The offal is used in all sorts of inventive ways, often in noodle soups or barbecued over charcoal in the little clay outdoor cooking stoves that are still widely used.
The dishes are all shared and everybody dips in with their spoons, forks or hands.
Chopsticks are only used for noodle soups and dishes.
Several uniquely Lao flavours are a bit of an acquired taste, a Luang Prabang speciality called Jeo bong is a very popular chilli dip where the recipe calls for 50 dried red chillies to start with!