Laos "Southeast Asia?s most pristine environment"

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Food and Drink in Laos

Lao cuisine is very similar to the food eaten in the north-eastern Isaan region of Thailand, being spicy, more often bitter than sweet and using lots of fresh herbs and vegetables served raw. The staple here is sticky rice eaten by hand from small baskets called tip khao. The national dish is laap, a "salad" of minced meat mixed with herbs, spices, lime juice and more often than not, blistering amounts of chilli. Unlike Thai larb, the Lao version can use raw meat (dip) instead of cooked meat (suk), and if prepared with seafood makes a tasty if spicy carpaccio.

Another favourite is tam maak hung, the spicy green papaya salad known as som tam in Thailand, but which the Lao like to dress with fermented crab and a chunky, intense fish sauce called pa daek This mixture results in a stronger flavour than the milder, sweeter Thai style. Other popular dishes include ping kai, spicy grilled chicken, and mok pa, fish steamed in a banana leaf. In addition to purely Lao food, culinary imports from other countries are common. Khao jii pat-te, French baguettes stuffed with pâté, and foe (pho) noodles from Vietnam are both snacks particularly popular at breakfast.

The national drink of Laos is the ubiquitous and tasty Beerlao, made with Laotian jasmine rice and one of the few Lao exports. It maintains an almost mythical status amongst travellers and world beer aficionados. Rice whiskey, known as lao-lao, is widely available and at less than 50 cents per 750 ml bottle is the cheapest way to get hammered. Lao coffee (kaafeh) is widely reckoned to be among the best in the world. It's grown on the Bolaven Plateau in the south; the best brand is Lao Mountain Coffee. Unlike Thai coffees, Lao coffee is not adulterated with ground tamarind seed.
 

Events

Christmas and New Year

Starts: Friday 18 December
Ends: Monday 5 January

Pii Mai (Lao New Year)

Starts: Tuesday 13 April
Ends: Thursday 15 April