Roadside Stand · Dried Water-Buffalo Hide

Dried Buffalo Skin

Photo: Mx. Granger / Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Thin shreds of it are a key ingredient in jeow bong, the sweet, smoky chili paste of Luang Prabang, where the skin adds a chewy bite.

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.