Larb
ลาบ
Larb is a minced meat salad from Isaan and Laos, dressed with toasted rice powder, lime, fish sauce, and plenty of dried chilli. It's eaten warm, served with sticky rice, and is one of the most flavourful dishes in northern and northeastern Thai cuisine.
Cultural Origin
Larb is a minced-meat salad shared between the Isaan region of Thailand and Laos, where it is considered an ethnic-Lao national dish. It is built on minced meat (or fish), toasted ground rice (khao khua), lime, fish sauce, chili and fresh herbs, and is traditionally eaten with sticky rice. The dish migrated into wider Thai cuisine in the 20th century along with other Isaan staples but retains a strongly regional identity, with Northern Thailand keeping its own distinct version.
Regional Variants
| Region | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Isaan | Isaan larb is sour, salty and spicy with toasted rice powder, lime, fish sauce, mint and dried chili over minced pork, beef or chicken. |
| Northern | Northern larb (larb mueang) is dry, dark and spice-led, using a complex toasted spice paste, blood and offal, with little to no lime. |
Allergens & Sensitivities
Key Ingredients
- minced pork or chicken
- toasted rice powder
- fresh mint
- dried chilli
- lime juice
Taste profile
- Salty
- fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste
- Sweet
- palm sugar, coconut
- Sour
- lime, tamarind, fermentation
- Umami
- dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock
Dry rather than saucy — the toasted rice powder soaks up the dressing so the texture is crumbly rather than wet, with a nutty, smoky aroma under the mint and lime.
How Larb Is Made
- 1
Toast the rice
Raw sticky rice is dry-toasted in a pan until deep golden and fragrant, then ground coarsely — this khao khua is prepared ahead and is what separates larb from an ordinary meat salad.
- 2
Cook the meat
Minced pork or chicken is cooked in a splash of stock or water, broken up finely as it cooks so no clumps remain.
- 3
Dress while warm
Fish sauce, lime juice and dried chilli flakes are stirred through the meat while it is still hot, so the dressing is absorbed rather than sitting on top.
- 4
Add herbs and rice powder
Sliced shallots, mint and the toasted rice powder are folded in last, off the heat, to keep the herbs from wilting.
- 5
Serve warm
Larb is plated straight away, still warm, with raw cabbage and sticky rice on the side rather than chilled.
When It’s Eaten
A centrepiece of an Isaan meal, eaten warm with sticky rice and a plate of raw or blanched vegetables to cool the palate between mouthfuls.
How to Order It
- ลาบคั่ว
- larb khua
- dry-fried larb (northern style)
- ขอสุก
- khor suk
- cooked, please
- ไม่ใส่เลือด
- mai sai luead
- no blood
What people get wrong
Ordering without specifying cooked meat when the northern raw version, larb diip, is on the same menu — the two look similar on a menu line but are prepared very differently.
Where to Try It
Isaan restaurants in Bangkok or any restaurant in Chiang Mai — larb moo (pork) is the most popular version.
Tips
- Ask for 'larb kua' for a drier, more intensely spiced northern Thai version.
- Toasted rice powder is the secret ingredient — it adds crunch and a nutty aroma.