Tradition of serving up traditional food at festival still alive

Vientiane Times is publishing a series of articles to mark Visit Laos Year 2024

The residents of several villages have a tradition of serving food and drinks and providing entertainment to friends and relatives from far and near who drop by their houses on the last day of the That Luang festival.
The local people prepare extra food whenever there is a festival in their village. This is a tradition that the Lao people have followed for a very long time. When friends and relatives visit their houses during a festival, the host greets them with the food and drinks.

People enjoy eating noodle soup on the last day of the That Luang festival. (File photo)

The type of food served on such occasions depends on the host. The traditional foods that are eaten during  festivals – noodle soup, papaya salad, and beef or pork salad – are usually the main items on the menu to welcome friends and relatives who come from different provinces or overseas.
Ms Vilayluck and her family said they would prepare noodle soup and pork salad, just as they have done in past years, for relatives from different provinces participating in the That Luang festival and expected to drop by at their home for a few hours.
“Serving up noodle soup and drinks for visitors at this time is a tradition among Lao people. It is not only during the That Luang festival, as Lao people serve noodle soup and drinks during other festivals too. Whenever there is a festival, there is free food to serve to relatives and friends,” she said.
Ms Vilayluck said that since ancient times, the people have organised many festivals and all 12 months of the year have some festivals. Almost every village has a festival of its own every year. “So, when friends and relatives have festivals in their villages, they serve food to us too when we drop by their houses during the festival. It would be the same as people in our village serving free food for them whenever there is a festival,” she said.
She said the people living in the area around That Luang will not prepare only traditional items such as noodle soup and beef or pork salad, but they also serve boiled chicken, grilled chicken and khaolaam or newly harvested sticky rice cooked with coconut cream, sugar and salt, and grilled in a bamboo tube over charcoal.
“Successive generations have kept this custom alive. If you visit a friend you don’t need to buy food to bring with you. You can be sure they will ask if you have eaten lunch or dinner already,” Ms Vilayluck said.
“If the answer is no, they will serve you a bowl of noodle soup, a meat salad, and snacks such as khaotom and khaolaam, followed by a soft drink or alcohol. They certainly won’t charge you and will just be happy that you were able to visit them.”

Devotees enjoy breakfast together after making offerings at the That Luang Festival. (File photos)

On the last day of the That Luang festival, almost every family in the area will spend virtually the whole day preparing food for guests. If you drive through these areas, you would probably smell the food and enjoy the sound of singing coming from most homes. 
From early in the morning to late in the evening, the people will be busy serving up plates of food. This year, the last day of the festival falls on Friday, which is a holiday for almost everyone. This means friends and relatives from all corners of Laos will have time to share food and drinks with their friends in That Luang village and nearby villages.
One of the most popular items on the menu is noodles made of jasmine rice. The rice is soaked for a few days before it is pounded so that noodles can be formed. These noodles can be added to a wide variety of broths. The broth may be made from pork, beef or fish, and several kinds of vegetables and mint may be added.
The most popular soups eaten at weddings and other important events contain coconut cream and fish, or a broth to which only fish has been added.
Noodle soup can be eaten with banana flowers, cabbage, papaya, bamboo shoots, long beans, lettuce, spring onions, coriander or mint.
Wherever there is a festival in Laos, there will be a noodle soup. All Lao people lap up a bowl of noodle soup whenever they get the chance, and certainly no one would refuse it at a festival.  On the last day of the That Luang festival, large pots of broth and big trays of vegetables will appear in long lines on the esplanade.
If you attend the festival or even just pass through Laos, you will inevitably tuck into a bowl of noodle soup at some point. This will probably be a vastly different experience from eating noodle soup in your home country.
It goes without saying that the last day of the That Luang festival is one of the best times to sample this quintessential Lao dish. And if that doesn’t fill you up, there’ll be plenty of boiled chicken and other festival favourites on offer.
On the last day of the That Luang festival, after people have made their offerings in the morning by 7am, devotees will sit around the meal tray, greeting each other in the Lao style and sharing their food.
Some people will send greetings to their relatives and friends who were not able to come for the festival. It is only once a year that local families and foreign visitors gather to take part in this special event on the grounds of the That Luang, a large, gold-covered stupa at the centre of Vientiane, whose establishment dates back to the 3rd century AD.
At no other time in Laos do such a large number of people converge to make offerings and eat together. Foreign visitors to the festival will catch a true glimpse of Lao culture in terms of cuisine, way of eating, clothing and making offerings. Some families will bring rattan and bamboo trays from home to display their dishes.
The last day of That Luang festival is always a wonderful time, when people can meet and greet each other under joyous circumstances.   

By Phon Thikeo
 (Latest Update November 13, 2024)