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CONNECTIONS
THE
LAO FOOD FOUNDATION Reconnecting through food. TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICK SHIPPEN
above: Participants from America and Laos at gathered for the first Lao Food Foundation event in Luang Prabang 1. Chef Seng Luangrath, flying the flag for Lao cuisine in America 2. Noi Kaewduangdy and Chef Deth Khaiaphone buying food in Luang Prabang’s morning market
T
he shared experience of preparing food and eating together binds us like no other. It is an essential part of our most joyous celebrations, and when friends and family are reunited. Relationships begin over candlelit dinners; the spurned placate themselves with indulgent sweet treats. Food is also the touchstone of comfort and culture for migrants finding their place in new lands. Many, of course, open restaurants, introducing us to exciting new ingredients, vibrant flavors, and ways of eating. Interestingly, the wave of migrants that left Laos for America in the late 70s and early 80s kept their kitchen secrets to themselves. At the time, little was known about landlocked Laos, let alone its cuisine, so those with a talent for cooking opened Thai restaurants in their new homeland. Fast-forward a few decades and it’s true to say there has been a culinary and cultural
awakening within America’s Lao community. As a popular hashtag declares, they are #laoandproud and determined to spread the word about the country’s distinctive and delicious food. One of the first to emerge was Chef Seng Luangrath. Seng always had a passion for cooking, a skill she learned at a tender age in a refugee camp at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. However, it wasn’t until 2010, encouraged by friends and family, that she opened the Thai restaurant Bangkok Golden in Washington DC. Despite its success, Seng hungered to shine the spotlight on her own cuisine. She felt that the time was right. People were more well-traveled and open to new food experiences. What’s more, an emerging generation of Lao-Americans was striving to assert their identity. And what better way than through food? Seng started the Lao Food Movement with the aim of educating Americans who want to learn more about the country and its cuisine. Using social media as its window to the world, it now has more than 17,000 followers on Instagram. More importantly for Seng personally, however,
