Whenever I am travelling in Laos, or any country in Asia for that matter, my morning ritual is a leisurely stroll around a fresh market chatting to the ladies selling produce, grazing on a couple of local snacks, and taking pictures.

Up north, markets are particularly colourful due to the presence of many different ethnic groups such as the Tai Dam lady above.

Sellers have a particular way of arranging their produce in small sized heaps or freshly cooked food in portion sized  bowls, ready to tip into a bag when you make a purchase.

 The ladies  take great care with their beautiful displays, bunching salad vegetables together and threading them on strips of bamboo, and arranging small river fish nicely. It’s a visual feast.

Next on my morning itinerary is a warming bowl of fur, a hearty noodle soup and the staple dish of Laos. Most markets have an area with several fur stalls, each beautifully laid out with baskets of fresh herbs and condiments to enliven your soup. The stock is cooked on a charcoal brazier and ladled over a handful of noodles and your choice of meat. 

The most common in Laos in beef or buffalo but pork and chicken are also available. Tear in a handful of mint, basil, pea shoots, a squeeze of lime and a dollop of roasted chilli paste and there’s no better start to the day. Add a Lao coffee with sweet condensed milk and kanom jap gluay, a Chinese style doughnut to dip in it and you have the breakfast of champions.

More pictures can be seen in the Laos gallery.