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Chaeo borng

After first three months living as a foreign student, I could speak and understand Lao language. I had made many friends from different provinces. One day, a friend of mine from a northern province invited me to visit his home. Wanting to know and experience the local lifestyle, I decided to go.

It was about six o’clock in the evening when I arrived in my friend’s village. I was warmly welcome by his family. “Sabai dee louk,” my friend's mother greeted me (“Good evening, son!”) as she was holding a ka toke-a platform for arranging and presenting Lao meal. “Kin khao na louk,” She invited me (“Let’s have dinner”). I was so impressed to see strange dishes prepared on the ka toke. A bamboo basket contained sticky rice spreading its smell into my nose. The basket was surrounded by traditional dishes I’ve never tasted. The brown sauce mixed with sliced-pig skin in a small plate was placed close to me for it was special sauce for the guest.

“Tam sabai na louk,” The old lady encouraged me to eat (“Take it easy,”) as she was breaking off bite-size morsels at a time and roll them into balls. Those solid morsels were used for dipping into sauce. I wasn’t used to the way of eating, so my fingers were stuck with rice. “Pen jung dai louk?”, my friend’s mother asked with smiling (“What does it taste?”). “Saep” I replied reluctantly (“Delicious”). I felt strange to use my fingers as eating tools and to eat such a hot sauce.

When I got to know more about Lao cuisine, I realized that the sauce was “chaeo borng”–the well-known sauce in northern Laos. It represented Luang Prabang’s local food. When people talk about Luang Prabang province, they think of “Chaeo borng” and all visitors who travel to this province will never forget this sauce.

Though I have left this country now, I still miss people and their attitude of greeting, most notably, “Chaeo borng” with sticky rice. “Chaeo borng”- the first taste and the greatest reminder for me!