The principal translators received much help and advice from other qualified persons. In doing the translations, they sought to be fairly literal and kept to the sequence of ingredients and that of instructions which Phia Sing himself followed. However, certain steps were taken to make the recipes easier to use. All these are in brackets. Phia Sing himself added explanatory notes at the end of certain recipes.
All footnotes are by the translators or editors.
A note from the publisher, Prospect Books, Allaleigh House, Blackawton, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7DL, England. Traditional Recipes of Laos is and will remain a book of unique interest for cooks and scholars. Virtually nothing has been published in the past about Lao foods and cookery, distinctive and fascinating though these are. The recipes are preceded by full information about Lao eating habits, utensils and ingredients. This information is illuminated by 100 drawings, all by Lao artists.