The Fresh Produce Market in Luang Prabang gets going pretty early in the morning. I've been told 5am or so. I really wasn't too excited about visiting the market since it was located on a side street right past the Palace Museum, and just steps from tourist central. Man, was I totally wrong! The Fresh Market proved to be the most fascinating market I've ever visited. The following photos were taken during the course of our stay in Luang Prabang, as we passed through the market on the way to "Same-Same" every morning. It got even more interesting after I started recognizing some of the more exotic items after taking a cooking class. So off we go…..
At first glance, this market looks just like any other outdoor market in Southeast Asia.
There's a ton of fresh produce:
The covered meat and poultry section….
Where I snapped one of my favorite photos….
And all the usual suspects.
Everything you'd need, and also a ton of prepared food as well.
And so we strolled along. Just your typical SEA market, ho-de-do (Lunag Prabang has a way of putting you into a calm, relaxed state)….until we turned the corner.
And ummm, isn't that chopped and portioned python? And what about all those honeycombs?
And were those silkworms? And what the heck is in that blue bucket? Is that someone's pet, or "what's for dinner?"
Later on we'd (well, I) found that fried silkworms and bee larvae are delicious!
There's a lot of various dried critters, many of which are used to flavor various Or Lam (stews).
And there were many forest animals, some cleaned and prepped, and some, like that snake on the left, very alive.
And those little bodies in the center were the same as the little dude in the blue bucket. I was told they called these "forest rats". And no, we never saw any Laotian Rock Rats. But this was a veritable edible zoo.
There is a premium on "live"…….
I also saw a good number of turkeys, something I didn't expect.
This woman sold live poultry, which were kept in baskets. Inquire about one of her chickens, she'd quickly pull one out of the basket in a smooth motion for inspection.
Purchase something, and it is dispatched and cleaned in a quick and efficient manner.
The variety is staggering!
Water Buffalo Skin is very popular for dishes like Jeow Bong…..
And no matter how many times we visited, we always noticed something new and different. Like the weird human looking "fruit" the sign said was "Karipom". I haven't been able to find anything on this, so if you have some info I'd love to hear from you!
And there were those items we learned to identify after eating and learning to cook some of the dishes. Like the river moss that they make into Khai Pene:
On the lower left are "Lao Olives", on the right, Sa-Khan, the branches used to flavor Or Lam:
This is called Cha-om….and if you think it looks familiar, you'd be right. It's acacia.
On the right is Wick Wai – Rattan, also used to flavor stews:
Many of the folks in the market are very friendly….even to clueless tourists like us. The (relative) cleanliness was also apparent.
Many of the vendors live in the forests, mountains, and along the rivers surrounding Luang Prabang. Much of what you see is what was gathered for market. Sometimes it's just a few items….a bird, or maybe a few mushrooms……
Whether you want them unplucked, or ready for cooking, you'll find it here.
And of course, that all important staple, Padek, is represented in full ripeness.
I started looking forward to our walks through the market every morning. You'd never knew what you'd see. And in spite of the camcorder carrying tourists, this is a vibrant "people's" market.
At the end of the market is the grill area…….. where all manner of sausages and "meat on a stick" are grilled up.
Grilled pork belly is very popular……
Ever had the feeling that someones dinner was staring you down????
So if you're ever in Luang Prabang, don't forget to check out the Fresh Produce Market….. you'll never know what you'll find!