Lao-Lao

Lao-Lao (Lao: ເຫລົ້າລາວ) is a Laotian rice whisky produced in Laos.[1][2] Along with Beerlao, lao-Lao is a staple drink in Laos.

Lao-Khamu men drinking lao-hai from an earthenware jar. Water is added to the jar to maintain the liquid level as the alcohol is sipped.

Etymology

Contrary to what the romanized transcription would lead one to think, the name lao-Lao is not the same word repeated twice, but two different words pronounced with different tones: the first, ເຫລົ້າ, means "alcohol" and is pronounced with a low-falling tone in the standard dialect, while the second, ລາວ, means Laotian ("Lao") and is pronounced with a high(-rising) tone.[3]

Taste

Quality, taste and alcohol concentration vary by source of the drink. However, all variations are strong. Lao satoe, the white liquid by-product from lao-Lao production, is also drunk and it has a very yeasty and sweet taste.[3][4]

Production and consumption

Although lao-Lao is traditionally drunk neat, a cocktail that is rising in popularity is the "Pygmy Slow Lorange", named after the pygmy slow loris, a species endemic to Laos. Various flavoured lao-Laos are made by macerating such additives as honey or scorpions. It is women who often distill lao-Lao and sell it as a source of income locally, often being their second major income.[1][5] Lao-Lao sold on retail is usually clear, but amber colored varieties exist too.[2]

It is traditional to serve two glasses of lao-Lao on ceremonies, feasts and other comparable situations. The drink is customarily expected to be drunk with a single gulp.[3][4]

A less powerful version of lao-Lao, called lao-hai, is especially popular with the Khamu ethnic group in Laos, and is drunk from large communal earthenware pots (hai) through long bamboo straws.[4]

See also

References
  1. Sally Everett (12 April 2016). Food and Drink Tourism: Principles and Practice. SAGE Publications. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-4739-6597-3.
  2. "The cheapest alcohol in the world: Lao-Lao, Laos rice whiskey". www.priceoftravel.com. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  3. Dorothy Culloty (2010). Food from Northern Laos: The Boat Landing Cookbook. Galangal Press. pp. 178–179. ISBN 978-0-473-17236-7.
  4. The Rough Guide to Laos. Rough Guides Limited. 19 September 2013. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4093-5038-5.
  5. "Gender and Aquaculture in Lao PDR". www.fao.org.
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