Cynthia: Can't say that the article "Lao Cuisine: The Raw and the Cooked" makes me want to sample any of the really traditional stuff. I've consumed some wacky stuff over the years, and even taken a few calculated risks, but I've traveled too often in developing countries, and have absorbed too thoroughly the rules for eating to avoid death, to consider raw meat and unwashed veggies as options. Just too many blood flukes, amoebas, and parasites out there to not use fire.

But the Thai version of laap -- called larb -- and Thai green mango salad are both favorite dishes.

As for having Lao food, when I was in the far north of Thailand on one trip, we crossed the Mekong River into Laos, and we were told that what we were served was Lao, but there was definitely no raw, chopped up deer. I suspect we had "tourist Lao."

comment left May 13