken Curry త GADANG PIT Gadang pit is the Lao-style chicken curry cooked in spiced coconut milk with such exotic flavors as kaffir lime, galangal, and shrimp paste. Essentially a one-pot dish, Laotians enjoy it over a warm bed of rice. ఆడ GAENG DANG GAI Gaeng dang gai is a traditional Thai dish simmered with coconut milk, chicken, and assorted greens, flavored with fresh and dried spices, and often served with fluffy steamed jasmine rice. Meat Salad LAAP Dubbed the national dish of Laos, laap İS a chopped meat salad mixed with fish sauce and roasted rice, and dressed with chili, mint, or lime. Popular variations include pork, fish, and duck. LARB GAI Larb gai is a spicy-sweet chicken salad packed with crave-worthy Thai flavours without all the calories. Tossed with herbs and spices, this dish is usually eaten along with sticky rice and papaya salad. Fresh Spring Rolls YALL DIB The yall dib fresh spring rolls (or "summer rolls") are wrapped in a thin rice paper, stuffed with meat, fresh greens, and vermicelli noodles, and dipped in chili- infused, peanut-based dipping sauce. POH PIA SOD Both an appetizer and afternoon snack, poh pia sod rolls are filled with similar ingre- dients, may be served with peanut or sweet- and-sour tamarind sauce, and contains enough protein to pass for a full meal. Keen to get a taste of both cuisines? Visit www.holybasil.com.au to get started.