Sai Oua

Sai oua is a Lao pork sausage, seasoned with lemongrass and galangal and grilled over charcoal. It is a Lao herb sausage that is also made in northern Thailand, where it goes by the name sai ua. Recipes vary from cook to cook in the amount of herbs and chilli.

What it really is

Minced pork, usually with a fair amount of fat, is mixed by hand with finely chopped lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, chilli and garlic. The mixture is packed into casings and tied into links, which are grilled over charcoal until the skin browns and the centre is cooked through. The herbs give it a citrus and ginger aroma, and the chilli adds heat that the cook can turn up or down.

It is cooked as a sausage, not as a patty or meatball, so the links hold their shape on the grill. It is sold at market stalls and roadside grills as well as cooked at home.

How it's served

• Hot from the charcoal, sliced into rounds or served as whole links.
• With sticky rice, fresh herbs, raw vegetables and a chilli dip.
• As a snack, or as one dish in a shared meal.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat, pork, and say whether the sausage is made in-house.
• Name the herbs, lemongrass and galangal in particular, so guests can judge the flavour before they order.
• Ask whether fish sauce is used in the mix. If it is, declare fish as an allergen.
• State the heat level, since chilli varies, and the standard portion: how many links or grams, and whether sticky rice comes with it.