the key ingredient is the pepperwood. these, ah, wooden blocks with has like ah, white peppers. anthony: that infuses the dish, you don t eat it? james: it s like a you don t eat it. it s a very herbaceous, peppery, really rich. mr. see: yeah. anthony: unlike anything i ve ever had. james: mmhm. we have two types of larb, one s raw, one s cooked. anthony: mmhm. so it s cooked buffalo, raw buffalo. james: buffalo. but yeah. anthony: man, it s really good. james: yeah. this was kinda improvised. um, lut bang. lut bang translates to, ah, fixed blood. so, it s buffalo blood. it s a really tricky way to prepare the dish, because you want the blood to set, so the way you do it is to dilute the blood with water. anthony: right. james: and just pour it over herbs and that s it. laos panna cotta. [ laughter ] anthony: mmm, this is really, really good. you know the balance is so beautiful. james: this meal kinda represents like the, lao table. you always got to ha
translator: you grab the vegetable and dip it in the sauce. eat like young children do. translator: this is, ah, chicken. anthony: chicken! translator: this is chicken also, but with blood and some inner heart. every hmong family will know this. anthony: beautiful. translator: good. anthony: he was here when the french were here, yes? mr. lee: yes, i saw them. translator: was it after the french left that you joined the army? mr. lee: yes, yes. after signing the agreement, the french withdrew. and in 1963, the americans came. they came here and they made the hmong fight against the hmong and the lao fight against the lao. they made these people fight. it was, like, if you see me, then i die. if i see you, then you die. anthony: how was, ah, he injured? translator: how did you get injured? mr. lee: the very first
river crab? mama vaughn: crab. river crab, yeah. anthony: mm! mama vaughn: see? anthony: it s good. michel: mm-hm. mama vaughn: it s only in luang prabang anthony: you could eat the shell? mama vaughn: yes. anthony: mm. mama vaughn: and fish with pork grill. michel: all in banana leaves mama vaughn: banana leaves. mm. and then this is ginger sauce. eat the pork skin. anthony: pork skin, of course. and we have to have sticky rice. michel: yeah, sticky rice. mama vaughn: okay, bon appetit! anthony: food like this, uh, this is an imperial dish, a, a royal dish? mama vaughn: mmhm. anthony: have these disappeared, these recipes, or are they still here? they still are? mama vaughn: they re still here but you know, cause tony, it some time they do it not the way that sup not supposed to do it. they change ingredient a lot. my grandma teach me how to do this. anthony: now you were born here, yes? in luang prabang? mama vaughn: yes, in luang prabang.
when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. mama vaughn: journalist. that s why you get your job. michel: that s how i became a journalist. anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? michel: well, i think one important thing is the uxo, unexploded ordinances. anthony: right. michel: american b52s, they came on bombing missions in laos. everyday, everyday, everyday. and after bombing, they have to cross mekong back for and, and land. but they are not allowed to land with bombs on board. so they have bombs left, they would drop them at random. that s why we have so, so many and in, in so many provinces. anthony: what do you think it means though, that the president came here? this is a, look, this is a small country. only 7 million and change people. mama and mi
it s a lot of money. this one, the local snack. anthony: ah, chicken feet. good. older sister: and, ah, buffalo tendon. anthony: oh nice, good. yeah, i m gonna try that. older sister: and the dried squid? anthony: dried squid. older sister: mmm. anthony: ah, i love this, this is delicious. older sister: when we eat and there, we enjoy food. in lao, we say seplai. anthony: seplai. older sister: seplai. anthony: your hotel. mama vaughn: my hotel. anthony: how long has it been open? mama vaughn: well, it s been about twenty years. anthony: today, i m having lunch at the ban lao hotel, during the secret war it was the offices for u.s. foreign aide mission. the building was also a cover for cia headquarters. mama vaughn: that big building used to belong to usaid. anthony: can we say wha michel: are you sure? usaid or cia, i don t know. anthony: well this is what i want to ask. generally speaking, in tho in tho michel: at that time, we never kn