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Kaipen
Spicy jaew bong sauce with kaipen
Type	Snack
Place of origin	Laos
Region or state	Luang Prabang
Main ingredients	Green algae, garlic, vegetables, sesame seeds

Kaipen (Lao: ໄຄແຜ່ນ, romanized: khai phaen, pronounced [kʰáj.pʰɛ̄n]) is a Laotian snack made of fresh water green algae, garlic, vegetables, and sesame seeds.

Kaipen is produced in northern Laos and is especially popular in the city of Luang Prabang. During the dry winter months (November to April), when the river level is at its lowest, the green algae called kai is gathered from the river bottom. It is washed and pounded thoroughly for maybe a couple of hours, generally in fresh water outside of the river and then set into cubes. A boiled, flavoured liquid including water, green and black olives and tamarind is then poured over it. Each cube is flattened on a plastic sheet and then placed on a flat reed mat. There, sesame seeds, and optionally dried sliced garlic, tomato and onion slices are sprinkled over it. The reed mats are then placed outside on a wood framed network to dry/cook in the sun for at least 7 hours. The finished product resembles a large sheet of Japanese nori. The Kaipen sheets are packed into plastic bags for resale. ^[1]

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.^[2]^[3]

A small number of people in Laos eat kaipen without cooking, although the safety of doing so could be questioned as it is a raw food and it does not taste anything like as good as quickly fried Kaipen, which is delightfully crispy. In 2002, some markets in the United States began to sell kaipen.^[4]

The algae is sometimes identified as Cladophora sp. or Dichotomosiphon tuberosus.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Kaipen". Archived from the original on 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
^ "Kaipen - Laos crispy river weed". 2015-03-14. Archived from the original on 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
^ "What is Kai Pen? A Delicious Vegan Snack from Northern Laos!". 2013-02-11. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
^ Fabricant, Florence (2002-05-22). "In Laos, a Regional Specialty Goes Global". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-10-12.

v t e Lao cuisine
Staples / Entrees	Goi Mok Khao jee Khao jee pâté Koi Lao beef jerky Lao sausage Larb Lard na Pad kee mao Pad Lao Pad sen lon Phat khing Phat si-io Pīng kai Pon pa Som moo Som phak Sticky rice
Soups / Stews	Ant egg soup Feu Kaeng som Keng No Mai Khao piak sen Khao poon Khao soi Or lam Thom khem Tom kha kai Tom yum
Salads / Wraps	Bamboo shoot salad Luang prabang salad Nam khao Nam tok Pun Soop nor mai Tam mak hoong Yum sen lon
Snacks / Desserts	Kaipen Khanom mor gaeng Khanom nap Khanom sun Khao tom Mango sticky rice Miang kham Nam waan Vun
Beverages	Beerlao Lao coffee Lao hai Lao-Lao Lao tea
Condiments	Jeow bong Jeow het Jeow mak gork Jeow mak len Kapi Nam pa Padaek
Equipment / Utensils	Huad Khantoke Khok Maw khang Mor gaeng Mor kharng Mor nung Saak Tao-lo

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