Laab
Also: larb, laap, lahb, minced meat salad
A Lao and Thai (Isan) minced-meat salad seasoned with toasted ground rice, fish sauce, lime, chili, and a heap of fresh herbs.
Identity criteria
- 1Based on finely minced or chopped meat (or fish/poultry), often briefly cooked, sometimes raw in Lao tradition
- 2Bound and given its signature nutty crunch by khao khua — toasted ground sticky rice
- 3Seasoned with fish sauce, lime juice, and roasted chili
- 4Loaded with fresh herbs — mint, cilantro, scallions, and often sawtooth herb
- 5Served at room temperature with sticky rice and raw vegetables
Components
Minced meat (pork, chicken, beef, duck, or fish)essentialFinely chopped; the base of the salad
Shallots and lemongrassoptionalCommon aromatic additions, especially in Lao versions
Lime juiceessentialBrings the bright sourness
Toasted ground rice (khao khua)essentialDefining nutty aroma and slightly gritty texture; not optional in authentic laab
Fish sauceessentialProvides the salty umami backbone
Roasted chili / chili flakesessentialHeat is central to the flavor balance
Fresh mint, cilantro, scallion, sawtooth herbessentialAbundant fresh herbs are essential, not a garnish afterthought
Technique
- Toasting and grinding sticky rice (khao khua)
- Creates the signature nutty fragrance and texture that defines laab; without it the dish is incomplete
- Balancing fish sauce, lime, and chili
- The hot-sour-salty equilibrium is the essence of the dish
Form & serving
- Served
- On a plate, scooped with sticky rice and raw vegetables by hand
- Temperature
- room temperature or warm
- Portion
- shared dish, served family-style
- Pairs with
- sticky rice (khao niao) · raw vegetables and herbs · som tam
Character
Flavour
Texture
minced meat with crunchy toasted-rice grit and fresh herbs
Eaten
A beloved everyday and festive dish across Laos and northeastern Thailand, served family-style at room temperature with sticky rice and raw vegetables.
When
year-round
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Laap (Lao) · Laos
Considered the national dish; can include raw (dip) versions and offal, with a distinct herb profile
- Larb Isan · Northeast Thailand
The widely known Thai version, typically cooked, hot and sour
- Larb meuang · Northern Thailand
A dry-spice (mak khwaen, etc.) northern Thai version, sometimes with blood, less sour
Related dishes
- pairs-with sticky rice
Khao niao is the inseparable companion, used to scoop the salad
- sibling nam tok
A closely related Isan/Lao grilled-meat salad with the same seasoning logic
Substitutions
pork → chicken, beef, duck, or fishadmissible
Any minced protein works and is authentic to different regional versions
toasted ground rice (khao khua) → omitting itinadmissible
Removes the defining nutty texture and aroma; no longer true laab
fish sauce → soy sauceinadmissible
Loses the distinctive Southeast Asian umami; a different flavor profile
Common mistakes
- Omitting the toasted ground rice, the single most defining element
- Skimping on fresh herbs, which should be abundant
- Letting it become only spicy without balancing the sour and salty
- Serving it overly wet — laab should be relatively dry and clingy
Provenance
A dish of Lao origin (the national dish of Laos) that spread with Lao/Isan culture into northeastern Thailand, where it is hugely popular; shared across the Thai-Lao cultural sphere.
Shared by: Thailand, Laos
References
- 1.Lao and Isan Thai foodways
Confidence: high