Sai Oua – Wurst aus Laos

Sai Oua – Sausage from Laos

Pane-Bistecca

Sai Oua – sausage from Laos is completely different from the sausages we know in Europe. Here, a kind of curry sauce is mixed in, giving the sausage a very spicy flavor.

Sai oua, also spelled Sai Ua, is a popular sausage from Luang Prabang, Laos, and northern Thailand, especially Chiang Mai. Sai oua is an old Laotian word for sausage. The name is an old compound term in Laotian and literally means “stuffed intestine”: sai (ໄສ້) from ‘intestine’ and oua (ອົວ/ອັ່ວ) means “stuffed.” It is a staple food in Laos.

It used to be prepared at home, but today it is widely available in markets and shops, making it accessible to locals and tourists alike. The bold combination of herbs, spices, and pork makes sai oua a fragrant, spicy, and savory sausage that is symbolic of the cuisine of North-Southeast Asia.

The spicy sausage originated in Luang Prabang, Laos. Luang Prabang was once the royal capital and center of power of the Lan Xang Kingdom (1353–1707). The ancient city of Luang Prabang is considered the cradle of Laotian culture and cuisine. At the height of its power, Luang Prabang’s influence stretched from the borders of Sipsongpanna (China) to Steung Treng (Cambodia), from the eastern border along the Annamite Range with Vietnam to the western border of the Khorat Plateau (northeastern Thailand) and its sister kingdom Lan Na.

This post is part of Volkermampft’s Culinary World Tour, which is visiting Laos this month.

Prep time

1 h

Cooking time

35 min

Portions

Rest time

6 h

Total time

7 h 35 min

Ingredients

500 g ground Pork
500 g Pork Belly
5 cm Ginger
3 Lemongrass
3 cm fresh Turmeric
1 Onion
6 Garlic cloves
2 red Chilis (or more)
50 g Sticky Rice
10 Lime Leaves
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Sugar
¼ tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
Pork Intestine, approx. 2.5 meters

Instructions

Step 1

Cook the sticky rice according to the package instructions and let it cool.

Step 2

Wash the pork intestines thoroughly inside and out with lukewarm water, then place it in a bowl of water.

Step 3

In a blender, briefly blend the coarsely chopped ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, onion, and chilis, then add the cooked sticky rice, lime leaves, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, pepper, and fish sauce and purée.

Step 4

Put the pork through a meat grinder, then mix well with the pureed sauce and knead. The sauce may seem very thin, but the meat will absorb it if you knead it well.

Step 5

Carefully press the casing onto the tip of the sausage nozzle, tie a knot at the end, and fill with the meat mixture. I made my sausages about 12 cm long.