Sai Ua appears as a signature dish in 1 Thailand cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Sai ua · Chiang Mai
The northern herb sausage: coarsely chopped pork packed with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, shallot, garlic and chilli, coiled and grilled over charcoal.
Sai ua is the everyday flavour of the north, sold by weight from coiled rings at every Chiang Mai market. Its dense herb-and-spice paste, heavy on lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, turmeric and dried chilli, reflects the Shan and Burmese influence that separates Lanna cooking from the milder central Thai plate. Traditionally it was a way to use and preserve pork, seasoned generously and grilled slowly over coals until the casing blisters. Warorot Market stalls like Dam Rong built reputations on their recipes, and today sai ua travels home with visitors as the north's edible souvenir.
Where to eat in Chiang Mai:
- Sai Ua Dam Rong
- Huen Muan Jai
- Tong Tem Toh