The traditional recipe for keng no mai served to Laotian royalties can be found in a collection of hand written recipes from Phia Sing(1898-1967), the king's personal chef and master of ceremonies.

Phia Sing's hand written recipes were complied and published for the first time in 1981.

[1][2] The dish can also be found among the Lao ethnic region of Northeastern Thailand (Isan).

[3] Keng no mai is made by cooking bamboo shoot, mushrooms (oysters, straw, and wood ears), okra, angled gourd, pumpkin, juices (or extract) obtained from the yanang leaves, and padaek in pork, chicken or beef broth.

According to personal tastes, quail eggs, eggplant, climbing wattle, and kajeng (or rice paddy herb) are also added to the soup.