A vendor sells food during Lao Food Festival in Vientiane, capital of Laos on Jan. 23, 2024. The annual Lao Food Festival is held here from January 23 to 27.(Photo: Xinhua) A vendor sells food during ...

On the banks of the Mekong, from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, this writer explores Laos through family travel, local food and the country’s hidden wartime history.

At times spicy and bitter, salty and pungent, herbaceous and sour — Lao food is intensely delicious. Thum mak hoong, or papaya salad, is a fundamental dish in Lao cuisine, with as many variations as ...

Sticky rice, fresh vegetables, mountains of fresh herbs, fish and meat, fish sauce, chilli, spices, fruit and more sticky rice ... one of the wonderful features of the Lao diet is the almost complete ...

A vendor sells food during the annual Lao Food Festival in Vientiane, capital of Laos. -- Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua VIENTIANE (Xinhua): The 2026 Lao Food Festival opened its doors on Monday ...

FILE PHOTO: A Lao crispy rice salad. Stallholders at the annual Lao Food Festival are selling a tempting array of fresh and processed food products in an open-air setting near the Mekong River in ...