Cook Book Club: January's Ingredients Are Pepper Flakes & Sugar. The Country: Laos!

Elise
8 hours ago
3 min read

Can you believe we are starting our fourth year highlighting the various countries around the world? In our fourth year, we finish up our first trip to Asia with Laos and Mongolia before heading on a brief sojourn to North America and then over to some of the countries of Oceania (all of the countries Down Under plus Fiji) before taking a break in November and December as usual to look back at a couple of popular recipes from the past. Kits include a little bit about the country of focus, a recipe (or more) that is native to the country, and a unique ingredient or two from that recipe without which, it wouldn't be the same. Most recipes are from writers native to the country covered or otherwise lived experience of that culture. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking!

Lao Food Culture and History

As explained by various cultural resources

As with most areas of the world, evidence of ancient settlements go back thousands of years. However Laos, as it is understood today, goes back to first about 1353, with the formation of the Kingdom of Lan Xang (Land of a Million Elephants), although the modern government was more recognizably formed in 1975 with the abolition of the monarchy and establishment of the communist Lao People's Democratic Republic. Culturally speaking, the Laotian people maintain their indigenous traditions while being heavily influenced by Indian traditions such as Theravada Budhism and Hinduism as well as French colonialism and migrations and interactions with China, Thailand and Vietnam. With all of the European and Southeast Asian influences as well as indigenous practices that are uniquely their own, Laos boasts an extremely rich and diverse cultural heritage.

Laos is known for its expert balancing of a complex interplay of tastes, centering on salty, sour, spicy, and bitter, with umami and a touch of sweetness, often through fresh herbs, padaek (fermented fish sauce), chili, lime, and raw vegetables. Unlike many Southeast Asian cuisines, it emphasizes fresh herbiness, bitterness, and bold heat, with less reliance on rich coconut milk, using sticky rice as a staple and creating dynamic flavors with sauces like jaew (dipping sauces). Communal eating and using sticky rice rolled into a small ball with one's right hand (only) to pick up filling and sauces is the traditional way of eating. It connects you in a unique way to your meal, though utensils are utilized in more formal settings.. Chopsticks are only used on noodles and spoons on soups. For everything else, eating with one's right hand family-style is considered polite. But if you are provided with a fork or spoon, use your left hand for your fork and your right for your spoon. One last important point of etiquette: Never point your feet at someone else.

Main Recipe

Pork Larb (aka Laab), the National Dish of Laos

This recipe has been adapted from TheWoksOfLife.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5min. Cook Time: 20min.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon uncooked sticky rice (you can also substitute regular white rice if you don’t have sticky rice)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground pork (450g)
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (while the original author of the recipe doesn't state so, you could probably substitute with umami stock, though it wouldn't quite be as complex and nuanced a flavor profile nor as traditional)
1 lime (juiced)
1 red chili (sliced) - (you could substitute crushed chili peppers instead)
3 shallots (peeled and thinly sliced)
3 scallions (chopped)
¼ cup cilantro
½ cup mint

Directions

In a dry wok or pan over low heat, toast the rice grains, stirring continuously until they turn golden and fragrant––about 10 minutes. Grind to a coarse powder in a mortar & pestle. Set aside.
Place your wok back over high heat until smoking. Add the oil and the ground pork. Stir-fry until the pork is browned, and add in the toasted rice powder, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice.
Stir-fry for another minute, and then add in the chili, shallots, scallions, cilantro, and mint. Stir-fry for one more minute, and then taste for seasoning, adding more chili, sugar, fish sauce, and/or lime juice to your taste if needed.
Serve with sticky rice, steamed jasmine rice, and/or lettuce leaves.