SLIDE SHOW: Sausage-Making on the Mekong River

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Pi Git makes the casings for their sausage.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Pi Ton with shallots destined for the sai ooah, a northern-style Thai sausage.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Lemongrass and garlic bought at the morning market.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

This was a sausage-making idyll.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

An old scale Git and Ton used in the early days of sausage making.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Plates for their antique grinder, affixed to the fencepost.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Meat, sticky rice and garlic in the hopper of the grinder, soon to be sausage.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

This much lemongrass goes into one 15 kilo batch of sai ooah.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

The herbal mixture gets ground with pork.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Working shrimp paste and spices into the second meat mixture.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Pi Ton's nimble fingers tying off links of sai krok.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

The sausage is then hung to ferment in the dry winter heat.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

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Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

The sai ooah is not aged, instead is is freshly grilled over very low heat.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

14 OF 15

Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

Pi Ton poses behind her delicious wares at the evening market.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .

15 OF 15

Photo by Jarrett Wrisley

The sun was setting purple over the river, the sausage was nearly finished, and bedtime was not far off.

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Jarrett Wrisley watches the experts make two kinds of Thai sausage in

Sausage-Making on the Mekong River .