A Sall Rant About Isan/Isaan/Esaan Food

As you venture off to eat Isan food without me (tragic, emotionally devastating), I feel compelled to address a personal pet peeve. A trigger, if you will. And yes, it’s about the food.

Specifically, the moment when someone—often well-meaning, often very confident—says. “That’s not Thai food. It’s Lao.”

Cue my internal scream.

Here’s the thing: I don’t disagree entirely. I just disagree with the either/or framing. Because I believe it’s more complex than that, I think it’s BOTH. And also because… this is personal.

Why I Care (More Than Is Reasonable)

My mother is from the Isan region of Thailand. So is my older sister (long story, another post). I spent many summers in Sakon Nakhon with my mom’s family and Roi Et with my sister, eating sticky rice with my hands, learning flavors before I learned vocabulary, and absorbing a culture that lives very loudly in my bones. In our home, both Thai and Lao were spoken equally.

So when people argue about whether Isan food is “really” Lao or “really” Thai, they’re not just debating cuisine. They’re debating identity, history, and who gets to claim what.

And that’s where my eye starts twitching.

A Very Brief (I Promise) History Lesson

To understand my pet peeve, we need to rewind a bit—back to the Lan Xang Kingdom. Lan = million, Xang = elephants (excellent branding).

Lan Xang was a Lao-speaking, sticky rice–loving, Mekong River–centered civilization whose cultural footprint included:

• Present-day Laos

• Most of Isan (northeastern Thailand)

• Parts of what are now Cambodia and Vietnam
  

The people of this region called themselves Lao.

My mother still considers herself Lao ethnically and Thai nationally.

Isan food = Lao roots + Thai evolution

This is the part people miss.

Isan cuisine has roots in dishes from the Lan Xang (Lao) culture with Thai influence. Lao food (in Laos) evolved on its own path too.

As the Isan region was gradually incorporated into Siam and later Thailand:

• Ingredients changed (more access to palm sugar, fish sauce styles, Thai chilies)

• Techniques adapted

• Flavors shifted slightly sweeter, saltier, sometimes richer

• Dishes absorbed Central Thai influences while keeping Lao structure
  
  

Cuisine is alive. It migrates, adapts, and hybridizes. So when someone says, “That dish is Lao, not Thai,” they’re usually half right. Ethnically and culturally? Yes, Lao. Nationally and culinarily today? Also Thai. Both things can be true at the same time. Imagine that.

Modern Thai cuisine already includes multiple regional traditions, and Isan food is one of them.

My Recommended Isan Dishes (Eat Like You Mean It)

Here are some of my favorites, the dishes I grew up eating and adore.

• Som Tam (ส้มตำ) – The iconic papaya salad, bright, spicy, and addictive.

• Larb (ลาบ) – Minced meat salad with herbs, lime, and toasted rice; tangy, fresh, and unapologetically flavorful.

• Khao Niew (ข้าวเหนียว) – Sticky rice, the backbone of every meal; use your hands, it’s the only way.

• Gai Yang (ไก่ย่าง) – Grilled chicken marinated with garlic and herbs, smoky and perfect over charcoal.
  

• Kor Moo Yang (คอหมูย่าง) – Grilled pork neck; juicy, tender, and full of smoky flavor.

• Sai Krok Isan (ไส้กรอกอีสาน) – Fermented Isan sausage, slightly sour, a little funky, and wildly addictive.

• Tom Saep (ต้มแซ่บ) – Hot and sour soup with herbs and chilies; comforting, spicy, and tangy.

• Nam Tok (น้ำตก) – Literally “waterfall” salad; grilled meat tossed with lime, herbs, and toasted rice powder.

• Naem Khao Tod (แหนมข้าวทอด)– Crispy rice salad with fermented pork, herbs, lime, and chilies; crunchy, tangy, and deeply flavorful.

• Khao Jee (ข้าวจี่) – Grilled sticky rice brushed with egg, smoky and chewy perfection in every bite.

• Jim Jum (จิ้มจุ่ม) – Isan-style hot pot with herbal broth, cooked at the table, meant to be shared.

• Gaeng Nor Mai (แกงหน่อไม้) – Shredded bamboo shoots gently cooked in yanang leaf juice until tender and nearly dry, then mixed with fresh herbs. Earthy, fragrant, and herbaceous, it’s subtly tangy and deeply flavorful

• Kai Mod Daeng (ไข่มดแดง)– Red ant eggs, often in soup or salad; adventurous, funky, and a true taste of traditional Isan.