Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to eat raw vegetables?
Restaurants in Luang Prabang wash their fresh vegetables and cook their food in clean water. For the most part, gastric problems arise from poor food handling practices. At Tamarind, we teach staff to be vigilant: washing hands properly before touching food or using cooking and eating utensils. Handling money is probably one of the easiest ways to pass on nasty bugs, so we recommend that you clean your hands after shopping and before eating, and be watchful of food and money-handling practices at street stalls.
Can I drink the ice?
Yes. We, like all restaurants in Luang Prabang, ONLY use ice made from properly filtered water. Locals themselves will not drink tap water, so there is clear understanding that visitors will not be able to do so either. Where you may need to be concerned is if cans or bottles have been stored in an ice chest and packed with ice to keep the outside of cans cool. This ice is not necessarily safe to eat, but any served inside your glass, or drinking water placed on your table should be fine.
What’s the policy in Laos on tipping at hotels and restaurants?
Unlike some countries, there is no set rule or percentage in Laos for tipping. You will have observed that Laos is not a wealthy country. This is reflected in the relatively low prices you pay for services and for meals. The growth of tourism in Luang Prabang has brought an increase in basic produce prices, so the cost of living, though far below that of western countries, has become more expensive for those who live here.
As in other countries, a tip for services well rendered is most welcome. It is considered kind and appreciative, but never compulsory, and with no fixed rate. Many fair-minded business proprietors distribute to all staff members, not just front-of-house staff. Sometimes the high denominations of the currency makes amounts seem greater than their actual value. Keep in mind that the 2000 kip change you receive is just over 25 US cents!
What should I bring to my cooking class?
It’s a good idea to bring mosquito repellent and a jumper/jacket for evenings. Evenings especially in December/January can get very chilly. We serve a welcome drink, and free-flowing drinking water, but you may like to bring a small quantity of cash so you can indulge in something with your meal - we sell beer, wine and a limited number of cocktails and soft drinks. You might also wish to make a purchase or two while you are wandering around in the market. Please do not bring any treasured valuables.
Questions about Lao food and etiquette
Is sticky rice a variety of rice, or does it become sticky because of the cooking method?
Sticky rice is a different variety from other rices, coming in a range of colours and qualities. Lao people are attuned to both its quality and how well it is cooked. To achieve the required texture, it must be steamed with the correct technique; boiling delivers an inedible mush. Purple, pink or black rice is more expensive than white and is only available seasonally. They are unpolished varieties of white rice, and therefore a wholegrain. Despite also being known as 'glutinous rice’ because of its starchy texture, sticky rice is in fact gluten-free, and therefore suitable for the gluten-intolerant.
Do Lao people eat their food with chopsticks?
Generally, Lao food is based around sticky rice, which is eaten with the fingers, and unlike steamed rice, is not suited to chopsticks. However, some dishes, based on Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine, may be offered with chopsticks. One example of this is fer, or noodle soup. This is eaten with a spoon, but chopsticks are used for the noodles and vegetables in it. Sometimes noodle dishes and foods of a similar shape may be offered with chopsticks. Tam mak hoong or shredded papaya salad is an example of this. Otherwise, when fingers are not used, the preferred eating utensils are forks and spoons, never knives. It is considered impolite to put the fork in your mouth; its function is to push food onto your spoon!
Does it matter which hand I use to eat with?
Lao people are very clean, shower twice a day, and wash their hands before eating. Either hand can be used for eating. The standard Lao way of eating is to take a large handful of rice from the bamboo basket in the left hand and take small eating portions from this with the right. These are used like spoons to pick up food. It is bad manners to lick your fingers, double dip your rice, or leave portions of food dangling from your fingers. It is quite an art!
What is tamarind?
Tamarind is a fruit which grows on tall trees. It is a brown pod, enclosing an edible paste and large seeds. The brown paste can be sour or sweet, depending on the type of tree and growing conditions. It has a myriad of uses: to add a sour flavour to soups; as a drink; a dipping paste for sticky rice. The unripened young pods including seeds are often pounded into a sour, gritty salad. And of course the fresh ripe pods are eaten, sweet or sour, as a snack. The paste, when removed from the pods and seeds, keeps all year long.
General cultural questions
Should I donate rice at the monks’ morning alms round?
Religious practice in Laos is a hybrid of animism and Theravada Buddhism. The morning alms ritual reflects this: local villagers believe they are feeding the spirits of departed family through their monks, and gaining merit for their future life by cooking food and giving it to the monks. It is not intended as a tourist display, but has become a drawcard to those fascinated by its spiritual and photogenic qualities. If you feel it appropriate to participate with the villagers, please organise your participation carefully before becoming involved. Perhaps talk with your guest house proprietor or locals whom you may have met, and discuss the rituals of offering. Remember the point of giving rice is to earn merit by preparing the food yourself. Do not buy from street vendors; they exploit the ritual in the worst fashion by distorting its purpose, causing a disturbance and encouraging meaningless participation by tourists. The monks do not eat this rice. Possibly the best way to be involved is as a respectful observer: stand back to watch and take photos; be aware that women who make offerings should kneel with shoes off. Under no circumstances should you stand in the way of the procession, talk loudly or push cameras in the monks’ path.
Do the monks live on just the rice donations made at the alms round?
No; most temples have local families in the community who bring meals to their wat or temple each day. As well as this daily ritual, more elaborate food donations are often made on auspicious occasions such as births, weddings, funerals and anniversaries of deaths, as well as Buddhist holidays. Despite this, some temples do not have enough food to eat, and use money from donations received to buy produce. Monks do not eat after around midday each day, and their meal times are signalled by drums at the wat.
Can I enter the wat to listen to the chanting?
If you are appropriately dressed, with your shoulders and knees covered, it is fine to enter the wat. The chanting period lasts a while and is a meditation practise for the monks and novices. It is fine to watch quietly from just outside the door, but if you wish to go inside, please stay at the back, kneeling or sitting down. Aim to keep your head lower than that of the monks. Be careful not to point your feet at any person or item, and hold your hands in a ‘nop’ praying position (as the monks do).
What do the drums and gongs signify?
The daily gongs are a communication device. Some tell the monks and novices when to rise, chant, eat or depart for the daily alms round. Others tell villagers when they should come to donate food. For three days in a row, at the time of the full moon, half-moon and quarter moons, there is a special 15 minute drumming session at many temples. This is conducted by novice monks, at 4am and 4pm each day, to mark ‘meu wan sinh’ the Buddhist day of rest. It is definitely worth being near a temple to catch this brief but melodious moment.