Laos’ Fish Larb Video Show At Fisheries Meeting In Rome
Source: Vientiane Times
Lao food, fish Larb “Fish mixed salad” recently was selected to show its delicious recipe via a shot video to VIP’s at a global fisheries conference in Rome, Italy.
A 55 second video recipe for Laos’ ever-popular Larb (Laab) made with Mekong River fish and prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations staff including the country representative Nasar Hayat and showed at a global fisheries conference in Rome, Italy on February 3.
Featuring the popular dish made from a species of fish known in Lao as Pa Kheng (Anabas testudineus), the video shot in the Lao capital of Vientiane was among 15 from around the world and the only example chosen from the ASEAN region to be shown to attendees at the 34th session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI).
Utilising mobile phones and limited time, The 34th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI 34) invited all its staff to share their personal fish food experiences and culinary adventures, inspiring people to reflect on the wisdom of fishing communities with some 15 selected.
Now on the FAO’s COFI website (https://www.fao.org/about/meetings/cofi/fishfoodexperience) and via Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A20Mnhl0KZE&feature=youtu.be), the video shot by the Mekong River in the Lao capital shows the specific way to prepare Lao fish larb.
The COFI conference attendees were informed that Larb is a type of salad that is regarded as the unofficial national dish of Laos.
Variations of the dish are also popular among the ethnic Lao people of neighbouring countries and can be enjoyed with many kinds of meat including fish. A popular choice for this meal is the endemic fish species known in the Lao language as Pa Kheng (Anabas testudineus) found in the Mekong River.
In the Lao PDR and worldwide, people eat fish because they like the taste and texture or its nutritional benefits. From catching it or buying it at a market stall, and then preparing, cooking it and sinking our teeth into something that’s succulent and tasty is a satisfying experience. Yet eating fish is not just about taste and nutrition.
Fish consumption tells us a lot about social and cultural practices, and it often reinforces the ties between ourselves and our communities. Consuming fish or fish products is a way to strengthen social ties. From the catch to table, fish can be part of a specific cultural identity, or a choice that makes people feel at home.
