eating lao style

the food of laos probably isn't one of the best known in the realm of world cuisine, but maybe it should be. wedged right in-between two south east asian culinary powerhouses, thailand and vietnam, laos manages to take some from both, add a few unique touches and come up with something a little better. focusing on simple, fresh flavors, lots of local produce, chiles, mint, cilantro, galangal rot, ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, fresh water fish, local meats, game and tons of sticky rice - lao food has definitely proven to be some of the most exciting of our travels. i have developed a strong appreciation for their simple, ingredient driven, rustic dishes. it reminds me a lot of thailand, and even our days in hawaii, with loads of wetland taro, pineapple, mangoes and several varieties of bananas. here are a few of my favorites so far:
- sticky rice. even a good old kentucky boy can be changed… my days of white bread and mashed potatoes are over. instead, give me about a ½ kilo of sticky rice kept warm in a few cleverly folded banana leaves, and i am a happy man. sticky rice is the base of all lao meals. we've had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, tucked away neatly into woven bamboo baskets, wrapped in banana leaves, and even fire roasted in foot long sections of bamboo. it is usually served communally (one large serving for the table) and is eaten with the hands. after mashing it into a little patty with an indentation in one side, it makes the prefect vehicle for getting tasty sauces, curries and stir fries into your mouth.
- laap (or laarp). laap is a staple dish of the lao table. it is found ready made in the morning market and on about every menu we have seen so far. laap is a mixture of minced meat (usually chicken, pork or water buffalo) mixed with ground toasted rice, fiery hot chiles, onions, ginger, galangal, lime juice, mint and garlic. my favor versions have been mouth numbingly hot, served with lettuce, mint, pea shoots and, of course, sticky rice. it is makes for a great meal, especially side-by-side with an ice cold beer lao (the national drink, seriously!).
- som tam (or papaya salad). just like their thai neighbor's, laos has a lot of papayas. and if they are not whipping them with sugar, milk and ice into a tasty fruit shake, then they are probably shredding them by hand into green papaya salad. they mix it in the mortar and pestle with dried red chiles, garlic, peanuts and tons of fish sauce. it is a usual accompaniment to wood grilled fish or meat.
- khao sawy. khao sawy (pronounced cow soy) is a rice noodle soup made with a chile of tomatoes, fermented peanuts and ground buffalo meat. it is served with a few bean sprouts in the bowl and a huge choice of garnishes and seasonings on the side including lettuce leaves, pea shoots, mint, basil, lime wedges, shredded banana blossoms, fish sauce, roasted ground chiles, dried ground chiles, chile sauce, msg, sugar and salt. the base soup is tasty, but served a little plain so each diner can make their favorite version. mine includes tons of fresh greens, fish sauce, roasted ground chiles and lime. alina's version is heavy on the dried ground chiles and usually about 10 tissues to wipe her nose afterwards…
- grilled bananas - at most of the morning and night markets a few ladies are always set up with a small charcoal grill to toast small fingerling bananas. after they are toasted all the way around, they get cut open and stuffed with fresh coconut shavings - hands down, one of the best desserts of all time - sweet but not overly sweet and still somewhat healthy for you.
- lao coffee. even stronger than their neighbor's in vietnam, the coffee of laos' bolaven plateau is considered some of the best in the world. it is filtered through a cloth strainer and served with loads of sweetened condensed milk. a few months ago i though vietnam had the best coffee i had ever had, then a few weeks ago, i though thailand's was better - now, i am sure that laos' coffee is the best in south east asia. it is best in the middle of the day, under laos' relenting sunshine, served over a heaping glass of crushed ice.

more to come... david