Khao soi or khao soy is a Burmese-influenced dish (see on no khauk swe) served widely in northern Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

 and northern Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. The name means "cut rice". Traditionally, the dough for the rice noodles is spread out on a cloth stretched over boiling water. After steaming the large sheet noodle is then rolled and cut with scissors. Lao khao soi is still made with the traditional noodles and in some markets in Luang Namtha and Muang Sing you can still see the vendors cutting the noodles.

There are two common versions of khao soi:

• Lao khao soi is a soup
  Soup
  Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
  
   made with wide rice noodles, coarsely chopped pork, tomatoes, fermented soy beans, chillies, shallots, and garlic, then topped with pork rind
  Pork rind
  Pork rind , is the fried or roasted skin of a pig. Frying melts most of the fat from the pork rind...
  
  , bean sprouts, chopped scallions, and chopped cilantro. Though northern Laotians have a special way of preparing this dish, different versions of it can be found at Lao restaurants.
• Northern Thai khao soi is closer to the present day Burmese on ne khauk swe, being a soup
  Soup
  Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
  
  -like dish made with deep-fried crispy egg noodles, pickled cabbage, shallots, lime
  Lime (fruit)
  Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
  
  , ground chillies fried in oil, and meat in a curry-like sauce containing coconut milk
  Coconut milk
  Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
  
  . The curry is somewhat similar to that of yellow or massaman curry
  Massaman curry
  Massaman curry is a southern Thai dish that is Muslim in origin. It is most commonly made with beef, but can also be made with duck, tofu, chicken, or pork ....
  
   but of a thinner consistency. It is popular as a street dish eaten by Thai people
  Thai people
  The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
  
   in northern Thailand, though not frequently served in Thai restaurants abroad.
  There is some reason to believe that the Thai version of Khao Soi was influenced by Chinese Muslim cuisine and was therefore likely served with chicken or beef.