If you have tasted nam sod or larb before, then you know just how flavorful the two dishes can be. There’s a lot to love about these dishes, including the punch provided by the lime. But do you know the Nam Sod vs. larb difference?
Is Nam sod and larb the same thing? Well, it’s time to find out.
This post is a detailed nam sod vs. larb comparison. After reading this, you should be able to tell how these two compare to each other. Let’s get started.
What is Larb?
Larb is a type of minced meat salad. It is warm and earthy because of the fragrant herbs coupled with toasted rice powder. Generally, it is made with beef, pork, or chicken. Even so, there is a wide variety of larb based on the combination of ingredients used.
It is a popular dish that comes from Laos. It was later modified in Thailand so that it can include additional ingredients. It is served with some fresh rice coupled with crunchy vegetables such as cucumbers, Thai eggplant, as well as cilantro herbs.
What is Nam Sod?
This is also a minced meat salad, normally made using pork. It includes garlic, carrots, ginger, and other fresh herbs such as cilantro, mint, and basil. It is topped with some roasted peanuts. This dish is consumed together with fresh and leafy vegetables and herbs, as well as sticky rice.
Similarities
These are both minced meat salads. Their foundation is meat. Additionally, part of their ingredients includes a high use of fresh herbs including spearmint, cilantro, and mint. There is also a huge dose of lime juice included in it.
You will also notice that it is recommended to serve the dishes with some sticky rice, as well as some fresh herbs and vegetables.
The Differences
The main difference between larb and nam sod is the ingredients. Larb is made with some beef, pork, or chicken as the main ingredient. It is mixed with some rice powder, fresh herbs, and lime.
On the other hand, nam sod does not have toasted rice powder. Instead, it has more ginger, minced garlic, carrots, as well as roasted peanuts for the topping.
We believe that larb also has amazing flavors because of the toasted rice powder used in their ingredients. This is an ingredient that provides you with more texture, which is necessary to balance meat and lime.
Nam sod is somewhat a variation of larb. It does not have the addition of burnt rice. There are instances when cooks will add red onions to improve the flavor a bit.
Conclusion
Looking at this nam sod vs. larb comparison, you will notice that they are almost the same thing. However, they are different and the flavors have a difference. Regardless, they are amazing dishes that everyone should try out.
