- Kaipen
"Kaipen" is a Laotian food made of fresh water
green algae ,vegetables , andsesame seed s."Kaipen" is produced in the city of
Luang Prabang in Northern CentralLaos . During the hot dry summer months, when the river level is at its lowest, the green algae, called "kai", is gathered from the river bottom. It is washed in the river and then hung to dry. After a drying for a day, the "kai" is pounded and pressed into thin sheets along with vegetables which may includegreen onion ,galangal ,garlic and ortomato , and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The finished product resembles a large sheet of "Japanese nori"."Kaipen" is rich in
vitamins and minerals and tastes similar to "nori", but is slightly more sweet, bitter, and aromatic. "Kai" can be eaten by itself or used to flavour other foods. Flash-frying is the preferred method of preparation, after which it can be eaten like apotato chip . Eating fried "kaipen" while drinking a coldBeerlao would be optimal. Many people in Laos also eat "kaipen" without prior cooking, although the safety of doing so could be questioned as it is a raw food. In 2007, some markets in theUnited States began to sell "kaipen".The algae is sometimes identified as "
Cladophora " sp. or "Dichotomosiphon tuberosum" A. Br.External links
* [http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=340419223&channel=340408075 Kaipen Recipes]
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