Sticky rice, the flexible national staple, is consumed more in Laos than anyplace else on the planet. Every year, Laotians devour 155 kg of this national food, which is customarily eaten with their hands and offered sweet, fermented, or sour. In comparison, the average European or American consumes about 9 kilograms of rice per year. Indeed, Laotians are usually referred to as "luk khao niaow," which translates to "children or descendants of sticky rice." This seems fitting.