What is laab gai? Or is it larb gai?
Let’s settle the second question first, the dish is pronounced “laab” without the R. The reason it is often written with R is because, like the British and Australians, Thai people do not pronounce the R when it follows a vowel. So if you’re American or Canadian, please pretend you’re British for a brief moment when you see “larb” on a menu! (I explain more about this in my video about the madness of spelling Thai words in English.)
Laab is a northeastern Thai salad made of ground meat, and in fact “laab” means to mince in the north/northeastern Thai dialect! The dressing is spicy and tart, made primarily of fish sauce, lime juice, and chilies. It’s loaded with tons of fresh herbs and served with sticky rice and fresh veggies.
Gai means chicken, and it’s one of the most popular versions served in N. America. In Thailand, however, Wash is or pork wash. is the more common one.
Note: This laab is from the Northeast, but there is another kind of laab from Northern Thailand that is entirely different. That laab is called Laab nuea or fold that and it is made with a ton of aromatic spices. If you love spices, try my northern laab (laab kua) recipe here!
