Laos

Desserts in Laos and its uniqueness in Southeast Asia

Lao food is distinct in Southeast Asian cuisines. The staple food of the Lao is sticky rice and the national dish is laap. Sticky or glutinous rice is an atypical preference in every meal. Glutinous rice, in all other Southeast Asian countries, is kept for making desserts or snack foods. Majority of the Laos community lives near the forest, or at least near a wooded area, which provides a wealth of edible leaves and berries. These leaves and berries are used to decorate the table and essentially for food wrapping.

Coconut, mak phao in Laos, distinctively occupies a primary importance in Lao cookery. Given the importance of the coconut, and the fact that it is not always easy or inexpensive to buy fresh coconuts in the west, it is a blessing that coconuts are available as an easy source of ingredient in Laos. There are several uses of the coconuts in Laos.

1. Coconut liquid is used for the preparation of soft drinks which is called nam mak phao in Laos.
2. Coconut oil is used for frying.
3. Coconut flesh is used for preparation of coconut cream or coconut milk.

Lemon is not present in Laos but lemon grass, named as citronella, is found in Laos. It is used throughout Southeast Asia and it is also used for medicinal purposes. Most edible fruits found in Laos are eaten as dessert or for snacks. One example is banana. Banana is named kuay in Laos, and for unripe banana kuay dip. Bananas are widely used in many Laos’s recipes. Jackfruit is another example. Jackfruit is very popular in Southeast Asia and there is a wide spread use in the recipes of desserts.

The traditional desserts in Laos:

1. Sticky rice and mango – ‘Khao Nieow Ma Muang’
2. Baked coconut rice pudding
3. Oranges in syrup
4. Light orange blossom oranges
5. Bananas in coconut cream
6. Banana rice pudding

Nam Van Loi Mak Teng – ‘Swimming Melon’

Ingredients

• The grated meat of 1 coconut (or the equivalent of desiccated coconut)
• 200g (7 oz) sugar
• 1 melon

Method

1. Make two extractions of coconut milk.
2. Mix the sugar into the second extraction, and add the melon, cut into small, thin strips.
3. Pour the mixture into individual bowls and top each with a share of the first extraction of coconut milk. Very refreshing!

Khao Niao Thu Lien – ‘Durian with Sticky Rice’

This dish bears some resemblance to the preceding one, but is more substantial and less likely to please everyone; the durian is a fruit whose aroma is notorious, although those who have acquired the taste like eating it very much.

The procedure in preparing this dessert is simple.

1. Cook some sticky rice in an extraction of coconut milk.
2. Cut up the flesh of a durian and mix it with sugar to taste and with some more coconut milk.
3. Then pour this mixture over the cooked sticky rice, either in a single shallow bowl or in individual bowls.

Nam Van Mak Kuay – ‘Banana with coconut milk and tapioca’

Ingredients

15 dessert bananas (the kind called mak kuay nam would be used in Laos)

2 coconuts – grate the meat and make 10 cups of coconut milk in all from it, reserving 1 cup of the first extraction

1.5 cups of sugar

0.5 cup of tapioca

Method

Peel the bananas and cut each into three parts.

Pour the 9 cups of coconut milk into a large cooking pot.

Boil it after adding the pieces of bananas and sugar.

Then add the tapioca and continue to boil gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the fire and add the reserved cup of thick coconut milk.

Serve while it is hot.

Khao Khob – ‘Sticky rice biscuits or cakes’

Ingredients

• 0.5kg of sticky rice, previously soaked overnight
• 2 pinches of salt
• 100 to 150g of sugar

Method

1. Drain and steam the rice, then allow it to cool a little and form it into round shapes like crumpets, about 8cm in diameter and fairly thin.
2. Allow these to dry in the sun, which may take 1 or 2 days. They should become completely dry.
   
3. After this, deep-fry the biscuits in vegetable oil or pork fat.
4. Meanwhile, heat the sugar until it reaches the ‘caramel’ stage.
5. As soon as this has happened, ‘whirl’ the caramel on top of he biscuits.
6. This expressive Lao instruction simply means that the caramel is quickly applied in concentric circles to the biscuits, giving them a sweet topping.
7. Keep the biscuits in an airtight container for a day or two before eating them.