Food and drinkSai ua in Thai
Sai ua, ไส้อั่วsâi-ùa, is the spicy herb sausage of Northern Thailand.
sai ua (spicy Northern herb sausage) noun
- sâi falling
- ùa low
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
How to use it
A long, coiled pork sausage packed with red curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and chilli, grilled slowly over a low fire. It's the pride of Chiang Mai, eaten with sticky rice and the smoky green chilli dip น้ำพริกหนุ่มnáam-prík-nùm, and a classic gift to bring back from the North.
Ask to taste a slice first: some are much hotter than others.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- sai oua
- sai aua
- sai uah
More food and drink in Thai
All food and drink- ข้าว kâao Rice
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง kâao-nǐaw má-mûang Mango sticky rice
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones