The northern Thai version of minced meat salad (lap in northern dialect, larb in central/Isaan) — distinguished from its southern cousin by the addition of a complex dry spice paste (krung lap) that includes dried spices (mace, star anise, cassia, long pepper, cloves, dried chilli) pounded together before the meat is cooked. Northern Thai lap is deeper, more complex, and distinctly different from the bright, herb-forward Isaan larb — its spice paste places it in the same aromatic family as massaman (Entry TH-06) and reflects the culinary influence of northern trade routes through Myanmar and Yunnan province.
**Krung lap (northern spice paste):** - Long pepper: the benchmark spice of the northern lap — related to black pepper but with a more complex, fragrant, slightly sweet-spicy character. Essential and not substitutable. - Mace, star anise, cassia (not cinnamon — cassia's slightly more aggressive spice note is traditional), cloves, dried chillies. - All dry-roasted separately (Entry TH-06 principle), then pounded to a dry powder. **The meat:** Northern lap traditionally uses raw or very briefly cooked minced pork or pork liver mixed with the spice paste and blood — the traditional version is pork blood, pork liver, and minced pork combined. For a fully cooked version: quickly stir-fried minced pork with the krung lap spice paste. **The garnish:** Deep-fried dried chillies, shallots, and garlic as a crispy garnish on top — this textural element (fried shallots and garlic providing crunchy counterpoint to the soft minced pork) is characteristic of northern Thai preparations.
David Thompson, *Thai Food* (2002); *Thai Street Food* (2010)