Sai ua

Sai ua (ไส้อั่ว, ໄສ້ອົ່ວ, ) is a grilled pork sausage from northern Thailand, northeastern Myanmar and northern Laos. In Thailand, it is also known as northern Thai sausage or Chiang Mai sausage that is a standard food of the northern provinces and has become very popular in the rest of Thailand as well. Its name in Thai and Lao comes from sai (intestine) and from ua (to stuff). In Shan State, Myanmar, this sausage is known as sai long phik. In Laos, sai ua is an ancient word for a Lao sausage type that originated from Luang Prabang, an ancient royal capital located in the northern part of the country. Sai ua was listed in a collection of favorite dishes for the former Lao royal family written by Phia Sing (1898-1967), the king's personal chef and master of ceremonies and today is one of several popular traditional Lao dishes.

Sai ua contains minced pork meat, herbs, spices, and kaeng khua red curry paste. It is usually eaten grilled with sticky rice and other dishes or served as a snack or starter. Traditionally sai ua was a homemade sausage, but today it is readily available in shops.