UNESCO recommends Lao larb for intangible heritage recognition
An official announcement is expected at a committee meeting in Xiamen, China, scheduled for 30 November to 5 December.
Lao dish larb has moved closer to UNESCO recognition after the organisation issued a draft decision recommending its inclusion on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The announcement is expected during UNESCO’s 21st Intergovernmental Committee session in Xiamen, China, between 30 November and 5 December. The Lao Business Women’s Association drove the nomination campaign and submitted it through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in early 2025.
Eaten at ordinary family meals and celebrations, larb carries traditional associations with luck and prosperity. Occasions include birthdays, weddings and Lao New Year, known as Pi Mai Lao. Regional recipes vary, typically combining chopped fish or meat, either cooked or raw, with ingredients such as herbs, chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and toasted rice powder.
Recognition would give Laos a fourth cultural element on the UNESCO list. The existing entries are Khaen music, recognised in 2017; weaving featuring traditional Naga motifs, added in 2023; and the traditional dance Fonelamvong Lao, inscribed in 2024.
