How is it different from som tam or larb?
Au pla is a curry made with freshwater fish. Unlike som tam, where papaya is pounded, or larb, where minced meat is seasoned, you can have fish and sauce with rice.
Au Pla
Au Pla
If you would like to try a local dish other than som tam in Khon Kaen, look for au pla. It is a curry made spicy and salty with freshwater fish. It is worth choosing as a dish to eat with rice if you like fish. The fish and seasonings used can differ from shop to shop.
What does it taste like?
It is a curry that adds heat and saltiness to freshwater fish. It gives you a different meal from a dish of crunchy vegetables such as som tam or a meat dish such as larb. Have it a little at a time with rice.
Eat slowly, watching for fish bones.
The basics
- Dish
- Au Pla · Au Pla
- Type
- Soups and curries
- Region
- North-east · Isan · A local dish of Khon Kaen
- Main ingredients
- A curry made with freshwater fish. The fish and seasonings used depend on the dish you order.
The dish and where it comes from
In Isan there is a culture of using freshwater fish from the rivers in food. Au pla is the one presented as a local dish of Khon Kaen. It suits anyone who has had som tam and larb, known across Isan, and wants to find out about another dish of Khon Kaen.
How to order and eat it
- Find au pla on the menu and ask which fish is used. It also helps to ask whether the spice can be adjusted.
- Order rice to go with it and have the fish and sauce a little at a time.
- Eat slowly, watching for fish bones. The kind of fish and the detailed seasonings depend on the dish you order.
Frequently asked questions
Is it linked with Khon Kaen?
Yes. It is a dish the Tourism Authority of Thailand presents as a local dish of Khon Kaen. It is worth looking at if you want to try a freshwater fish dish on a trip in Isan.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources and references
If you would like to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are worth a look. Ingredients and cooking methods can vary from one cook to the next.