Nkauj Iab’s Cilantro Dish | 37th Street Homecooking | Oakland, California
Nkauj Iab’s oh so tasty cilantro side dish — a traditional Lao dish that is familiar to Lao/Hmong/Mien/Khmu communities alike. According to Nkauj Iab, there’s always a pepper dish to accompany the main Lao/Hmong/Mien/Khmu entree and help cleanse the palette in between bites. And this citrusy, spicy and salty cilantro number is her favorite pepper dish. And she ain’t lying, this girl ALWAYS had this cilantro dish in the apartment, whether it was freshly made for the meal or stored in the fridge in tupperware to take on the go.
I personally have not tried Nkauj Iab’s true favorite version. There is just no way I can keep up wt her pepper tolerance! I mean homegirl has her own chile plant in her apartment, she loves the heat so much! Though I am proud to say that I have worked my way up to eating the version with at least 7 grounded peppers. And by 7 grounded peppers, I mean Nkauj Iab’s grounded peppers — I swear her peppers always taste spicier than the ones I buy in the Asian, Mexican or Latino markets.
-Norey Lee
