The translation of the rhetoric of ‘fusion’ to Luang Prabang cuisine is a recent phenomenon and, as a representation of the local cuisine, a misnomer on every level. As a description exploited in restaurant signage, menus and websites, various meanings are possible: that French and Lao food is available in the town and sometimes in the same restaurant; that certain French foods and food habits have been absorbed into postcolonial Luang Prabang eating culture (baguettes, coffee, patisserie, crepes and so forth); that Lao food is prepared using French cooking techniques and some French/European ingredients; that French food uses local produce, Lao ingredients especially herbs and spices and some Lao cooking techniques; that ‘fusion dishes’ have emerged.