5 Must-Try Dishes During Your Visit to Laos - Flavour Bombs Galore!

Up first is larb, or laap. This dish is widely regarded as the national dish of Laos, and its depth of flavour clearly shows why it holds such a high honour. It is a meat-based salad made of either minced pork or chicken, although you can use other types of meat as well. The dish is flavoured with mint leaves, chilli for a kick, fish sauce for that umami flavour, and lemon to brighten the whole thing up. It is usually served with a side of rice or vegetables. Larb is very versatile, as it can be the main attraction, an appetiser, or even just a snack. This is what makes the dish very popular among both tourists and locals alike.

If you are planning on taking part in tours such as the Luang Prabang cruise, larb is usually served as you spend your time drifting along the Mekong River, a great snack as you learn more about your beautiful surroundings.

Tam Mak Hoong is a refreshing salad made of papaya, garlic, palm sugar, lime juice, and chilli, all crushed together in a mortar. The star of the dish is the green papaya; the unripened fruit is sliced into thin strips, providing a satisfying texture and a subtle flavour to the dish. Tam Mak Hoong is quite a popular street food in Laos and is similar to the Thai dish som tom. The key difference is that tam mak hoong does not use peanuts. It's sweet, tangy, and can be a bit spicy, but pairing it with some rice will reduce the heat to your preferred level.

Kaipen, or kai paen, is made of green algae that have been harvested from Northern Lao. The algae are pressed into thin sheets, then left out to dry in the sun after seasoning with garlic and sesame seeds. Kai Paen is best eaten by deep frying it and serving it with a dipping sauce called jaew bong, a sauce made out of roast chilli and thin slices of buffalo skin.

Khao Jee, also known as a Lao Baguette, is arguably the most popular street food in Laos. It draws influence from the country's French colonial past and mixes it with the local flavour. The base of Khao Jee, as the name suggests, is a crispy, airy baguette that is cut in half, and then stuffed with meat and vegetables. The most common meat fillings are usually chicken or pork, grilled after marinating and seasoning with herbs and spices, including lemongrass. It is accompanied by fresh veggies like tomatoes, onions and carrots. The fillings are then topped with a delicious chilli garlic sauce.

Lam is a warm and comforting stew that has its roots in Luang Prabang. The dish is made up of various kinds of meat such as chicken and pork, paired together with beans, eggplant, basil, chillies, green onions, mushrooms and cilantro. As is the case for most Lao dishes, it is often seasoned with herbs such as lemongrass. What makes the stew unique is the addition of an inedible piece of vine called "mai sa kaan" that you must chew and then spit out. The stew is served warm and thick, and you can either consume it as a broth or pair it with some sticky rice.

As a country excelling in luxury cruises as part of its tourist attractions, a lot of effort goes into helping visitors embed themselves into the local culture. As has always been the case, food is the primary medium of doing so, and chefs in cruise companies such as Mekong Kingdoms take a lot of care in crafting authentic dishes to provide the ultimate dining experience.