A Letter From Our Founder

Dear Friends,

I am excited to share our very first newsletter with you. We hope this quarterly publication will give you a chance to learn something new from the people and communities that create Lao food and ingredients, including the techniques and methods we share here.

Just a bit about us - the Lao Food Foundation was founded in 2020, inspired by the successful gathering of the first Lao Food Retreat in Luang Prabang, where a dedicated group gathered to talk, eat, and exchange ideas on the diverse cuisines of Laos.

Our group is composed of chefs, business owners, entrepreneurs, researchers, bloggers and Lao food enthusiasts, with an abundance of stories, wisdom, knowledge and curiosity to share with each other and the world. 

I was born in Vientiane but after the war in Laos, was raised in the U.S. It was not always easy to maintain our culture, with the pressure and desire to adapt to our new country. But my father​, from Luang Prabang, and mom, from Thakhek, came from provinces with such delicious specialties as orr laam (savory, aromatic stew) and mum (cured liver and herbs). Growing up in America, when I ate Lao food, it was not only delicious, but it was also a reminder that not all was lost after war and refuge. Sharing sticky rice, ping pha (grilled fish) and jeow (dipping paste), was an opportunity to learn and celebrate my Lao culture. Food is also a way to remember my family stories and ancestral land.    

Like our beloved sticky rice, Lao food binds us. No matter where you go in the world, where there are people from Laos, there is food from Laos. 

Through our delicious cuisine, the Lao Food Foundation will help the world get to know Laos and its people better. Together, we can make Lao food, a cuisine of the world.

We’re just getting started and would love to hear from you. Please let us know what stories you liked (or questioned), and story ideas you might have or want to share. We look forward to staying in touch! 

-Channapha Khamvongsa