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| The Mekong riverweed tastes best when fried. | The chopped algae get a second wash through a wire mesh to rid it of dirt or dust particles. |
BangkokPost
22/03/2007
Algae make good source of income
YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
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| The Mekong riverweed tastes best when fried. | The chopped algae get a second wash through a wire mesh to rid it of dirt or dust particles. |
Sun-dried riverweed laced with sesame is a typical Lao appetiser that has for long been a major source of income for residents of Ban Muang Kham village, not far from the ancient capital of Luang Prabang.
One of its residents is Pa Pui Pongdara, an elderly woman who possesses one of the best riverweed recipes in the community. Unique, it was created by her great, great grandfather and passed to her down the generations. Her product, together with those produced by other villages along the Mekong, have ready buyers in the market and restaurants of Laung Prabang.
Looking like fine moss, locals call the weed Khai Paen. At least that is how it is referred to in restaurant menus. Sourced from the Mekong River, it is not like the Japanese seaweed, although there are similarities. The Lao weed is dark green, flat and sturdier than its brittle Japanese counterpart that is used as a wrap for dishes like Enquire and roll Maki Zushi.
A 45-minute ride by boat from Tha Heuame pier in Luang Prabang delivered me to the village on a humid afternoon. Pa Pui told me that income from selling riverweed was sufficient to allow her to lead a decent life.
She ushered me to an open area where rows of neatly stacked weed basked in the sun. From a distance the thin sheets looked like samples of modern art to me, especially when shredded green cabbage and tomato were thrown in to add to its flavour.
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| Villagers set out early morning in canoes to collect weed in the Mekong River. | Sheets of riverweed left to dry in sun. |
"It is basically filaments of algae," explained Kham Noi, Pa Pui's eldest daughter who heads the family business. "During dry season villagers are out four o'clock in the morning to gather the weed. It grows on the river's bed where the water is clear. We have to wade through water and reach down to collect it. It is easier when tide is low. Some people wear dive masks. During peak season it can fetch good money.
"Sometimes it is also referred as the Mekong riverweed. It also thrives on submerged and underwater rocks," added Kham Noi.
Pa Pui then gave us a demonstration of how it is made. When the weed is pulled fresh from the river, it is beaten back and forth on the water's surface to rid it of mud and other particles. Next it is chopped into fine pieces and then filtered through a mesh so that no large traces are left behind. The chopped sample is then put on a square-shaped metal mesh and rinsed for a second time, drained and the fine extract is carefully spread onto flat, dried straw racks.
Then comes the most important part of the procedure, enthused Pa Pui, as she patted the drying sheets of freshly washed algae with a concoction of herbs and vinegar. Moments later finely sliced tomatoes and cabbage were thrown onto the sheets. Once again a broom stick doused with herbal mixture was applied to the sheets, followed by a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds and then left to dry in the sun. Dried sheets are stored in air-tight containers. The most delicious way to eat them is by frying.
Kham Noi said during peak harvest season that lasts two months her household can produce up to 300 sheets of riverweed a day, each worth 10 baht.
In the old days, she said, the peak season lasted five months, but not any more because perhaps the river is not as fertile as it once used to be.
However, it is still an important source of income for villagers and an equally important source of nutrients for fish on which the villagers are also dependent for their bread and butter.