Food and Culture: Asia: Laos

This week we have been studying the geography and culture of Laos.

World Geography: Vietnam, November 2012

 We reviewed what we had learned about Phan Bio Chau's Vietnamese Restoration Society (1896) and Alex colored the countries that made up Indochina; Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

France controlled Indochina -the lands that are now called Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The French divided Vietnam into the territories Torkin, Annam and Cachin China. Phan Bio Chau formed the Restoration Society to fight the French.

We read stories from Laos.

• Nine-In-One Grr! Grr!, Told by Blia Xiong; a trickster tale told by the Hmong people of Laos. Illustrations modeled on the appliqued story cloths from the Hmong.
• Piecing Earth and Sky Together, A Creation Story from the Mien Tribe of Laosn, Nancy Raines Day. Beautifully illustrated and features the embroidery style of the Mien Tribe in Laos.

And, of course, we ate Laos inspired dishes. This is Mekong Stir-fry with Pureed Eggplant. It has mushrooms, green beans, spinach and sugar snap peas in a fennel-eggplant sauce. We liked this but it took a fair amount of effort to make.

We also had this Crunchy Sweet and Sour Salad, which I really liked. It is a salad of Napa cabbage, watercress and spinach with bean sprouts and snow peas and a sweet and sour dressing. Both recipes are from World Food Cafe by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott.