Kaipen
Encyclopedia
Kaipen is a Laotian snack made of fresh water green algae
, vegetables, and sesame seeds.
Kaipen is produced in the city of Luang Prabang
in Northern Central Laos
. During the hot dry summer months, when the river level is at its lowest, the green algae, called kai, is gathered from the river bottom. It is washed in the river and then hung to dry. After drying for a day, the kai is pounded and pressed into thin sheets along with vegetables which may include green onions
, galangal
, garlic
and or tomato
, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The finished product resembles a large sheet of Japanese nori
.
Kaipen is rich in vitamins and minerals and tastes similar to nori, but is slightly more sweet, bitter, and aromatic. Kai can be eaten by itself or used to flavour other foods. Flash-frying is the preferred method of preparation, after which it can be eaten like a potato chip
. Eating fried kaipen while drinking a cold Beerlao
would be optimal. Many people in Laos also eat kaipen without prior cooking, although the safety of doing so could be questioned as it is a raw food. In 2007, some markets in the United States
began to sell kaipen.
The algae is sometimes identified as Cladophora
sp. or Dichotomosiphon
tuberosum A. Br.
Green algae
The green algae are the large group of algae from which the embryophytes emerged. As such, they form a paraphyletic group, although the group including both green algae and embryophytes is monophyletic...
, vegetables, and sesame seeds.
Kaipen is produced in the city of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
in Northern Central Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. During the hot dry summer months, when the river level is at its lowest, the green algae, called kai, is gathered from the river bottom. It is washed in the river and then hung to dry. After drying for a day, the kai is pounded and pressed into thin sheets along with vegetables which may include green onions
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
, galangal
Galangal
Galangal is a rhizome of plants of the genus Alpinia or Kaempferia in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originated from Indonesia...
, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
and or tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The finished product resembles a large sheet of Japanese nori
Nori
is the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver. Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking...
.
Kaipen is rich in vitamins and minerals and tastes similar to nori, but is slightly more sweet, bitter, and aromatic. Kai can be eaten by itself or used to flavour other foods. Flash-frying is the preferred method of preparation, after which it can be eaten like a potato chip
Potato chip
Potato chips are thin slices of potato that are deep fried...
. Eating fried kaipen while drinking a cold Beerlao
Beerlao
Beerlao is the name of a range of beers produced by the Lao Brewery Company of Vientiane, Laos.- Beerlao :...
would be optimal. Many people in Laos also eat kaipen without prior cooking, although the safety of doing so could be questioned as it is a raw food. In 2007, some markets in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
began to sell kaipen.
The algae is sometimes identified as Cladophora
Cladophora
Cladophora is a genus of reticulated filamentous Ulvophyceae . The genus Cladophora contains many species that are very hard to tell apart and classify, mainly because of the great variation in their appearances, which is affected by habitat, age and environmental conditions...
sp. or Dichotomosiphon
Dichotomosiphon
In taxonomy, Dichotomosiphon is a genus of algae in the family Dichotomosiphonaceae.-Scientific databases:* * *...
tuberosum A. Br.