What do you get when you cross water buffalo skin with smoky chilis, and about eleven other ingredients? Believe it or not, something marvelous.
Jaew bang is a specialty in Laos, and resembles a thick, brown salsa. Locals tend to eat it spread on long strips of beef, but I took tourist liberties and put it on just about everything. I dipped fingerfuls of sticky rice into it, smeared it on scrambled eggs, and plopped spoonfuls into soup.
It’s tough to imagine a more lovely morning than sipping strong black coffee on the banks of the Mekong, awaiting your scrambled eggs (with the requisite jaew bang, of course), watching the mist swirling around the launches in the river. Maybe the tangerine-robed monks are chanting in the temple just behind you. Maybe your thighs ache from yesterday’s elephant ride. Maybe you’re eavesdropping on a couple of diplomats—or are they spies?
Because Luang Prabang is a Unesco World Heritage Site , nearly everything looks like it was handled by a well-trained interior designer. Polished wooden bowls gleam on tables, palms fan out across tropical gardens, even the water buffalo-dotted river curves in graceful arcs. The town’s elegant setting and beautiful architecture has contributed to Luang Prabang’s growing appeal as a still-quaint tourist destination. Its brimming with temples, quiet guest houses, a bustling night market, dozens of places to indulge in $5 massages, and of course, fabulous places to eat.
Laotian cooking shares many of its more-famous Thai sister’s ingredients: lemon grass, kaffir lime, fish sauce. But in Luang Prabang I savored unique flavors, too. Jaew bang, for one. Tangy watercress and sausage stuffed with you-don’t-want-to-know for another. And for Pete’s sake, don’t skip the Luang Prabang version of ratatouille, featuring tiny round pea eggplants and water buffalo.
Between the pre-dawn procession of monks receiving alms and the friendly, lilting “Sabai dii” called out in welcome, Luang Prabang has a distinct other-worldly feel to it. Combined with the earthy flavors of Lao cooking, this town made me want to stay another day. Or ten.
Back home, finding water buffalo is tough. But try the following local markets for lots of Lao goodies in the Bay Area.
Farmer’s markets are a good bet. On Friday mornings, the farmer’s market in Oakland often has tough-to-find items (but good luck finding the water buffalo) Broadway & 9th St in Oakland (510) 745-7100
Lao Market 1619 International Blvd, in Oakland (510) 536-5888
And next door, try May Kong 1613 International Blvd. (510) 261-7630
The Berkeley Bowl also has a decent selection of Asian produce, including kaffir lime leaves
2020 Oregon Street in Berkeley (510) 843-6929.
And the new Berkeley Bowl West at 920 Heinz Avenue (510) 898-9555
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