Lao Lao

[The_Traveler]

Lao-Lao - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Lao-Lao (Lao: ?????????) is a Laotian rice whisky produced in Laos. Along with Beerlao, lao-Lao is a staple drink in Laos. Contrary to what the romanized transcription would lead one to think, the name lao-Lao is not the same word repeated twice, but two different words pronounced with different tones: the first, ??????, means "alcohol" and is pronounced with a low-falling tone in the standard dialect, while the second, ???, means Laotian ("Lao") and is pronounced with a high(-rising) tone.

Although lao-Lao is traditionally drunk neat, a cocktail that is rising in popularity is the "Pygmy Slow Lorange", named after the Pygmy Slow Loris, a species endemic to Laos. Various flavoured lao-Laos are made by macerating such additives as honey or scorpions. It is women who often distill lao-Lao and sell it as a source of income locally, often being their second major income.

We were in Hmong village near Muang Sing, a town that once was a thriving center of the drug trade because it is close to very wild areas of both China and Myanmar (known as the Golden Triangle).

And we had the 'opportunity' to sample Lao Lao rice whiskey directly from the condenser. In the hot mid-day one shot nearly knocked me on my butt.
It tasted stronger than 90 proof and I had a burning sensation in throat and stomach for 24 hours after.

These women were selling Lao Lao, they asked for 8000 kip ($1) for the small bottle but my guess I could have got it for less. I don't know the meaning of the different colors and no one in the entire market would own up to speaking any English.

 

[tirediron]

I'm surprised you can still see!

 

[The_Traveler]

Everyone got a real charge out of my gasping.
This was not sipping whiskey and was stronger than other Lao Lao I've had.

 

[Rick50]

Boy, that's one poor country.

 

[The_Traveler]

Boy, that's one poor country.

The GDP of Laos 11.24 B $
Vietnam 171 B $
Phillippines 272 $B
Thailand 387.3 $B

And the money is certainly spread unevenly. 75% of the people work in agriculture where most of the work is done by hand. There is little interest in 'getting ahead' because the climate for business is so poor. Roads are terrible, thus there is no good way for business to grow. China uses upper Laos for low wage workers.
Every town I was in had a surprisingly large food market and it makes you realise just how many people live in smaller, no-map towns on dirt paths somewhere.

The only real growth industry is tourism and that is confined mostly to one city - Luang Prabang.

Laos - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

According to the anti-corruption non-governmental organization Transparency International, Laos remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world. This has deterred foreign investment and created major problems with the rule of law, including the nation's ability to enforce contract and business regulation.[9] Consequently, a third of the population of Laos currently lives below the international poverty line (living on less than US$1.25 per day).[10] Laos has a low-income economy, with one of the lowest annual incomes in the world. In 2013, Laos ranked in 138th place (tied with Cambodia) on the Human Development Index (HDI), indicating that Laos has lower medium to low development.[11] According to the Global Hunger Index (2013), Laos ranks as the 25th hungriest nation in the world out of the list of the 56 nations with the worst hunger situation(s).[12] Laos has had a poor human rights record most particularly dealing with the nation's acts of genocide being committed towards its Hmong population.