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| This is my
friend Da and her sister helping make Tam Mak Hung at a little
restaurant along the Mekong. I like how when you go to these
informal restaurants you can pitch in and help, especially if
you're picky about how you want your tam mak hung. Phet phet
of course! |
A closeup
of tam mak hung - Lao soul food. |
These are two
photos of the Hmong aide, Chou Hang I traveled with for a couple
of weeks, eating at 'informal' Lao restaurants. The dog in the
bottom photo is hoping for leftovers. None from me, sorry! |
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| Here you see
the Lao staple, "Fer." It is a noodle soup that can
include meat balls, slice-innards, soya-sprouts, fried garlic
and whatever else is on hand! When your served the bowl of noodles
you also get a plate of greens that you can tear into small pieces
and add to the soup along with all the condiments you see on
the table. It's usually eaten with chopsticks and chinese spoon.
Of course there is both fresh and pickled hot chili peppers that
are guaranteed to warm one up! |
If you
go to Laos for the first time you might be surprised to see French
bread being sold everywhere. Remember, Laos used to be a part
of French Indochina, and French bread has become a Lao staple.
Here you see a woman making "khao jii pa te", a kind
of baguette sandwich. The ingredients vary depending where you
are in Laos. Here this woman addes slices of processed meat,
cucumber, other vegetables, chili paste, and other ingredients
I'm not aware of. They make great bus food, and there are many
vendors around the bus station in Vientiane. |
This was taken
in Luang Prabang in the early morning by my favorite coffee shop
along the Mekong River. This young girl is stocking the French
bread for her mother's stand. |
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| There's much that
I miss about Laos and I have to admit that I've grown addicted
to Lao coffee. This woman has a stall outside the Talat Sao and
is one of my favorite places to 'hang.' Sometimes you hear Lao
coffee referred to as 'bag coffee' and in the photo you can see
the 'bag' filter. They make the coffee (sai nom, with milk) by
pouring in this coffee concentrate on a layer of condensed milk
and adding hot water. Delicious! |
A closeup of one
of my main addictions, Lao coffee with condensed milk. "Saep
lai!" |
I'll be out front.
I like Lao food, and Idon't think the Lao get enough credit for
their cooking. |
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| I discovered this little
'restaurant' inside the Talat Dala in Luang Prabang. Great curries
and laap. |
This little market is in
Luang Prabang between the Phusi Hotel and the Mekong River. In
the early evening it's a great place to get some barbecued chicken
and assorted dishes. |
You can buy your meat however
you like it at any of the markets in Laos. |
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| These two shots were taken
at Thong Khan Kham Market in Vientiane. We miss out on purchasing
delicacies like these in America! I've snacked on fried chicken
feet numerous times. |
Two more favorite shots.
I love the color, pattern and composition of this market produce
for sale. |
Are you ready to cook up
these rats? More common than you might think. |
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| I love the fruit juice
and shakes that you can get in Laos. Here we've ordered sugar
cane juice which is being 'squeezed out' in these rollers. |
This was taken on the street
outside That Luang. "Peng kai", barbecued chicken Lao
style is quite tasty. |
Another shot of peng kai
and khao lam, a sticky rice mixture with coconut juice cooked
in bamboo sections. A great traveling food. |
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| This is a shot of
a meal served on the first day of Hmong New Year in a home in
Luang Prabang. |
This is a photo of my friend
Thavivanh, his wife and relatives at a Sunday meal they invited
me to at their home. Both have fathers who are Vietnamese. |
Bamboo shoots for sale. |
