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Sauces, pastes & condiments · Fermented seafood

Padaek (Lao fermented fish sauce)

Lao fermented fish with rice bran and salt; chunky and pungent, it seasons larb, papaya salad and jeow.

Also called: padek, pa daek, lao fish sauce, pla ra, plaa raa

Around the world: ປາແດກ (lo) · ปลาร้า (th)

A kind of fish sauce

2 recipes with it

What it is

Freshwater fish fermented for months with salt and roasted rice bran or rice husk, producing a thick, cloudy sauce with pieces of fish. Cooks often boil and strain it before use. It is far more pungent than bottled fish sauce and is the defining savoury note of Lao food; the Thai equivalent is pla ra.

How it’s used

  • Pounded into tam mak hoong (green papaya salad)
  • Seasoning larb and laap
  • Simmered in soups, stews and jeow dipping sauces

Characteristics

Taste
Salty, deeply savoury and funky.
Aroma
Strong and pungent.
Texture
A thick, cloudy liquid with soft fish pieces.
Sold as
fermented, liquid
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked
Common in
Lao, Thai

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep tightly closed in the fridge; it lasts for months.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Fish.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Homemade or unboiled padaek is traditionally boiled before eating; bottled cooked padaek is ready to use.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
35 kcal
Protein
5.06 g
Carbohydrate
3.64 g
Fat
0.01 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
3.64 g

USDA FoodData Central: Sauce, fish, ready-to-serve (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Fish sauce — Use the same amount plus a little shrimp paste for funk.

Related ingredients

Recipes with padaek (lao fermented fish sauce)