Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Laotian recipes, part of Asia. This page provides links to all the Laotian recipes presented on this site, with 13 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Indian recipes added to this site.

These recipes, for the major part, originate in Laos. Otherwise they are fusion recipes with major Laotian components.

Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) (ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ in Lao) is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Its capital and most populous city is Vientiane. The country is characterized by mountainous terrain, Buddhist temples including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang, and French colonial architecture.

The country traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, a kingdom which existed from the 13th to 18th centuries. Through its location, the kingdom is a hub for overland trade. In 1707, Lan Xang split into three kingdoms: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak. In 1893, these kingdoms were unified under French protection as part of French Indochina. Laos was under Japanese administration during World War II, gaining independence in 1945 before returning to French administration until achieving autonomy in 1949. The country regained full independence in 1953 as the Kingdom of Laos, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. A civil war from 1959 to 1975 saw the communist Pathet Lao, supported by North Vietnam and the Soviet Union, oppose the Royal Lao Armed Forces, backed by the United States. The war ended with the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975, a one-party socialist state aligned with the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. Since then, Laos has transitioned toward market-oriented reforms, marking a new phase of development.

Laos's development strategy emphasizes regional connectivity through infrastructure development. The 2021 completion of the Laos-China Railway, connecting Vientiane to Kunming, has increased trade and tourism accessibility. The country participates in the Greater Mekong Subregion economic cooperation program, focusing on cross-border infrastructure and energy projects. The World Bank has recognized Laos as one of Southeast Asia and Pacific's fastest growing economies, with annual GDP growth averaging 7.4% since 2009, driven by expanding tourism, energy exports, and foreign investment. While classified as a least developed country by the United Nations, Laos is a member of ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, East Asia Summit, La Francophonie, and the World Trade Organization

Etymology: The word Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893. The name of the country is spelled the same as the plural of the most common ethnic group, the Lao people. In English, the 's' in the name of the country is pronounced, and not silent.

Laotian Cuisine:

The staple food of the Lao is sticky rice (Lao: ເຂົ້າໜຽວ, khao niao, [kʰȁw nǐaw]). Laos has the highest sticky rice consumption per-capita in the world with an average of 171kg of sticky rice consumed annually per person. Sticky rice is deeply ingrained in the culture, religious tradition, and national identity of Laos. It is a common belief within the Lao community that no matter where they are in the world, sticky rice will always be the glue that holds the Lao communities together, connecting them to their culture and to Laos. Affinity for sticky rice is considered the essence of what it means to be Lao. Often the Lao will refer to themselves as luk khao niao (Lao: ລູກເຂົ້າໜຽວ, [lùːk kʰȁw nǐaw]), which can be translated as 'children or descendants of sticky rice'.

The trifecta of Laos' national cuisine are sticky rice, larb, and green papaya salad (Lao: ຕຳໝາກຫຸ່ງ, tam mak hung). The most famous Lao dish is larb (Lao: ລາບ, [lâːp]; sometimes also spelled laab or laap), a spicy mixture of marinated meat or fish that is sometimes raw (prepared like ceviche) with a variable combination of herbs, greens, and spices.

Lao cuisine has many regional variations, corresponding in part to the fresh foods local to each region. A French legacy is still evident in the capital city, Vientiane, where baguettes (Lao: ເຂົ້າຈີ່, [kʰȁw tɕīː]) are sold on the street and French restaurants are common and popular, which were first introduced when Laos was a part of French Indochina.