Together with Swiss Simon I’ve
arranged a 2 day hiking trip into the Luang Namtha protected area (big forest).
It was just the two of us and Si an English speaking guide. The day started
with a visit to the morning market to buy supplies for our trip. I'm used to
markets but this one felt different. Locals were selling their fresh products
like, tomatoes, green pumpkin, small green eggplants, bamboo, cabbages, herbs (dill,
coriander, wild basil). But in one part people were selling many little dishes
I've never seen like bamboo (marinated and cooked), rattan (looks like bamboo)
duck or pork packages in banana leaves, grilled or stuffed fish. I didn't
know where to look and wanted to try everything! We bought some of it for our
lunch so I was able to try some of them.
Then my eye caught some hairy pieces of dry meat and I was told it was buffalo skin; this would taste delicious fried with our LaoLao for tonight so Si bought this as well.
When Simon and I signed up for the 2 day trekking we weren’t aware that it also included a cookery course from both our guides! During the trip they were picking herbs or spices along the way and used it later on for our food. They were constantly busy preparing dishes for dinner or lunch the next day.
The food in the North has more taste and uses many different herbs to compliment a dish. They hardly eat the famous soups here for every meal so I was pleased to taste these new dishes and learn to prepare them too.
We took off with our guide Si for a 45 min tuktuk drive to the park. There we met the park ranger Cun (a young guy with big smile and cheeky eyes) and the village head who chooses the person from the village to be the park ranger for each trip. This could be a man or a women depending on which work needs to be done that day in the village. Working as a park ranger is extra money for the family in the village.
We walked for 1, 5 hr. and decided it was time for lunch. We sat near the river on banana leaves and some of them served as a tablecloth. The lunch menu was jungle made salad (Rattan, salt, fern, chillies, lemon). chicken laap, duck in banana leaves, steamed bamboo and of course sticky rice. You eat with your hands and roll a ball of the rice which serves as a ‘spoon’ to get another dish or just dip it into a sauce. .
When finished Cum and Si went to the river to catch some fish. Simon had a try too and caught a little one too. . During our hike we suddenly heard children's voices in the forest and saw 8 pairs of flip flops on the track. Si told us that the children were looking for bamboo roots which you'll have to 'dig' out of the soil with your feet. We continued for another 1,5 hrs. walk and reached 'camp' ; a big wooden hut with some mattresses hanging from the ceiling and nothing else. The kitchen were some pots, pans and serving bowls the rest would all be prepared outside at the open fire. It was close to the river so we had a swim and the boys continued with fishing; result 3 big, 8 medium, 4 small and one frog. Back at the camp a 4 hrs. cooking session started in front of my eyes prepared by my 3 boys. First of all the chicken was de-boned and pressed in-between halved bamboo branch and roasted over a fire. Than a bamboo trunk was transformed into a large cylinder as Si and Simon were preparing a banana flower soup - one for the Falang (non spicy) and a Laos one (very spicy). . First water was boiled in the bamboo trunk, salt and the chicken bones added. When the water is boiling add, garlic, banana flower, coriander, green eggplant, lemon grass, dill, chilli. . Continue to boil it for another half an hour and enjoy this very delicious soup.
Home made fish paste: grill the fish (even better on open fire) and crush these with green eggplant, chillies, coriander and sourer leaf (lemon) in a pestle and mortar. Eat this with sticky rice and other fish dishes, even nice for breakfast.
At 8pm we finally sat down for dinner with all these lovely dishes which took 4hrs to prepare but Si said it was especially for us as we were just the 2 of us, we had to wash it down with some LaoLao in real Laos style Sokdee!!
After some chats around the fire we retired to our 'bed'. I woke up a couple of times as the mice had a party in our room and the next morning I heard that even a bird had joined in the fun.
In the morning the cooking continued as Si was preparing lunch with chicken and green pumpkin, fried potatoes and carrot with herbs before continuing with breakfast – omelettes with jungle made tomato sauce. Last night we forgot to eat our buffalo skin so we added this to the breakfast too; Si put the pieces into the fire so the outside was totally black, he took them out and bashed with his big knife on the piece till all the burned black dust disappeared and a crispy skin was left. In the UK you could compare it with pork scratches, it tasted ok as the crispy outside was nice but inside it was a bit like a gel and tasted very salty! Not so nice with your breakfast so I took a piece to take with me to try later with a beer.
