"The property "MANDA de LAOS" has been in my family for generations, its 3 lily ponds have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995

 

My Mum "Phiew" was born in 1930 in Luang Prabang, the eldest of three children.  

Her mother owned a small shop where she sold household goods and her father worked at the Royal Palace where he was responsible for organizing baptisms on the occasion of royal births and other ceremonies. 

He also worked as a goldsmith.

 

Like all young ladies in Luang Prabang of that time, Maman Phiew learned to cook traditional Lao dishes from her mother.

 

When she married my father they had 10 children including 5 girls, she passed this knowledge and her love of Lao cooking on to them.

 

Maman Phiew’s daily life was spent looking after her family and her small business, and she was always focused on her children’s welfare and particularly their meals which required great attention.

 

In the days before fast food and eating out, traditional dishes such as Laap required a full day of preparation with nothing left to chance or guesswork.

 

While daily life has changed in Laos and around the world, here at "Manda de Laos" we carry on the traditions and spirit of "Maman Phiew" ( Manda means ‘Mother’ in Laotian) , dedicated to sharing how one cooked and ate in the past when we had time . . ."

 

 

Toune Sisouphanthavong