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Thai · Northeastern Thailand

Larb

Larb (Thai meat salad) is minced protein — pork, chicken, beef, or duck — dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, dried chilli, shallots, coriander, and toasted ground rice powder. The toasted rice powder is not optional — it provides a nutty, slightly coarse texture and acts as a thickening agent in the dressing. Larb is the national dish of Laos and a staple of northeastern Thai (Isan) cooking.

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Serves4
Total18 min
Sourced0of 3 in OR
Cook
‹ Previous · Laab Ped (Duck Larb, Northern Style)|Next · Larb Gai (Minced Chicken Salad — Isaan) ›
I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

300 g
ground pork
or chicken
Your own market
3
shallots
minced fine
Your own market
4 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
3 tablespoons
fish sauce
nam pla
Your own market
2 tablespoons
fresh lime juice
Your own market
15 ml
vegetable oil
Not yet stocked in Oregon
2
Thai bird's eye chilies
minced
Your own market
25 g
fresh mint leaves
chopped
Your own market
25 g
cilantro leaves
chopped
Not yet stocked in Oregon
15 g
roasted ground rice
khao kua
Not yet stocked in Oregon
2
scallions
sliced thin
Your own market
Tellicherry black pepper
to taste
Your own market
Lettuce leaves
for serving
Your own market
II

The Method

1
Heat oil in wok over high heat; add shallots and garlic, bloom 30 seconds until fragrant.
2
Add ground pork; break apart with spatula and stir-fry 5–6 minutes until cooked through and no pink remains.
3
Remove from heat; add fish sauce and lime juice, stirring to incorporate.
From the canon — Fish sauce — nam pla — is the universal salt of the Thai kitchen. Fish Sauce (Nam Pla): Selection and Use →
4
Fold in minced chilies, mint, cilantro, and roasted ground rice; toss until evenly distributed.
5
Transfer to serving plate; scatter scallions on top and finish with cracked Tellicherry pepper.
6
Serve warm or room temperature with whole lettuce leaves for wrapping.
III

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where larb lives or dies is the dressing temperature — the lime juice and fish sauce must be applied while the meat is still warm. The warmth opens the cell structure of the meat and allows the dressing to penetrate, rather than coating only the surface. Cold larb tastes of undressed meat with dressing on top; warm-dressed larb is unified from within.
IV

Cross-Cuisine Parallels

Vietnamese bo luc lac (beef salad with lime dressing
a similar dressed-meat-salad tradition)
Korean hoe muchim (raw fish salad with gochujang
related in spirit as a dressed protein with fresh herbs)
Indonesian urap (coconut and herb dressed salad
Southeast Asian fresh herb dressing parallels).
V

What to Pour

Pouring for Oregon ·

The pairing
Kiku-Masamune Kimoto Junmai
Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing · Nada
Bridge — 'dried mushroom' in the pour meets the dish's savour underneath; depth answering depth.
Not yet stocked in Oregon
Sake
From Oregon
Bradley Vineyards Elkton Pinot Gris
Bradley Vineyards — Elkton Oregon · Elkton Oregon
Bridge — the dish's brine meets 'coastal mineral' in the glass; salt water on both sides.
Not yet stocked in Oregon
Wine
Without alcohol
Pure Amazake (Made to Order)
Amazake Co.
Bridge — deep umami in the pour meets the dish's savour underneath; depth answering depth.
Not yet stocked in Oregon
Traditional
The whole pairing
VI

Origin & Lineage

Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and Laos. Larb is considered the national dish of Laos and is deeply embedded in Isan-Lao cultural identity. Traditional larb in Isan may use raw or lightly cooked meat (larb dip) — the fully cooked version is the standard now served internationally.

The working kitchen
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← PreviousLaab Ped (Duck Larb, Northern Style)One standard · no exceptions