We walked that day for 3 hours mostly downhill to get back to a village for a riverside lunch to finish this 2 day hiking trip which more felt like cookery and eating course in the jungle..
Then my eye caught some hairy pieces of dry meat and I was told it was buffalo skin; this would taste delicious fried with our LaoLao for tonight so Si bought this as well.
When Simon and I signed up for the 2 day trekking we weren’t aware that it also included a cookery course from both our guides! During the trip they were picking herbs or spices along the way and used it later on for our food. They were constantly busy preparing dishes for dinner or lunch the next day.
The food in the North has more taste and uses many different herbs to compliment a dish. They hardly eat the famous soups here for every meal so I was pleased to taste these new dishes and learn to prepare them too.
We took off with our guide Si for a 45 min tuktuk drive to the park. There we met the park ranger Cun (a young guy with big smile and cheeky eyes) and the village head who chooses the person from the village to be the park ranger for each trip. This could be a man or a women depending on which work needs to be done that day in the village. Working as a park ranger is extra money for the family in the village.
We walked for 1, 5 hr. and decided it was time for lunch. We sat near the river on banana leaves and some of them served as a tablecloth. The lunch menu was jungle made salad (Rattan, salt, fern, chillies, lemon). chicken laap, duck in banana leaves, steamed bamboo and of course sticky rice. You eat with your hands and roll a ball of the rice which serves as a ‘spoon’ to get another dish or just dip it into a sauce. .
When finished Cum and Si went to the river to catch some fish. Simon had a try too and caught a little one too. . During our hike we suddenly heard children's voices in the forest and saw 8 pairs of flip flops on the track. Si told us that the children were looking for bamboo roots which you'll have to 'dig' out of the soil with your feet. We continued for another 1,5 hrs. walk and reached 'camp' ; a big wooden hut with some mattresses hanging from the ceiling and nothing else. The kitchen were some pots, pans and serving bowls the rest would all be prepared outside at the open fire. It was close to the river so we had a swim and the boys continued with fishing; result 3 big, 8 medium, 4 small and one frog. Back at the camp a 4 hrs. cooking session started in front of my eyes prepared by my 3 boys. First of all the chicken was de-boned and pressed in-between halved bamboo branch and roasted over a fire. Than a bamboo trunk was transformed into a large cylinder as Si and Simon were preparing a banana flower soup - one for the Falang (non spicy) and a Laos one (very spicy). . First water was boiled in the bamboo trunk, salt and the chicken bones added. When the water is boiling add, garlic, banana flower, coriander, green eggplant, lemon grass, dill, chilli. . Continue to boil it for another half an hour and enjoy this very delicious soup.
Home made fish paste: grill the fish (even better on open fire) and crush these with green eggplant, chillies, coriander and sourer leaf (lemon) in a pestle and mortar. Eat this with sticky rice and other fish dishes, even nice for breakfast.
At 8pm we finally sat down for dinner with all these lovely dishes which took 4hrs to prepare but Si said it was especially for us as we were just the 2 of us, we had to wash it down with some LaoLao in real Laos style Sokdee!!
After some chats around the fire we retired to our 'bed'. I woke up a couple of times as the mice had a party in our room and the next morning I heard that even a bird had joined in the fun.
In the morning the cooking continued as Si was preparing lunch with chicken and green pumpkin, fried potatoes and carrot with herbs before continuing with breakfast – omelettes with jungle made tomato sauce. Last night we forgot to eat our buffalo skin so we added this to the breakfast too; Si put the pieces into the fire so the outside was totally black, he took them out and bashed with his big knife on the piece till all the burned black dust disappeared and a crispy skin was left. In the UK you could compare it with pork scratches, it tasted ok as the crispy outside was nice but inside it was a bit like a gel and tasted very salty! Not so nice with your breakfast so I took a piece to take with me to try later with a beer.
We walked that day for 3 hours mostly downhill to get back to a village for a riverside lunch to finish this 2 day hiking trip which more felt like cookery and eating course in the jungle..
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| Market with lovely dishes |
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| Wobbly bamboo bridge |
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| Lunchtime fishing catches... |
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| The Falang and Laos soups |
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| Our accomodation |
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| Breakfast - incl buffalo skin- |
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| Preparing the buffalo skin.... |
Wow, what amazing views. Just stunning. Lovely food throughout, and nice that you were able to be involved in its preparation. I had no idea that you could eat bamboo! I loved all the spices and flavourings, but I might give buffalo skins a miss!
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