Anatomy of Larb (2024)

FAQs

Anatomy of Larb? ›

Larb (or laab or laap) is a savory meat-based salad that hails from Laos and the Isaan region of northeast Thailand. Traditionally, this dish features a variety of pork offal, such as liver and cracklings, minced with a generous amount of herbs — usually whatever is growing in the nearby bushes.

In essence, Larb is a refreshing Thai salad, usually made with ground meat (typically ground chicken, beef, lamb or pork), lots of fresh herbs (mint, Thai basil or cilantro), lemongrass, garlic, fresh chilies, red onions, lime juice, green onions.

"Larb" is the most popular way Thai restaurants write out the dish on menus because when Thai people speak Thai-accented English, we don't pronounce the R (we pronounce "car" as "ka," for example). Anyway, LAAB is a ground meat salad that hails from the northeast region of Thailand known as Isaan.

Northern Thai Style

Proteins are similar to the Lao version although a common addition is blood from the animal. This style is also eaten with a side of sticky rice. Larb with raw protein. Larb with cooked protein that is cooked with the blood of the animal.

larb Isan is known for its robust spiciness. Minced meat is usually seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, chilli powder, grounded roasted rice, shallots, and spring onions. Some recipes also include coriander and mint leaves.

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 in Lanna script (closely linked to Tai Tham). Laab was enjoyed in both raw or cooked forms depends on the likings.

Versions that feature sliced meat, as opposed to minced, are called nam tok. Unlike larb, nam toks usually use beef that has plenty of marbling on it; the fat makes the salad extra juicy, but not overwhelmingly so against the tartness of lime.

Why? Authentic larb gai is made with padaek which is a fermented fish made into a thick fish sauce. Fermented fish is what makes larb smell. If you can't get over the smell, this is one of the ingredients that can be omitted from the recipe without any substitutions.

A ground beef dish that originated from Northern Thailand. The larb is sweet from the natural taste of beef and the sugar, yet slightly tart from the lime and fish sauce.

Traditional Thai cuisine loosely falls into four categories: tom (boiled dishes), yam (spicy salads), tam (pounded foods), and kaeng (curries).

How are you supposed to eat larb? ›

Larb should be served warm or at room temperature with a mixture of crunchy fresh vegetables (lettuce leaves, cucumber sticks, raw beans or cabbage) and steamed sticky rice.

Thai food is often healthier than Chinese food. Thai food puts a focus on balance and variety. They are often light and the aromas are just as important as the taste of the food. Thai food uses less heavy sauces and oils than Chinese food uses that are healthier for you, if any oil at all.

Larb is said to have originated in Laos but today, the dish is regional to Laos and Isaan (or Isan), the northeastern region of Thailand bordering Laos and Cambodia. The largest region of Thailand is where most of the nation's rice is grown and has a rich Khmer era history going back at least 5,000 years.

Raw larb, also known as laab diip or koy nua, is a spicy raw beef salad from Thailand's Isan region. It combines minced beef, often with blood and beef bile, with toasted rice powder and spices, creating bold flavors unique to Lao and Isan cuisine.

Originally born in Laos, larb is a minced meat "salad," traditionally made with softly-poached ground chicken or pork. The dish is a perfect balance of sweet, tart, salty, and a punch of spice. Fulfilled by our friends at Omsom.

Contains: toasted rice powder, coriander, shallot, cilantro, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.