Food
The staple of Lao food is sticky rice which is best eaten with the fingers. It is the foundation of all Lao meals, and most Lao prefer the glutinous sticky rice to the ordinary steamed white rice. Almost all of Lao dishes are cooked with fresh ingredients whether they are vegetables, chicken, duck, pork, fish, beef. The food in general is based on strong spices and herbs for flavour and can be strong at times. The herbs used have been credited with preventative and curative properties, such as lemon grass, galanga, and basil leaves are very rich in vitamin C. Especially hot and spicy food can be beneficial in cleaning the body. In the countryside, it is traditional to eat with the family sitting on the floor sharing the meals. Food in the city, like Vientiane have a French and Vietnamese influence, for example steaks, baguettes, and noodle soup called Pho (pronounced Fer).
Drinks
Beer Lao is also a government owned product and is the only beer sold in Laos and luckily it tastes very good. Other unique drinks are Lao coffee and the potent rice wines.
