Lao chicken noodle soup, also known as khao piak sen, is a popular dish in Laos made with chicken broth, rice noodles, and various herbs and spices. Learn more about this delicious and comforting soup here.

Learn about the traditional Lao sour dipping sauce, Jeow Som and how it's used in Lao cuisine. Find out about the unique flavors and how to make it at home.

Lao food is mostly known for eating sticky rice for every meal, but there are a few times jasmine rice is eaten like this Lao crispy fried rice called nam khao. It is made with jasmine rice balls coated in curry and herbs then deep fried; the fried rice balls are broken and mixed with fish sauce, som moo soured pork, herbs, and roasted peanuts. This is a common Lao dish brought over to celebrations and gatherings. It is typically eaten as a lettuce wrap with added fried peppers.

Thom khem braised pork and egg stew is a beloved and comforting Lao dish. All Lao kids love eating this dish. It is made with caramelized sugar, fish sauce, seasoning sauce, ginger, and garlic with pork and eggs swimming in the liquid until it evaporates and the protein is golden brown.

I consider Lao papaya salad thum mak hoong papaya salad as an essential dish on all Lao food tables. The perfect bite is fresh sticky rice used to grab some papaya salad and bing gai grilled chicken. Thum mak hoong is usually funky, spicy, and aggressive in flavor. The pool of papaya salad juice is dark due to the crab paste, shrimp paste, and padaek. If you are lucky, there will be a Lao plum and salted whole crab pieces.