Lao cuisine is the origin of many dishes attributed to Thai Isan cooking — laab (minced meat salad), som tam (green papaya salad), and sticky rice as the primary starch rather than steamed long-grain. Lao cooking is characterised by its use of padaek (unfiltered fermented fish sauce — much funkier and more complex than Thai nam pla), sticky rice eaten with hands, generous fresh herbs, and a preference for bitter and astringent flavours alongside the standard sour-spicy-salty balance. The food is communal — sticky rice is shared from a basket (tip khao), pinched into small balls, and used to scoop dishes.
Sticky rice: soaked overnight (minimum 4 hours), steamed in a conical bamboo basket (huad) over boiling water for 15-20 minutes. NEVER boiled in water like regular rice. The steamed rice should be sticky enough to pinch into balls but not gummy. Laab: raw or cooked minced meat (traditionally water buffalo, now pork, chicken, duck, fish) mixed with toasted rice powder (khao khua), lime juice, fish sauce, dried chilli, shallots, and masses of fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, dill, sawtooth coriander). The toasted rice powder is essential — it provides a nutty, sandy texture that distinguishes laab from a simple meat salad. Padaek is used where Thai cooks would use fish sauce — it's thicker, cloudier, and more pungent.
For toasted rice powder (khao khua): dry-toast raw sticky rice in a wok over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes until deep golden and fragrant. Cool, pound in a mortar to a coarse sandy powder. Make extra — it keeps for weeks in an airtight jar. Hawker Fare by James Syhabout (on Garth's shelf) is the authoritative English-language reference for Lao and Isan cooking. Lao laab has a raw version (laab dip) that uses raw meat — this requires absolute freshness and carries food safety considerations that must be noted in any enhancement.
Boiling sticky rice instead of steaming — completely different texture. Not soaking long enough — under-soaked sticky rice is hard in the centre. Using regular fish sauce instead of padaek for authentic Lao flavour. Omitting toasted rice powder from laab — it's not optional. Not enough herbs — Lao food uses herbs as a vegetable, not a garnish. Serving with long-grain rice instead of sticky rice.