Making Sang Gai & Laap Gai

Meat is a luxury for the people of Ban Houehing, a rural village that requires a five-hour boat ride from Luang Prabang.

But when guests visit, the villagers cook one of their own chickens as a gesture of hospitality, despite having few livestock.

Traditionally, they prepare Sang Gai and Laap Gai, or chicken soup and chicken salad, with recipes that have been passed down for generations.

Primary school teacher Souvanhdee Lephoungsa takes us through the entire cooking process, from slaughtering the chicken to serving it, which he learnt from observing his parents in the kitchen when he was younger. ∎