I had never heard of “sliders” until my parents moved to Michigan, where you can find them on every pub menu. After summering in Michigan last year, I now know that sliders are delicious mini hamburgers, about half the size of a regular one.

However, just when I thought I had a handle on burger lexicon, I ordered the “mini burgers” at Chok Dee, a restaurant here in Vientiane. The waiter delivered not a pair of sliders but rather a plateful of teeny tiny Barbie-sized burgers. I couldn’t eat them with a straight face!