Laos brings its food from out of its neighbours’ shadow to the delicious delight of visitors.

It’s just past six and the morning light is struggling to make headway. Resplendent in saffron coloured robes, young monks stream slowly out of Luang Prabang’s temples. Devotees crouch as they put parcels of food into the monks’ bowls. The morning alms giving is an important ritual in this UNESCO World Heritage City and has become a major tourist attraction. Less seen, though, is another ritual connected to food that happens around the same time. Farmers come from the countryside to sell their produce from old tarpaulins spread on the streets by the Royal Palace Museum leading down to the Mekong river. A woman picks out limes from a selection of snake beans, eggplants and dill, and a grandmother stooped on a stool is busy deep-frying corn cakes.

Mark Andrews has written about everything from Japanese houses to heli hikes on New Zealand glaciers, test drives of Chinese cars to bar and restaurant reviews. He currently specialises in travel articles and reviews of Chinese cars plus articles about the Chinese auto industry.