Laab features minced meat, often pork, chicken, beef, duck, or fish, seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, roasted ground rice, and fresh herbs like mint, with chili often added for heat.
Laab originated in Laos and is integral toLao cultural and celebratory meals. It has influenced the cuisines of neighboring regions, particularly northeastern and northernThailand (Isan andLanna), which share historical ties with the formerLan Xang Kingdom. Variants of laab also appear in the cuisines of otherTai-speaking peoples, such as those inShan State, Myanmar, andYunnan Province, China. Despite regional adaptations, laab's roots remain distinctly Lao.[8][9][10]
Étienne François Aymonier, who visited Laos in 1883, described laab as a favorite dish of Lao people – a mixture of chopped onions or scallions, lemongrass leaves, fermented fish and chili mixed with fresh and boiled fish. The dish was eaten with steamed sticky rice.[12] Another French visitor, Doctor Estrade, who arrived in 1893, described laab as a Lao main dish made with boiled fish, chili and ground roasted sticky rice.[13]
Depending on the method of preparation, it may be known by different names, includingnam tok, goi/saa, yum/sua, and can be made with beef, buffalo, chicken, duck, fish, pork, shrimp, game meat, mushroom or even algae. Laab can be servedraw, which is known aslaab diip (raw) oraharn suer (tiger food), or cooked, and usually served with a soup made with the bones of the meat being used.[14]
Historically, laab dishes were more common amongst the aristocracy and traditional recipes for laab served to Laotian royalty are in a collection of handwritten recipes fromPhia Sing (1898–1967), royal chef and master of ceremonies.[15] Laab is considered to be an auspicious and lucky dish because traditionally meat was not readily available, and most Laotians would normally eat laab at special occasions, such as wedding, New Year celebrations and festivals. Many Laotians will bless their family and guests with a meal consisting of laab for luck and good fortune. During the New Year celebration, many Lao families believe that eating laab on day one of the three-day celebration will bring good fortune for the rest of the year.[16]
Prior to the collapse of the monarchy, in Laotian high society, servants were never allowed to prepare the best and most delicate dishes. The women of Laotian high society considered it an honorable task and great opportunity to display their culinary talents to prepare laab for their esteemed guests. Among ordinary Laotians, when preparing laab, housewives would prepare the ingredients in separate containers as amise en place, leaving the final honor of mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl to the head of the household. As tradition goes, the head of the family would start with malaxating the mincemeat – softening and incorporating it with a cupful of stock from the soup, then adding the toasted ground rice, pepper powder, garlic, salt,padaek sauce and finally chopped aromatics before serving.[17]
Laab has a meaning in theLan Na dialect (1292–1775), the neighboring kingdom ofLan Xang (1353–1707, present day Laos). The name derived from the full word of "จิ๊นลาบ", the word "จิ๊น" translates to animal meat while "ลาบ" means to chop into smaller pieces or mince inLanna script (closely linked toTai Tham). However, in ancient Lanna dialect, the word “ฟัก” ("fak") was always used for "mince".[18]
Lao bile laab (laab Pia in Lao) made with cooked meat, tripes, and bilePing sin nam tok is a variation of Lao laab dish made with beef steak and sometimes enjoyed as an appetizer with aperitif.Lao Goi made with Mekong fish served with sticky rice and plenty of fresh vegetables Lao Sua Gai is a variation of laab made with shredded cooked chicken meat.
In Laos, depending on how the dish is prepared, it may be known by different names, includingnam tok, goi/saa, yum/sua. Modernlaab is most often made withchicken,beef,duck,fish,pork ormushrooms, flavored withfish sauce,lime juice,padaek, roasted ground rice and fresh herbs. The meat can be eitherraw or cooked; it isminced and mixed withchili,mint, roughly ground toasted rice (khao khoua) and, optionally, assortedvegetables according to personal preference. The dish is served at room temperature and usually with a serving ofsticky rice and raw or fresh vegetables.[19][20][21] Traditionally, beef laab will only contain offal, bile, and all of the other ingredients without lime juice.[22] Fish and shrimp laab are also traditionally absent lime juice but incorporate minced galangal. Compared to other laab, fish and shrimp laab does require an extra step. The deboned fish filet, or shrimp is minced, then pounded in a mortar and pestle until it turns to a gluey paste. Padaek juice is carefully added to the mixture, and stirred to a desired consistency, before finishing off with the finely chopped galangal and other aromatic herbs.[23][24]
Nam tok:Nam tok (Lao:ນ້ຳຕົກ,Thai:น้ำตก) is a Lao and Thai word meaning 'waterfall'. The name is derived either from the dripping of the meat juices during the grilling or from the juices running out of themedium rare beef as it is sliced. It refers to a popular Lao meat dish in both Laos andIsan, where it is commonly known asping sin nam tok (Laos) ornuea yang nam tok (Thailand). This dish can be regarded as a variation on the standardlaab, and is made from barbecued pork or beef, usually the neck, which is sliced in bite-size pieces. The meat is then brought to a boil with some stock to create sauce. The heat is turned off, and then sliced shallots, ground roasted rice, chili powder, lime juice, and fish sauce are added, along with shredded coriander leaves, spring onions and mint leaves.[25][26]
Goi/Saa:Goi (Lao:ກ້ອຍ),Saa (Lao:ສ້າ) is a laab-like dish with the meat sliced thinly, rather than minced. InLuang Prabang and northern Laos this method of preparation is referred to assaa, whereas inVientiane and southern Laos it is known asgoi. Rawgoi orsaa made with the freshest and highest quality fish is served to the most honored guests because it is the most delicate and complicated dish to prepare. A properly madegoi orsaa requires great knife skills and talent. The raw fish is filleted, deboned and sliced. The fish is then left to soak in a marinade consisting of saltwater brine and lime juice for 2 up to a maximum of 15 minutes depending on preference. This denaturing of the proteins "cooks" the fish much like the Latin American dish ceviche. Once marinated, the meat is squeezed until dry to remove the excess liquid. The left-over marinade from the fish is then combined withpadaek and brought to a boil before being left to cool to form a sauce. When everything is ready, the fish is mixed with the sauce, roasted rice powder, pepper flakes, and finely chopped aromatic herbs, such as fennel, galangal, lemongrass, Laotian parsley, shallot, green onions, and mint. The mixture can further be seasoned with more salt or lime to taste. The final dish is a pale pink fish salad with green aromatics and always served with the soup stock of the fish bone, fresh vegetables and sticky rice.[27] A similar dish exists in Vietnam known as bo tai chanh.
