Food & Beer Culture

Sticky rice belongs with beer in Laos. Khao niao is the staple food, served in small baskets, rolled into little balls with the fingers and dipped into sauces, salads or meat. A meal without sticky rice barely counts as complete to many Laotians.

The best-known dish is Laap, sometimes spelled Larb, a salad of finely chopped meat or fish with lime juice, chili, mint and herbs. Alongside it comes Tam mak hoong, a spicy salad of shredded green papaya with lime, fish sauce, chili and peanuts, saltier and bolder than the Thai version.

Ping kai is grilled chicken, marinated with garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce and coriander, served with sticky rice and Jeow, a spicy dip. Padaek is a fermented fish sauce that gives many dishes their pungent, salty base. A lean, cold lager like Beerlao douses the burn of the chili without fighting the flavors.

Besides beer, people drink Lao-Lao, a rice spirit served with meals and at celebrations. In the evenings, families and friends sit outside at simple tables, often along the banks of the Mekong, sharing dishes, ice and large bottles. Beer gardens exist in Laos just as in Bavaria, only with the scent of grilling instead of pretzels.

At the Pi Mai Lao New Year festival in April, the country turns into one big water fight. On such days the path to the Mekong riverbank is packed, and cold beer belongs to the festival just as sticky rice belongs to the meal. Those who drink do so in moderation, and don't hop on a motorbike afterward.