i went down to the mountain, i was drinking some wine

CHILIS AND LIMES IN THE PAKSE, LAO MARKET

     Lao cuisine is similar to Thai cuisine in many ways, both using simple, fresh ingredients. The mix of spicy, salty, sweet, and sour are apparent in both countries. Fresh chilis bring the spicy heat to a dish, and the fermented fish sauce brings the saltiness. The liberal use of lemongrass, mint, cilantro, and basil, balance with the lime juice and kaffir lime leaves. Other common seasonings include galangal, tamarind, ginger, peanuts, and coconut milk.
     You are unlikely to find salt and pepper on a Lao table. But, there will be various dipping sauces, chilis, and garlic on the table. To salt food, ‘pa dek’ is used. This is a Lao preparation that includes chunks of fermented freshwater fish. It is similar to the thin sauce of fermented anchovies found in Thailand, and the fermented fish sauce found in Vietnam.

THE BEST BEER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

     Rice is the foundation of all Lao meals, like the rest of Southeast Asia. The Lao difference, is the eating of sticky rice, a highly glutinous rice. Sticky rice is served in woven baskets and is eaten with the fingers. A small amount is dug from the basket and kneaded between fingers and the thumb. The small flattened wad can be dipped into various sauces or pressed into a dish and thus eaten.
     One of the most common Lao dishes is ‘laap.’ This is a salad of minced meat tossed with lime juice, garlic, green onions, mint leaves, and chilis. This dish is usually served with lettuce and mint leaves. Using your fingers, you wrap a little laap in the lettuce and herbs, and eat it with hand-rolled balls of sticky rice.
     Lao meals are usually ordered family style, which is to say that two or more people order together, sharing different dishes. Meals are shared and this is a social time. Toward the end of a meal, ‘lao-lao’ (rice whisky) is sometimes served. One glass is used, and one person pours a shot at a time, passing the glass around the group. Beer lao is often served this way as well, the object of being social rather than getting drunk. Meals can last for hours, food and drink shared by all.