Can’t ignore Laos… Although Laos celebrated Independence Day from its so-called union with France on July 19 and will celebrate its National Day on December 2, the date it became a democratic republic, the country gained its FULL independence from France on October 22, 1953. This is a time for remembrance; a time to revel in its traditions that make it unique.
So, what about Laos? Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia bordered by China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand with heavy cultural food influence from Thailand (and France, but we’ll talk about THAT later). Agriculture is its primary economic mainstay thus rice, rice, rice, and more rice is and has always been this country’s life sustenance. Laotians identify with rice more than any other food. It’s like a religion to them; it’s a part of every meal and they can’t imagine eating without it.
Seriously! No “bread” this weekend? Whaaaaaaaaaat? In looking at the photos, you quickly notice my bread baking weekend did not include bread. How’s that!? Well, when I decided to “bake” Laos, I discovered there’s no bake; it’s a rice culture not wheat.
Ok, so you’re thinking… “well, there’s rice flour, so what’s the problem?” Yes, but that’s NOT how Laos traditionally used or currently uses rice.
Ok, so maybe now you’re thinking… “well, there are French baguettes used to make the Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches found all over Vientiane, the capital city of Laos.” Yes, but that’s where I draw the line… that is French influence (and Vietnamese) during the early 1900s. I want to “bake” Laos, the authentic Laos.
In honoring its independence, it’s only right to focus only on its culture, not its recent influences. Sorry France, as a French teacher you have my heart, but it’s only right to respect other cultures; your time is coming.
This “lack-of-bake” discovery made me rethink my original goal of this adventure… “bake a bread from every country because all countries have some sort of bread in their culture.” What is bread, really? My perspective of bread does not refer to its typical ingredients of flour, water, salt, sugar, and yeast (or flour and water at its core) but refers to its PURPOSE.
It is bread’s purpose that binds us (or our food). Hmmm… I don’t think you can argue that bread is a vehicle, a means to consume food. It holds meat and cheese and sops up pasta sauce, soup, or gravy. It’s a simple food eaten with anything savory or sweet. It’s cheap, filling, and devoured by every social class throughout history. Even in the Bible, Christ’s says he is the “Bread of Life”, meaning that all who follow will never hunger or thirst. Bread has always been the sustenance of life (and spiritual, too). Bread in all shapes and sizes from a loaf, to a biscuit, to a tortilla appeals to people and cultures. Even those with health issues such as Celiac disease may not flock to bread; however, there are MANY different gluten-free flour options available. However you look at it and from whatever perspective, we still LOVE and eat our bread!
Hmmm… doesn’t rice do the same, serve the same purpose? As I delved into the history and culture of Laos this past week, I realized that while the traditional Laotian (Lao) culture did not bake bread, the meals still included the typical elements. For the Laotian culture, rice is their bread; it’s eaten at all meals, used to scoop up meat dishes, and sop up sauces. It’s a simple food eaten with anything savory or sweet… need I go on? In fact, it has its own religious purpose. As a predominately Buddhist nation, Laotians throw rice in the air after communal prayers and rub it on a dying person to dismiss bad spirits.
Laotians (and other southeast Asian countries) grow sticky rice or sweet rice aka glutinous rice (it has NO gluten); it’s called glutinous rice because it’s sticky, like glue. Since it binds well, it’s used as a utensil to pick up food; it’s a vehicle for food consumption. If you have an abundance of sticky rice, why do you need bread? Btw- sticky rice is much easier to prepare than bread; however, growing it is another story. It requires, heat, lots of water, and more human labor than you can imagine.
Fun fact: Laotians consume more sticky rice than any other country/culture on the planet.
National dishes… In honor of Laos, I chose traditional dishes, unofficial national dishes, since they are found and eaten all over Laos. The dishes in the first photo of the post are what you would see in almost any restaurant or home in Laos.
