The road journal · Laos stop
Landlocked and crossed by the Mekong, Laos built a cuisine of its own: sticky rice rolled between the fingers, fresh herb salads, mortar-pounded sauces and a deliberate touch of bitterness.
Contents
Before sitting down
Laos is often described as the world's biggest per-capita eater of sticky rice. Soaked overnight, steamed in a bamboo cone and kept in a tip khao basket, it is rolled into a ball by hand and used to scoop up every other dish.
The pantry
A few ingredients shape almost every typical Lao dish.
Lemongrass, galangal, lime and ground toasted rice complete a herbal, tangy, fermented palette.
Laap is a minced meat or fish salad, often called the national dish and served at celebrations.
It is eaten lukewarm with lettuce, raw vegetables and sticky rice, shared from a central plate.
In the mortar
Green papaya pounded with garlic, chilli, tomato, lime and padaek: saltier and funkier than the Thai som tam, and always eaten with sticky rice.
Journal tip: for a first try, ask for little chilli and taste it with a ball of sticky rice.
The street, dawn to night
Three moments set the rhythm of Lao street cooking.
Thick rice-and-tapioca noodles in a silky chicken or pork broth.
A French-era baguette filled with pâté, cold cuts, herbs and chilli sauce.
Ping kai, sai oua sausage, salt-crusted Mekong fish and sizzling woks.
Laos is eaten with your fingers味わう道
Retrouvez l'inspiration laotienne d'Asian Road, troisième escale de la route des saveurs.
