Laos is a recent discovery for me. I was inspired to travel here after reading Alan Davidson’s acclaimed culinary stories of his time spent in Laos as British ambassador; he later published the only written record of royal Lao cuisine from notes given to him by the king’s chef. Natacha Du Pont De Bie’s Ant Egg Soup, about her adventures as a food tourist in Laos, also struck a chord. I could certainly identify with her insistence on discovering the true essence of the country through its food – from chicken laap and sour bamboo fish soup to the local specialty of Paradise Chicken and, of course, ant eggs. I would stop short at drinking turkey or snake blood, though; there are some tastes I would prefer to leave to the imagination!
