Just reading you brings you a hell of a lot closer to becoming a Pho Khua - that means chef in Lao. That means, by the time you're done with our 30 recipes, you may be acquainted enough with the cuisine of Laos for you to open a restaurant! Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, why not start with one or two simple dishes first?

With The National Laos Cookbook, we're going to take you on an unexpected culinary journey through Laos. This southeast Asian country borders Thailand and not many people have heard about. While we'd love for more people to learn about Laos, that's also good news for us because there's a lot more room for surprises when it comes to food, and we're excited for you to try it! Come on!