How spicy is Lao food?
Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Laos is not the spiciest. There are plenty of countries with spicier dishes, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Nonetheless, Lao food can be very spicy, and therefore – if you’re not used to spicy food – it’s better to be cautious rather than order something randomly.
Spicyness: street food vs. restaurants
In general, there’s no difference between the spiciness of street food or restaurants, but it depends on the particular place. After all, not all restaurants are catered towards locals. There are some tourist-friendly restaurants, at least in popular destinations like Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientiane. At those places, you usually don’t even have to ask because the dishes are already adjusted to foreign tastes. If you prefer spicy food, you might have to specifically ask for it to be made spicier. With street food it‘s a bit different, but even here it depends where you are. A lot of street food in tourist areas is milder. Outside of tourist hotspots, street food tends to be spicier, and due to communication problems it can be hard to ask for adjustments. If you aren’t sure, just stick to smoothies or similar street food.
Popular spices used in Laos
A lot of food in Laos is inspired from Thai dishes, which often include plenty of spices. Not all of those spices are considered spicy, but a few are so hot, that even locals struggle. Some of the most popular non-spicy spices are:
- Culantro
- Galangal
- Lemongrass
- Pennywort
- Thai Basil
These have a strong flavor without being spicy. Even if you have a weak stomach, you shouldn’t be afraid to try them. However, there are other spices that are used for spicy Lao dishes and can be overwhelming for some people. Those spices are:
- Bird's eye chilis
- Dried red chili flakes
- Chili paste
- Thai green chilis
- Thai peppercorns
Unlike our previous options, all those are very spicy. Especially the Bird’s eye chilies are very hot and range between 50,000 and 100,000 SHU in the Scoville Heat Unit scale. Like in Thailand, they are commonly used in Laotian dishes. To give you a better idea of the heat level: The famous jalapeno peppers only reach around 3,000 to 8,000 SHU.
Most spicy dishes in Laos
It’s a bit hard to say what dishes in Laos are the most spicy ones because it totally depends on the person preparing them. Technically, even the papaya salad can be quite mild if the cook decides to use less chili. That being said, here are some dishes that tend to be spicy:
- Anything with roasted chili paste (Jeow Bong)
- Grilled lao sausage (Sai Oua)
- Larb (Laap)
- Lao noodle soup (Khao Poon)
- Papaya salad (Tam Mak Hoong)
The papaya salad in Laos is a bit different than the one you’ll find in bigger Thai cities like Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket. The main difference is the use of fermented fish sauce, which gives it a stronger flavor. In terms of spiciness, it can be extremely hot, but you can always ask for a milder version, since they prepare it fresh in front of your eyes. The Lao papaya salad is very similar to the one in Northern Thailand from the Isaan region.
What to consider if you have a sensitive palate
Can you travel to Laos if you have a sensitive palate and even the slightest spiciness scares you? Absolutely! Of course, you’ll need to be more careful because many traditional dishes are quite spicy, but there are plenty of non-spicy options – even in non-touristic areas. After all, even in Laos, there are people that don’t enjoy spicy food. If you want to be safe, just stick to clear soups and similar dishes. We recommend learning a few basic Lao phrases, so you can tell that you don’t like spicy food. If you‘re too lazy for that, just point to your mouth, shake your head and say, „no spicy“. A polite smile and a slightly worried facial expression work wonders.
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