Talk:Som moo

Oh please, som moo is just a copy of Vietnamese "nem". Vietnamese immigrants brought "som moo" aka "nem" to Laos and then to Thailand's Issan region where it's incorrectly called "naem." In fact, Vietnamese immigrants dominate the "som moo" business in Issan. It's understandable since Vietnamese were the ones who brought "nem" aka "som moo" there in the first place. By the way, "som moo" in Laotian language means "sour pork." "Som" means sour and "moo" means pork. That's because "nem" is made from pork. Laotians in Laos have no problem acknowledging Vietnamese cuisine's influence on Laotian cuisine. It's only English speaking Laotians on the internet that have problem with acknowledging this fact. These Laotians tend to grow up in the West and so they're a little ignorant of their own Laotian culture. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.129.53.180 (talk) 16:28, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

Actually, the Vietnamese dish was derived from the Lao "som moo". It is a known fact that Vietnam has adopted dishes from neighboring Laos, China, Cambodia, and even a non-direct neighbor like Thailand. Preserving fish/meats using fermentation techniques involving rice originated along the Mekong river and predominantly in northern Laos, which is why "som moo" (soured pork) and "som pa" (soured fish) are so common in Laos. "Som moo" was introduced to Vietnam from Laos just like how curries were introduced to Vietnam from both Laos and Cambodia. It is also obvious that Vietnam has access to the ocean, so preserving fish/meat did not originate in Vietnam but in a country that needed this preservation technique such as Laos. Vietnamese chefs who are aware of the history of Vietnam's culinary history have already credited Laos, Cambodia, and China with influencing Vietnamese cuisine. However, it seems those chefs have not successfully passed on that knowledge down to some Vietnamese who are still Vietnamese-centric like the person above. - Wikicentral (talk) 19:40, 12 October 2013 (UTC)

Ha ha ha, Vietnamese Nem is a celebratory dish that's been in our cuisine for thousands of years. There's even an ancient phrase, "Nem cong, Cha phuong" meaning Nem that is made from the peacocks and Cha made from the mythical phoenix, basically Nem that is reserved for kings. There are like a gazillion Vietnamese in Laos and practically no Laotians in Vietnam, so the idea that Nem came from Laos is rediculous. Foods are introduced by immigrants to new countries, not the other way around. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.184.37.84 (talk) 23:25, 15 November 2013 (UTC)