Water chestnut. Famous from Xieng Khuang province these are starchy tubers of about 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter of dark grey color outside (a kind of root fruit). The inside is white like sweet potatoes. You can see them sold usually by farmers in markets in Laos. There is a Lao saying: "when you fall in love with a girl, you feel like you are eating mak haew (so sweet and coconut-milky taste that you don't want to stop eating)" (ngaam huk kun waan mun meuan dung kin haew).
Papaya. There is great discussion about the difference between papaya and paw paw or papaw. Essentially, they are all the same thing. It just depends where you are. The size of a large avocado, it has soft-textured, fragrant, apricot-coloured flesh with small black seeds which must be stripped out. It is a great breakfast fruit. If you have an unripe papaya which you wish to ripen overnight, pierce it with a sharp knife several times. It should be cut lengthways as this facilitates the removal of the seeds.
Green or unripe papaya. There is great discussion about the difference between papaya and paw paw or papaw. Essentially, they are all the same thing. It just depends where you are. The size of a large avocado, it has soft-textured, fragrant, apricot-coloured flesh with small black seeds which must be stripped out. It is a great breakfast fruit. If you have an unripe papaya which you wish to ripen overnight, pierce it with a sharp knife several times. It should be cut lengthways as this faciliates the removal of the seeds. In South East Asia and India unripe papaya is used in the same way as unripe mango, as a souring agent in sweet and savoury dishes.
Yellow, or ripe papaya. There is great discussion about the difference between papaya and paw paw or papaw. Essentially, they are all the same thing. It just depends where you are. The size of a large avocado, it has soft-textured, fragrant, apricot-coloured flesh with small black seeds which must be stripped out. It is a great breakfast fruit. If you have an unripe papaya which you wish to ripen overnight, pierce it with a sharp knife several times. It should be cut lengthways as this facilitates the removal of the seeds.
Long aubergine (US: eggplant). This is the large, glossy aubergine we see in the west. The Lao aubergine is generally small and round.
Long aubergine (US: eggplant). This is the large, glossy aubergine we see in the west. The Lao aubergine is generally small and round.
