Rice-eating etiquette
While spoons and chopsticks are used to eat Lao soups, wet dishes and noodles, the custom when eating sticky rice is to use only the fingers and palm of the right hand. It is also customary to replace the lid of the rice basket when you are finished.
Soak and steam
Sticky rice needs to be soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours before steaming. If it’s boiled, the grains will collapse and go mushy.
Daily grind
It’s important to check your mortar and pestle regularly for small cracks since they can trap food and breed germs. All you can do in this case is discard them. After use, give the mortar and pestle a good rinse in warm water (and a little detergent if you’ve been using particularly pungent ingredients). Pounding a little uncooked rice after rinsing and drying the mortar and pestle helps remove residual odours.
