Barbara Riddle

Lao Style Recipes Barbara Riddle

Are you interested in adding Lao cuisine to the recipes you cook with at home? Do you think this might be difficult to do? It's not, really. In this cookbook, you'll find that many ingredients are similar, and you can find local substitutes if you need to. Laotians like spicy foods, dips and salads. They enjoy freshwater fish, poultry and grilled meats. Sticky rice is very much a staple in the region. The recipes of Laos are different from many other Asian dishes, other than their similarities with northeastern Thailand, since the areas are so close together. Most dishes in Laos contain herbs and vegetables, noodles or rice and beef, pork, chicken or fish. Only the freshest available ingredients are used, and Lao recipes are usually made from scratch. Foods in Laos are served often in a communal dish. Sticky or glutinous rice is eaten more commonly than white Japanese rice. They sometimes cook with bamboo tubes, using fermented, spicy fish sauce and herbs like lemon grass and galangal. Cooks in Laos strive to create a balance between sweet and sour, fresh, cooked, bitter, mild, spicy and salty. Color and texture are very important in Lao dishes. Come on, let's try it!