Niao/Niaow: Another style, similar to method of making fish and shrimp laab, is a beef or water buffalo version calledlaab niaow (sticky laab), where a piece of raw lean meat is minced and then pounded together with fresh galangal, grilled garlic, shallots, dried chilli pepper, padaek liquid and beef broth into a thick paste or mixture. Finally, cooked and sliced liver, heart, spleen, rice powder (khao khoua), fried aromatics (chopped garlic, green onions, lemongrass), and fresh aromatics (chopped green onions and coriander) are stirred into the mixture and topped off as garnish before serving.[28]
Yum/Sua: Another style more ancient, which was popular amongst the aristocrats and served to Lao royalty isyum gai tom (boiled chicken) orsua gai (chicken). The recipes for the royalyum gai tom is found in Phia Sing's writing.Yum gai tom orsua gai is prepared by boiling a whole chicken with lemongrass, ginger, and kefir lime leaves. Once the chicken is cooked, the meat is removed from the carcass and chopped or shredded. Added to this are chopped cucumbers and tomatoes (optional), chili peppers, half-roasted shallots and garlic, and toasted rice powder. Broth is added to moisten, along with lime juice, and fish sauce. Pepper and salt are added to taste. It is finished with spring onions on top and coriander to garnish.[29]
Phrik lap is the mix of dried spices used in northern Thai laab.
Laab in the old kingdom ofLanna (1292–1775), is a local delicacy popular to aristocrats in the area. The name derived from the full word of "จิ๊นลาบ", the word "จิ๊น" means animal meat while "ลาบ" means to chop into smaller pieces or mince inLanna script (closely linked toTai Tham).[30]
Laab was enjoyed in both raw or cooked forms depends on the likings. The cooked laab is mostly roasted and, therefore, called "ลาบคั่ว" (roasted laab).
The raw laab are known as "ลาบเลือด" (blood laab), popularly eaten alongside alcohol. In the ancient times, it is made solely by men and women were banned from the process due to the notion that women could contaminate the dish with menstruated blood.[18]
Lanna people often eat laab during auspicious celebrations such as the new year orSongkran, housewarming, weddings, ordination, and other Buddhist festivities. It is influenced by the Thai word "ลาภ" (derived fromPali)homophone: meaning unexpected luck or fortune.[31]
Thelaab fromnorthern Thailand where the Lao have migrated,laab Lan Na, is different from the internationally more well-known Lao stylelaab. The northern Thailaab of the Tai Nyuan/Khon Muang (northern Thai people)[32] does not contain fish sauce and is not sour, as neither lime juice nor any other souring agent is used. Instead, the northern Thai version uses a mix of dried spices as flavoring and seasoning which includes ingredients such ascumin,cloves,long pepper,star anise,prickly ash seeds andcinnamon amongst others, derived from the location of northern Thailand'sLan Na Kingdom on one of the spice routes to China,[33] in addition to ground dried chillies, and, in the case oflaab made with pork or chicken, the blood of the animal. The dish can be eaten raw (laab dip), but also after it has been stir-fried for a short time (laab suk). If blood is omitted from the preparation of the stir-fried version, the dish is calledlaab khua (Thai:ลาบคั่ว). There is also a kind oflaab calledlaab luat (Lao:ລາບເລືອດ) orlu (Thai:หลู้). This dish is made with minced raw pork or beef, raw blood, kidney, fat and bile, and mixed with spices, crispy fried onions, fresh herbs and other ingredients.Laab and its other variations are served with an assortment of fresh vegetables and herbs, and eaten withglutinous rice.[34][35][36][37][38] This version oflaab is thought to have originated in the town ofPhrae, in northern Thailand.[39] This style oflaab can also be found in parts of northern Laos.
The risks from eating raw meat include contractingtrichinosis, caused by an infectious worm, along with fatal bacterial or potentiallyrabies infection.[40]The consumption of rawlaab andlu made with raw pork has led to several cases of humanStreptococcus suis infections in Thailand, some of them with a deadly result.[41]
The consumption of rawfreshwater fish can lead to an infection byOpisthorchis viverrini (Southeast Asian liver fluke), aparasiticflatworm that can live for many years inside the human liver. Northern Thailand, where certain fishes are consumed fermented, has the highest recorded rate of medically untreatablecholangiocarcinoma.[42]
^Chongchitnant, Pailin (28 February 2013)."Authentic Thai Laab (Larb) Recipe with Pork".Hot Thai Kitchen. Retrieved16 January 2026.While most people, and many Thai restaurants, call this dishlarb, the correct pronunciation and the way itshould be written islaab. The R is not pronounced.
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