Padaek

Padaek or padek (Lao: ປາແດກ) is a traditional Lao condiment made from pickled or fermented fish that has been cured. It often contains chunks of fish and is thicker, as well as more seasoned than fish sauce. Unlike other versions of fish sauce in Southeast Asia, padaek is made from freshwater fish, owing to the landlocked nature of the former kingdom of Lan Xang. Padaek is used in many Lao dishes, most notably tam maak hoong.

== History == Padaek has ancient roots in the culinary traditions of the Mekong River region, particularly in the landlocked kingdom of Lan Xang (modern-day Laos), where abundant freshwater fish necessitated preservation techniques in a humid, tropical climate. Fermentation of fish with salt (and often rice bran) likely developed independently in Southeast Asia as a method to create shelf-stable protein sources and umami-rich seasonings, with parallels to regional variants like Thai pla ra and Cambodian prahok.