We’ll start with the bread, I mean rice (all the same for my purposes 😊)
Khao Jee (sticky rice patties) Since I’ve already touched on sticky rice, I’ll cover the steaming process as well as turning it into patties. I made two batches of sticky rice; the first was made in the morning to be cool enough for making patties later in the day, and the second batch was made just before dinner so it would be warm and easily pliable for utensil usage. Thanks to International Cuisine for the sticky rice directions and Rosas Yummy Yums for a basic rice patty with egg.
(notice two pots, the bottom has the boiling shallow water and the top has steamer holes covered with parchment paper)
Final comments on the rice… I felt guilty by only steaming rice and putting it on the table for my “baking” adventure, so I added the patties allowing me to knead the dough and flour my hands to prevent sticking (I mean, shape the rice into rounds and water my hands to prevent sticking). Both sticky rice and patties are a staple in Laos. The rice was simple and although I did not have the bamboo basket for steaming or the traditional pot for boiling water, my improvisation worked wonderfully! As I mentioned in my original post; while authenticity is important in understanding and appreciating others, baking the world needs to be accessible in order to do it. If you only have a pot with a lid and metal strainer (or flat splatter guard and metal bowl as a cover), you can steam rice.
The accompanying dishes…
Tum Mark Hoong (recipe linked to title) is an unripe green papaya cold salad mixed with Thai eggplant, long bean (green bean in my case) in a “sauce” made from cherry tomatoes, chili pepper, shrimp paste, fish sauce, lime, and garlic. Traditionally, the ingredients are pounded together using a large mortar and pestle until everything has softened and blended. The actual Laotian word for this dish means “pounded sour”.
Well, guess what? No mortar and pestle on my end, so we improvised, yet again. I simply minced the garlic, smashed the chopped chilis in a plastic bag, and used my hands to message everything until soft and blended; surprisingly it WORKED.
Larb -or spelled “larp”, “laap”, “laab”, but pronounced lap (recipe linked to title) is a meat salad made with chicken, pork, duck, or beef served with raw veggies on the side (see first photo of post). It is mixed with fish sauce, lime juice, scallions, shallots, garlic, chili peppers, fresh herbs such as cilantro and mint and its special ingredient, toasted rice powder.
Final comments on the accompanying dishes… Like Ethiopia last weekend, this was another meal without utensils, at least my normal utensils. I’m starting to see a pattern with “older” countries.
The food was very flavorful. The papaya was interesting; in shredding it, I was sure it would be crunchy and unappetizing; however, massaging it with the other ingredients softened it and filled it with flavor. There was a noticeable shrimp taste from the shrimp paste, but combined with other ingredients, it was good. The Larb had a tasty distinctive flavor clearly from the toasted rice powder. I’m convinced that true Larb must contain the toasted rice powder; to me, it was a tiny bit reminiscent of popped popcorn. I never thought ground pork could take on a different flavor until I tasted this dish with rice powder.
I served this meal on the plates and in the bowls you see in the first photo of the post. My husband and I ate communal style using the sticky rice and lettuce leaves as utensils to scoop up the food. Now, I understand why the rice needs to be sticky. If used as a utensil, you should grab a mound of it, flatten or round it out, and scoop; you couldn’t do this with regular rice as the grains wouldn’t stick together.
My takeaway on Laos… As mentioned, my biggest takeaway is certainly a different perspective on bread. Thinking about bread as its purpose in a meal resonates with rice cultures where bread is not a traditional staple (Wait, what! That sounds like an oxymoron). Bread or rice, rice or bread, whichever it is, it brings people together, all people, regardless of class, status, or even spiritual beliefs. Bread or rice is the foundation of food and cultures. And as diets change (dietary necessity or whatever the reason), we still find ways of creating that “bread or rice” need at a table with alternate flour or even vegetables, like lettuce, as a vehicle for grabbing food. Based on these two recent posts, I’m starting to see a back-in-time communal, utensil-free table as a means to bring people back together, maybe closer than some would like. Is that such a bad idea… old becomes new again.
Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment, like, or consider following my blog as I continue to move through the world and learn more about cuisine and culture. Check back this Friday for a clue to see where my next adventure will take us!