| The simple answer is that Issan is the Northeast | | | | Thai and a little Khmer for good measure. |
| area of Thailand bordered by Laos and the | | | | Just as the language is distinguishably different |
| Mekong in the North and East, Cambodia in the | | | | from the rest of Thailand the food also takes on |
| Southeast, the Pratchinburi mountains in the South | | | | a different taste and that is definitely of Lao |
| and Phetchabun mountain range to the North and | | | | heritage. You'll hear many people claim that Issan |
| Central plains. The word Issan comes from the | | | | food is just a regional Thai cuisine...I would bet |
| Sanskrit language meaning Northeast. | | | | they don't say such things out loud while in Issan. |
| The harder answer is just why the Northeast | | | | While many Issan dishes have filtered down |
| region of Thailand is called Issan. You will find | | | | throughout Thailand with its people the dishes |
| many arguments across the internet about royal | | | | themselves can never be categorized as |
| Lao, Khmer, Chinese, Mon and Thai bloodlines that | | | | Traditional Thai food. While Thai food can be very |
| will leave you even more confused than when | | | | spicy, Issan food redefines spicy. The food is |
| you started. The simple version is that a long time | | | | generally more salty, spicy and sour. You won't |
| ago before Thailand ( Siam ) existed many people | | | | find many sweet dishes here. |
| inhabited this region from Laos and Cambodia and | | | | Issan has gone through periods of Thaianization |
| their descendants are still there to this day. | | | | since the early days of the last century but the |
| The Issan region of Thailand can be seen almost | | | | area has largely remained true to it's |
| as another country in and of itself. The primary | | | | conglomerate heritage. Although there have been |
| language of Issan is Issan, which is a combination | | | | times when the powers that be have strived to |
| of Lao and Khmer dialects using the Thai alphabet. | | | | make Issan more Thai they still recognized the |
| The dialect will change depending where you are in | | | | region by officially naming it Issan early on in the |
| Issan. Along the border areas of Laos and the | | | | 20th century. |
| along the Mekong the dialect will be heavily Lao | | | | All this and I have still only scratched the surface |
| influenced whereas the further you get South and | | | | of what Issan truly is. My hope is to add more to |
| into the central areas the dialect will still be | | | | this topic in the future with the knowledge I learn |
| primarily Lao but with more Khmer thrown in. In | | | | first hand travelling throughout Issan and spending |
| Nakhon Phanom I hear a lot of Lao and Thai | | | | a great deal of time in areas such as Mukdahan |
| mixed together while in Mukdahan you get Lao, | | | | and Nakhon Phanom. |