Roadside Stand · Dried Water-Buffalo Hide

Dried Buffalo Skin

Photo: Mx. Granger / Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Sold stacked and stiff as rawhide at roadside stands, it only reveals its actual texture after a long soak and simmer, turning tender and gelatinous enough to soak up a soup's broth.

Strips of water buffalo hide are dried hard in the sun and sold in stacks at roadside stands around Vientiane. Cooks soak and boil the pieces until soft, then add them into soups and stews for a chewy, gelatinous bite.

Why it's made this way: It's a practical way to use the whole animal after slaughter, and the roadside stands selling it dried are a common, everyday sight in Vientiane's markets.