Spicy
Food
From: CA, USA
-
I'll be traveling to Laos soon. To be prepare myself for the cuisine,
I was wondering if the food there is spicy?
Reply:
Laotian food
does have a lot of spiciness to it, though not with all dishes.
It's kind of a running joke that if you cannot eat spicy food or
hot sauces then you are not a 'real' Lao person. I'm sure many have
heard playful taunting to those who could not eat comparable spicy
foods that others were able to eat.
Spicy food,
as it's been shown, is medically quite good for the body. Here are
some facts about spicy foods and the peppers and chilies that make
them so good and hot:
stimulates
circulation/blood flow throughout the body
promotes sweating
acts as a gastric
stimulant
relieves indigestion
(though sometimes is also known to cause it)
acts as a antiseptic/antibacterial
agent (therefore it's good to be taken during colds)
acts as a stimulating
nerve tonic
increases appetite
But of course
like anything else in life food, spicy or not, needs to be taken
in moderation. I know a few Lao people who after many years of enjoying
hot and spicy foods, peppers/chilies, etc. are now unable to consume
such 'hot' food because their stomach cannot handle it any longer
- for reasons unknown. Then again in spite of that fact many still
choose to eat it anyway. Why? Because spicy/hot food just taste
better, to some at least.
Lao Elections
Update
From: J, US
- I'd like to know what the results to the Lao elections were. Could
you point me to a source?
Reply:
For an update
to the recent Lao elections this past February you can check out
the following link at the Lao Embassy's website:
http://www.laoembassy.com/officials/index.htm
Lao Liquor
From: M, US
- I've heard other travelers talk about the Lao liquor. Can you tell
me more about that please?
Reply:
Lao lao (where
each 'lao' word is pronounced and spelt differently because of the
tones and length of pronunciation) is a liquor beverage made from
fermented rice. It's similar to how Western whisky is made (and thus
some people call it Lao or rice whisky). They are often made
in large barrels. One town is said to be known for its lao,
that is Ban Xang Hai.
Many words describe
this liquor. It's been described as fruity, good, bad, awful, weak,
strong, tasty, refreshing, etc. Lots of contradictory descriptions
although this is perhaps due to one's taste or specifically who made
the lao (liquor) as I'm sure it varies slightly from each maker.
If you do visit
Laos make it a complete trip by trying the local liquor. It's different
and enjoyable.
