Larb is a spicy, tangy meat salad that originated in Laos and has since found its way into the culinary traditions of much of Southeast Asia. “Larb” means “to chop finely” in the Lan Na dialect, and the word refers to the technique used to chop or mince the meat that forms the basis of this salad.
Larb recipes vary somewhat between different parts of Southeast Asia. The Northeast Thai laap version is the most distinct from the original Laoatian recipe, yet the latter is still the most popular variation today. Most regional larb variations (like the Khmer one in our recipe) preserve the authentic heat and acidity of the traditional Lao larb, thanks to the following four fundamental, flavor-building ingredients.
- Ground meat (typically sautéd)
- Fresh mint
- Chili peppers
- Lime juice
Keeping the aforementioned ingredients maintains the quintessential larb flavors and aromas, while giving some latitude over other spices and seasonings.
Like many Southeast Asian dishes, larb is a messy dish that’s usually eaten with hands (whether it’s hot or cold). The crisp fresh veggies that are typically served with larb make the perfect scooping utensils for the zesty, fiery meat base. Meanwhile, the traditional side of sticky rice — also eaten with hands — balances out each handful of this mouthwatering salad.
Larb ingredients
Traditional Cambodian Larb comprises a combination of proteins, herbs, and seasonings. Below, we’ll break down the essential ingredients that you need to prepare a flavorful, authentic larb salad.
- Protein: Cambodian Larb typically includes meat options such as chicken, pork, and beef. Feel free to choose your preferred protein, but remember that ground meat is necessary for the dish’s texture.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs play a crucial role in bringing larb to life. Mint is the most essential herb to include in larb; however, cilantro and Thai basil are popular choices, too (and nothing precludes you from using all three herbs in your larb — their aromas remain distinct).
- Seasonings: The seasonings traditionally used to dress a larb salad include lime juice, fish sauce, MSG, and sugar. These seasonings create the perfect balance between acidity, saltiness, umami, and sweetness. This equilibrium is the foundation of flavors in many Cambodian dishes.
- Aromatics and spices: Thinly sliced, fried shallots infuse the larb with sweet, caramel undertones whereas chillies give the dish its characteristic, spicy punch. You can adjust the quantity of chillies based on preference, just know that larb is traditionally a very spicy dish.
- Toasted rice: Toasted, powdered rice acts as a thickening agent and adds crunchiness to the salad.
- Fresh vegetables: Larb is traditionally served with fresh vegetables, although there’s no consensus on what these vegetables should be. Radishes, carrots, cucumbers, snake beans, and green lettuce are our favorites, but feel free to experiment – any fresh, crunchy veggies work well.
How to make larb
Our larb recipe below shows you one of the Cambodian ways of making this salad. Our recipe is made with chicken (popularly known by its Thai name, “larb gai”). However, nothing stops you from converting this salad into a beef or pork version — simply use your protein of choice.
- Follow our toasted rice recipe to prepare the rice powder.
Toasted rice powder - Cut garlic and shallots into thin slices and set aside.
Sliced garlic and shallots - Cut chillies into small bits and put aside.
Sliced chilies - Wash the mint, discard the stems, chop the leaves and set them aside. Repeat the same step for other herbs you may want to use, such as Thai basil and cilantro.
Chopped mint - Cut carrots, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, and any other vegetables you will serve the larb salad with, and set them aside.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add cooking oil. Add garlic and shallots and fry while stirring continuously. Remove when golden-brown.
Garlic and shallots in the wok - Add the ground chicken to the frying pan and fry for approximately 10 minutes.
Frying the ground meat - Add the sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and MSG to the frying pan, and mix all the ingredients together.
- Remove the fried ground meat from heat, place it into a bowl, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the fried shallots and garlic, sliced chilies, and toasted ground rice over the fried meat.
Adding seasonings to larb - Squeeze fresh lime juice over the larb salad and mix all the ingredients.
Squeezing lime juice to dress larb - Place the fresh mint leaves on top of the ground chicken.
Adding mint leaves to larb - Taste the larb salad to see if you’re happy with the seasonings. Feel free to add more lime juice or fish sauce to achieve the desired balance between tanginess and saltiness. Use sugar to dampen unwanted acidity.
- Serve the larb with the fresh vegetables you’ve already prepared, along with steamed jasmine or sticky rice.
Serve larb with fresh vegetables of your choice
What kind of food is larb?
Larb is a traditional Southeast Asian salad made with ground meat, herbs, and spices. It is a flavorful and aromatic dish that is popular in its native Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and other nearby nations.
Larb typically includes ground chicken, pork, or beef as the main protein. The meat is fried, then dressed with a variety of herbs and seasonings that produce a zesty, umami-flavored dish. The salad is often served with sticky rice and crisp, fresh vegetables, such as lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and snake beans. Diners typically eat larb with their hands, using the lettuce leaves and vegetables to scoop up the meat mixture.
