If Laotian gastronomy does not look like Chinese cuisine at all, it has many similarities with Thai cuisine. In fact, in Laotian dishes a large quantity of aromatic herbs is used, and coconut milk is the main fat used.
The "laap" is the most famous national dish. It is also served during traditional ceremonies. It is a dish made from raw fish or meat, pounded in mortar with garlic and chilli and marinated in lemon juice. The whole is then mixed with uncooked rice grains that have been previously fried and crushed. This dish is eaten with an abundance of fresh herbs and sticky rice.
Another very popular specialty is the "tam mak houng". It is a salad of green papaya finely grated, and very raised. You can find pepper, kapi (shrimp paste) or nampou (crab paste), lemon juice and nampa (salt fish sauce) and peanuts.
The "som pa" and "som mou" are made from fish or pork meat kneaded with fermented rice, which is wrapped with chilli in a banana leaf. "Som soft" can also be served in Vietnamese: then one will apply to make his own roll of spring rolling grilled meat with several herbs in a rice leaf.
Finally the "foe" (pronounced "fire") is a noodle soup much appreciated by the local population. It looks a lot like the traditional Chinese or Vietnamese noodle soup, and can be found anywhere in the country.
To these dishes will be added steamed preparations, such as "moks", meat or fish cut into small pieces, cooked with coconut milk and spices in a banana leaf.
More friendly when you are among friends, are the "sine dats". In fact, they are thin slices of marinated beef that are grilled and put in a leaf of salad with other herbs and rice noodles very thin, and then dipped in a spicy sauce.