The Best of Cambodia & Laos

190
LAOS IN DEPTH
9
EATING & DRINKING IN LAOS
RECOMMENDED FILMS
Laos has not appeared too much on the
big screen or indeed the small one. In
2008, Good Morning, Luang Prabang was
released to critical acclaim. It was the
nation’s first privately funded movie, a love
story between a Thai photographer and a
Lao tour guide. The Most Secret Place on
Earth is a documentary by filmmakers
Marc Eberle and Tom Vater, uncovering
As with so much in Laos, it comes as no
surprise that the food is closely affiliated to
that of Thailand. It is, however, a lot more
basic and lacks the huge variety of Thai
cuisine. The basic ingredients are the
same, with lots of lemon grass, coriander,
basil, galangal, and, of course, the very
pungent fish sauce. Like Thai food, it is
often lemony and tangy, using fresh ingredients
swiftly prepared.
The staple for lowland Lao is sticky
rice, though many highland groups don’t
eat it at all. In fact, Laos boasts more than
3,000 traditional rice varieties, with colors
ranging from black and purple to red and
brown. It is eaten steamed or boiled, with
a wide range of meats, vegetables, poultry,
and fish, all well spiced and flavored. Lao
cooking uses an astounding array of flavorings
including garlic, chilies, tamarind,
sugar, lime juice, and fermented fish sauce.
Fresh salads, native sausages, and noodles
are other common ingredients. Most food
is dry and spicy, and often watered down
with fruit juices, beer, or plain water. Grilling,
boiling, stewing, and steaming all
come into play in a Lao kitchen. Stir-frying
is now also very common, but actually
considered to be a Chinese influence.
Stews are often green because of the many
fresh vegetables used. Soups you will
encounter include tom cheut, keng, and
keng soua. Keng is characterized by ginger
and padek, and keng soua is keng that con-
the history of covert American involvement
in Laos during the ’60s. The film
interviews key players of the secret war
including former CIA agents, American
pilots, Lao fighters, and war reporters taking
the viewer on a journey into the
physical heart of the conflict. Information
on this film can be found on the filmmaker’s
website, www.tomvater.com
7 EATING & DRINKING IN LAOS
tains both galangal and ginger. Tom cheut
is a mild soup with tofu and no spices.
Ping is grilled food, be that chicken,
pork, or field rat (everything that is healthy
and edible in the rice field will eventually
go into the pot). Laab is a spicy salad that
is very popular. You will also find restaurants
serving the “cook-it-yourself” steam
boat and grill. A fire is lit under a large
metal grill, surrounded by a trough at the
side for boiling vegetables and noodles.
Since Laos is landlocked, it will come as
no surprise that fish tends to be freshwater.
You will also find a lot of Vietnamese food
and Chinese food. Pho (pronounced “fur”)
is the ubiquitous Vietnamese noodle soup.
It contains pork or beef, plenty of fresh
vegetables, and fragrant fresh mint.
As with elsewhere in Southeast Asia, the
French influence remains. Fresh baguette
(khao ji), strong filtered coffee, and pâté
sandwiches (khao ji pâté) are all available
on the street. Laos is also a major coffee
producer, so if caffeine is your thing you
are in for a treat. Ask for “kah-fe Lao” to
make sure you don’t get served a cup of
instant granules rather than the real thing.
Both Vientiane and Luang Prabang boast
superb French restaurants with authentic
Gallic fare and great wine. Both places are
a gourmet treat and have gotten better over
the years as competition has forced up
quality. The food in both towns is worldbeating
in terms of both quality and price.