Where did larb originate?
Larb originated in Laos, where it is the national dish. It has gained popularity in various regions of Thailand, particularly the Northeast region of Isan. This prevalence is largely due to the presence of Lao people who brought larb to Thailand. Nowadays, Larb is well-known and enjoyed in many Southeast Asian countries (including Cambodia) and beyond. Each of the regions have their unique variations of this zesty Lao meat salad.
What is Lao larb?
Lao larb is a traditional Laoatian meat salad that’s made with raw meat or fish, which is “cooked” using the acidity of lime juice, much like ceviche is. However, cooked meat variations of the Lao larb are also common.
The distinguishing ingredient in Lao larb is padaek, a fermented fish sauce native to Laos. Padaek infuses the salad with a bolder, more pungent flavor than the fish sauce used in Thai and Cambodian larb versions.
What is Thai larb?
Thai larb is an assortment of variations of the Lao larb that has its roots in the Northeastern region of Thailand. The original larb dish from Northeastern Thailand was made with either raw or cooked pork or chicken (often with blood), and an array of spices, but without lime juice or fish sauce. However, nowadays, the more common iteration of Thai larb (such as the chicken-based larb gai), typically includes stir-fried minced meat, fish sauce, chili flakes, lime juice, and toasted powdered rice. Fresh herbs like Thai basil, mint, and cilantro, and scallions add a bouquet of aromas to the salad.
Why is it called larb?
It is called “larb” because the word “laab” means “to chop finely” in the Lan Na dialect, which refers to the way the meat is prepared for the larb salad — it is finely chopped or ground before being fried with herbs and spices. Larb is sometimes referred to as “laab” or “lab,” depending on the region and language.
How are you supposed to eat larb?
You’re supposed to eat larb with your hands, by scooping the meat base and sticky rice with lettuce leaves or thinly sliced vegetables. Crunchy slices of carrots, cucumbers, or raw eggplant are suitable choices for scooping the meat, since their crisp texture, sweetness, and juiciness pair well with the spicy, savory ground meat.
Larb is often served with spicy chilies, so it’s essential to have a refreshing drink on hand to help cool the mouth. Many diners enjoy drinking water, iced tea, or a cold beer with their larb.
Do you eat larb with sticky rice?
Yes, you eat larb with sticky rice. You scoop the sticky rice together with the fried meat and fresh vegetables to get a perfectly balanced mouthful. However, don’t be discouraged if you’re making larb and don’t have any sticky rice on hand. Any rice variety works, and Cambodians often eat larb with fragrant Jasmine rice instead. Just note that the rice is traditionally steamed.
Do you eat larb hot or cold?
It’s up to you whether you eat larb hot or cold. Larb is a meat salad, so it’s perfectly normal to eat it cold, but it’s likewise enjoyable if you eat it hot right after cooking. However, be sure to warm up the sticky rice before you eat it with the larb regardless of what temperature the meat base is. Cold sticky rice is not particularly appetizing and may be difficult to digest.
Larb
Equipment
- 1 Wok
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chef's knife
Ingredients
Larb meat base
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 Shallot
- 2 lbs Ground meat chicken, beef, or pork
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp MSG
- 1.5 Limes
- 1 bunch Mint
- 6 Chili peppers Use fewer if you want a milder dish
- 1½ tbsp Toasted rice powder
Optional ingredients for the larb meat base
- Thai basil to taste
- Cilantro to taste
- Snake beans to taste
Vegetables to serve with the larb meat base
- Carrots, radishes, bell peppers, lettuce, raw eggplant Any vegetables of your choice
Instructions
- Prepare the rice powder.
- Cut garlic and shallots into thin slices and set aside.
- Cut chillies into small bits and put aside.
- Wash the mint, discard the stems, chop the leaves and set them aside. Repeat the same step for other herbs you may want to use, such as Thai basil and cilantro.
- Cut carrots, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, and any other vegetables you will serve the larb salad with, and set them aside.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add cooking oil. Add garlic and shallots and fry while stirring continuously. Remove when golden-brown.
- Add the ground chicken to the frying pan and fry for approximately 10 minutes.
- Add the sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and MSG to the frying pan, and mix all the ingredients together.
- Remove the fried ground meat from heat, place it into a bowl, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the fried shallots and garlic, sliced chilies, and toasted ground rice over the fried meat.
- Place the fresh mint leaves on top of the ground chicken.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the larb salad and mix all the ingredients.
- Taste the larb salad to see if you’re happy with the seasonings. Feel free to add more lime juice or fish sauce to achieve the desired balance between tanginess and saltiness. Use sugar to dampen unwanted acidity.
- Serve the larb with the fresh vegetables you’ve already prepared, along with steamed jasmine or sticky rice.
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