VACATION DETAILS

Traveling Spoon

Alex was born into a huge family in Northern Laos, the youngest of all his siblings. His village is close to the China border, and he belongs to an ethnic group called Phou Noi. Alex did his initial schooling in Laos and then had the opportunity to study International Business Management (IBM) in Switzerland for six years. He missed eating home cooking while living abroad and that is when his culinary journey began. Once he returned home to Laos, he started working as a guide and now enjoys introducing travelers to the rich history and culture of his beautiful country. The tradition in Alex’s home is that the man of the house does the cooking. He therefore inherited family recipes and cooking techniques from his father, which had been passed down from generation to generation, father to son. One very important cooking tip that his father gave him was to put your heart into each dish that you cook! Alex wants to share this love and passion for food with travelers. Start your experience with a market tour of the Phongsavanh Market, a 5-minute walk from Alex’s home. Here he will introduce you to local ingredients that you will later use in your cooking class. After an gaining an initial understanding of Laotian food and culture, join Alex in his outdoor kitchen for a one-hour cooking demo, where he will demonstrate how to make traditional Laotian dishes. The menu is seasonal - in the summer you might taste authentic dishes such as mok pa (fish fillets seasoned with chili paste, lemongrass and dill, wrapped in fresh banana leaves and steamed), lemongrass chicken or pork, a seasonal vegetable soup, Laotian-style eggplant. In the winter you might experience a seendat (Laotian barbecue) with meat, vegetables, thin rice noodles, clear broth and cheo suki (peanut and tamarind dipping sauce).