Ponpailin ‘Noi’ Kaewduangdee, cook-owner of Doi Ka Noi restaurant in Vientiane, Laos has announced the publication of her first book, A Child of the Rice Fields: Recipes from Noi’s Lao Kitchen. The book serves as comprehensive content on Lao cuisine – a treasure trove of flavors that remain little known, even within Southeast Asia.
Born in an off-grid subsistence farming community in Khammouane Province, central Laos, Noi was taught to cook by her grandmother as a child. Until now, her recipes had never been written down.
“My grandmother’s gift to me was a deep understanding of my food culture and the belief that the tastiest Lao food is home-cooked, unhurried, and shared with family and friends. The dishes I prepare every day of my life are a tangible memory and a celebration of my love for her. By sharing my recipes in this book, I hope to raise awareness of my country’s wonderful cuisine,” Noi said.
When Noi opened her restaurant, Doi Ka Noi, almost a decade ago she quickly gained a reputation as one of the country’s most talented and knowledgeable cooks with a passion for showcasing Laos’s incredible diversity of dishes and ingredients. Her small weekly changing menus highlight seasonal and regional ingredients, many foraged, such as different varieties of bamboo, vegetable ferns tops, wild ginger flowers, mushrooms, ‘Lao caviar’ or weaver ant eggs, and much more.
The 480-page book includes an overview of the country and culture, ingredients and techniques sections, and more than 120 of Noi’s recipes. The text and recipes of A Child of the Rice Fields: Recipes from Noi’s Lao Kitchen are supported by more than 400 photographs.
With chapters including Khao Sao – Breakfast, Kin Lin – Appetizers and Light Bites, Jaew – Dips, Sauces and Pastes, Tam – Pounded, Ping – Grilled, Goy, Laab, Yam – Salads, Mok – Wrapped and Steamed, Oua – Stuffed, Som – Soured, and more, the book’s recipes are detailed, enticing, and authentic. Many of them regularly appear on the weekly changing menu at Doi Ka Noi.
A Child of the Rice Fields: Recipes from Noi’s Lao Kitchen include recipes for many of the dishes served at the restaurant and more. The book is a collaboration between Noi and her English husband, writer-photographer, Mick Shippen, who has lived in Southeast Asia for 25 years.
“A Child of the Rice Fields: Recipes from Noi’s Lao Kitchen is the result of many shared meals and conversations, and countless hours working together in the kitchen to faithfully document Noi’s inherited recipes. The astonishing thing is that we have only touched the surface of her incredible knowledge,” he said.
The book also contained photographs to accompany every recipe, as well as images of ingredients, people, and places in Laos. Lovers of exotic flavors can learn to make classic Lao dishes such as ping gai tam mak hung, barbecued chicken with spicy papaya salad, mok pa nahm kong, fish steamed with herbs in banana leaf parcels, naem khao, crispy rice ball salad, sai oua som, soured pork sausage, as well as lesser-known dishes such as oua hua si kai, lemongrass stuffed with pork, glass noodles and herbs, and gaeng mak mee sai gadook sin moo, young jackfruit soup with pork ribs.
As readers dive into A Child of the Rice Fields, they’ll not only uncover the diverse flavors of Laos but also sense the genuine warmth of its people. It’s more than just a cookbook—it’s a personal journey into the heart of Lao cuisine.
Expected release date: October 2024
