LAO FOOD AND DRINKS

Lao Food
Lao cuisine is the cuisine of Laos, which is distinct from other Southeast Asian cuisines. Rice is the main food and is eaten by hand from small baskets called tip khao. Using your right hand, pinch off a bit, roll into a ball, dip and munch away.
The national dish is laap, a "salad" of minced meat mixed with herbs, spices, lime juice and, more often than not, blistering amounts of chili.
Another favourite is tam maak hung, a spicy green papaya salad dress with fermented crab and a chunky, intense fish sauce called pa daek
Other popular dishes include ping kai, spicy grilled chicken, and mok pa, fish steamed in a banana leaf.

In addition to purely Lao food, culinary imports from other countries are common. Khao jii pat-te, French baguettes stuffed with pâté, and foe (pho) noodles from Vietnam are both popular at breakfast.

Lao Drinks
The national drink of Laos is the Beerlao, made with Laotian jasmine rice and one of the few Lao exports. It's available in three versions: original (5%), Dark (6.5%) and Light (2.9%).
Rice liquor, known as lao-lao
Lao coffee (kaafeh) is widely reckoned to be amongst the best in the world. It's grown on the Bolaven Plateau in the south; the best brand is Lao Mountain Coffee.