# Northern Thai food: what to eat beyond khao soi

> Chiang Mai's food goes far beyond khao soi — sai ua sausage, fiery chili dips, gaeng hung lay curry and more. What to order, and where to find it.

You almost certainly arrived knowing one Northern dish: [khao soi](/blog/khao-soi-chiang-mai). Good — but it's the doorway, not the whole house. Lanna food is its own quiet world of grilled sausages, smoky chili dips, slow pork curries and shared trays you linger over for hours. Here's what to order once you've had your khao soi.

## How Northern food is different

Three things to know. **Sticky rice is the staple** — you eat it with your hands, rolling a little ball and dipping it into everything. The flavours are **less sweet and more herbal** than the Thai food you know, leaning on fresh herbs, ferments and pork. And it's **made for sharing** — small dishes in the middle of the table, which makes it perfect for a house dinner with your fellow guests.

![Northern Thai food: what to eat beyond khao soi](/blog/northern-thai-food/visual.webp)

## The dishes to order

- **Sai ua** — the glorious grilled pork sausage, fragrant with lemongrass and kaffir lime. Slice it, eat with sticky rice. (~30–70 THB)
- **Nam prik num & nam prik ong** — two chili dips you'll fall for: one a smoky roasted-green-chili paste, the other a tomato-and-pork number like a Thai Bolognese. Scoop both with sticky rice, fresh veg and **khaep mu** (crispy pork rinds). (~30–60 THB)
- **Gaeng hung lay** — a rich, gingery pork-belly curry with Burmese roots, no coconut milk, deeply savoury. (~60–100 THB)
- **Khanom jeen nam ngiao** — soft rice noodles in a tangy tomato-pork broth; the North's other great noodle bowl. (~30–50 THB)
- **Larb khua** — the Northern take on the minced-meat salad: dry, earthy, spiced with toasted dried chilies rather than lime. (~50–80 THB)
- **Kaeng khae** — a herb-packed vegetable curry, light and very local, if you want a break from the rich stuff.

## How to eat it like a local

The cheapest, best way in is a **market**: the [Sunday Walking Street](/blog/sunday-walking-street), the smaller [Saturday Walking Street in the silver quarter](/blog/saturday-walking-street) and the day markets are all full of stalls selling sai ua, chili-dip sets and nam ngiao for pocket change. For a sit-down spread, look for a simple **"Northern" or "Lanna" food** restaurant with trays of dishes out front. And for a proper occasion, a **khantoke** dinner serves a sampler of all of the above on a traditional pedestal tray, often with music and dance (pricier, but an experience).

One rule above all: **order a mix and share.** That's how Lanna food is meant to be eaten — and if you really fall for it, you can learn to cook half of this list yourself at a [Thai cooking class](/blog/chiang-mai-cooking-class). Come hungry, eat with your hands, and you'll understand Chiang Mai a little better by the end of the meal.