VIENTIANE | Cooking Class

One of the best ways to learn about Laos culture is to take a half-day cooking class with Lao Experiences. The focus on the class as well as the market tour is to give visitors to Vientiane and Laos an opportunity to learn about the Lao people and their culture through gastronomy. You’ll get a chance to experience shopping in a fresh market see the raw ingredients that make up Lao dishes inhale the smells prepare the food and finally to taste the fruits of your labour.

Name	Vientiane Cooking Class
Duration	Half Day
Price from	65 USD / pax (based on 2 pax)
Pick-up point	Hotel in Vientiane
Drop-off point	Hotel in Vientiane

ABOUT LAOS CUISINE
If you are a first-time visitor to South-East Asia (or even if you have spent time here) you may not have discovered the distinguishing features of Lao cuisine. That’s because many Lao flavours and foods are not at all well known.

Landlocked Laos, with no trading port to the outside world and until recently, with a relatively small emigrant population, hasn’t spread its culture globally like Thailand and Vietnam, and the nature of the food and eating style has remained undiscovered. The balance of flavours in dishes is different from that of the West and even neighbouring Thailand, and to some visitors it appears strange and difficult to investigate. As a result, many people never get the opportunity to experience this intriguing cuisine.

Historically, Lao food has often been regarded as essentially the same as Thai food. Some guidebooks and internet sites still describe it this way. One reason for this misconception is the popularity and spread of Isaan cuisine in Thailand. This region of north-east Thailand was once Lao territory, and its food has retained many characteristics and dishes of Lao cuisine, for instance grilled chicken, papaya salad, sticky rice. And there’s a practical reason Lao cuisine differs from Thai: sticky rice! It’s the staple here and is eaten with the fingers – most traditional Lao dishes were designed to accompany it. To keep fingers clean, and rice from dropping into communal food, dishes do not have a liquid consistency. Much Thai food is more soup-like, often incorporating coconut milk, or even stir fried in oil, so steamed rice is a more suitable accompaniment

We start the tour with a visit to the largest fresh market in Vientiane. Spend one hour touring the fresh market where your Lao guide will explain the importance of sticky rice in Lao culture. The recipe used for Padek or Lao Fish Sauce will be revealed. Your guide will surprise you with some authentic Lao tasting experiences depending on the season. Learn about Lao people and their culture as you tour.
Leaving the fresh market, you will travel to a small laneway to a local family run cafe not known on the tourist trail.

Then we head for the garden on the Mekong River, and begin preparations for lunch.You will use traditional Lao cooking implements to create a variety of dishes, and learn the secrets of making perfect sticky rice.

This is a sample itinerary so the cost really depends on the number of people in your group and time of travel. Please send us your enquiry for availabilities & the most up dated price.

INCLUSION
• Transportation to the market and the cooking school
• Market tour, shopping in a local market.
• Local English-speaking guide
• lunch
• 1 complimentary drink during the meal (1 beer or 1 soft drink)
• Introduction to Laos herbs, spices & other ingredients for cooking
• Laos dishes recipe booklet
• After preparing each dish, you have time to relax and enjoy your culinary creations
• 24/24h assistance from our company
• Service charges and government tax

EXCLUSION
• Travel insurance
• Visa
• Drink and beverage
• Personal expenses
• Tips for guide & driver
• Other items than mentioned in the program
• Any additional expenses caused by reasons beyond our control such as natural calamities (typhoon, floods), flight delays, rescheduling or cancellations, any accidents, medical evacuations, riots, strikes etc.