My Thailand Oddity – part 9 – Street food (An ambiguity)

Those of you who know me, along with those who follow this blog series on Wild Geese Travel, will know I have recently returned from a trip to Chaing Mai, a city in the north of Thailand; a drive of around 860 kilometres from Klaeng, Rayong, where I am based. (More of this in a later post.)

Initially, I thought this edition of My Thailand Oddity would be about the journey, the sites, the places of interest I visited, and, not least, the food I ate during this trip. (I am a great foodie. Not surprising as my original trade was as a chef, and in later years, I owned two restaurants and a café.)

However, following my last post, which was about Thai food etiquette, and its connection to Thai culture and religion, I find myself wanting to share my thoughts and observations on ‘Street Food’.

Firstly, I would like to explain the reason I subtitle this post with the words ‘An Ambiguity’. 

This is not a reflection of Thai cuisine. It is simply my annoyance with the overuse of the term ‘Street Food’, and the way it has become accepted, almost without question.

Allow me, in my usual and rambling way, to expound on something which causes me great annoyance… and yes, some of it might be my age… but, hey… we earn the right to get a little grumpy after we have a stowed few decades of life under our (ever-expanding) belts.

Apologies for starting with a rant, but read on, you’ll get it. (I hope!)

Street food, as the term clearly identifies, is food cooked on the streets by vendors who serve from a cart or stall, or sometimes simply a pot or grill propped on a wall or improvised stand. It is generally low-cost, simple foods which are easily prepared and dispensed.

Now, don’t get me wrong when I say simple foods.

Many genuine street foods take skill, often an acquired expertise to prepare and cook to the degree of maintaining freshness, flavour, and consistency, while doing so at a speed to satisfy the customers who are waiting for their order.

For many street vendors, the small cart they sell their wares from is their entire livelihood. Many, if not most street food exists because this was, and often still is, the only way someone can earn an income to support their family. Welfare and social security are often poor, if they exist at all, in many countries. So, to take to the streets to sell whatever you can becomes a necessity for survival, not a career choice.

Historically, this is the root of true, genuine street food. The food to which this term rightfully applies.

Now, this is where my grumpy reveals itself, where I share and air my annoyance with you…

Simply because someone sets up a stand, a concession, or even a market stall from where they sell food does not make their food street food. At least not in the sense of what I have defined above unless the vendor fulfils the criterion of the food is traditional and one which organically grew from local custom, social essence, and life’s inevitability.

I have never seen a genuine street vendor selling overpriced, designer foods while dressed in Armani clothing… except in some major capital cities. Even then, those staffing the stalls were employees of a company, not authentic street vendors.

I have the same disdain for restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, and designer food trucks that publicise their offerings as street food.

It is not.

These, as with the other outlets, who have jumped on the use of the term ‘street food’ to make themselves seem, or sound trendy in their publicity and advertising promotions get my craw. I will not eat such fake foods, much of which is pre-prepped, or commercially prepared to some degree.

However… I love genuine street food.

Good, down-to-earth food from a street vendor, or a local street market, offers some of the freshest and finest food that exists; and Thailand is one of the countries where you can find the best street food in the world.

Pounded, fried, boiled, or curried. Fresh vegetables, fruit, coconuts, fish, meats, seafood, insects, noodles, rice, and more. There is an almost overwhelming plethora of foods and choices here. There really is something for every taste, hot and spicy, sweet & sour, to pretty bland. Coconut cream, fruit jellies, sweet rice, sticky cake, fresh fruits.

It’s all here in abundance, prepared and cooked right in front of you.

Even the local restaurants are more akin to serving real street food… don’t be taken in by the flashy touristy, western-decorated outlets. Generally, they are overpriced and serve substandard dishes.

Many local eateries evolved from street stalls, or carts to become permanent fixtures. A large number simply open the front of their homes by placing a few tables on a ‘patio’ and start serving food.

They call these shop houses. They live, sleep, and work under the same roof.

Use these ‘scruffy’ looking local eateries, the ones with sticky plastic tablecloths, if any. Mismatched crockery (often plastic) and odd cutlery. The places where two older women in floral pinafores constantly shout at each other, and at everyone who passes by, or walks into the shop, including you… unless they are asleep in a chair, on the floor, or eating. Then they may be quiet for a moment or two.

But I guarantee the food will be fantastic and cheap, and you will want to return to work your way through the rest of the menu… now… menu… okay… they probably won’t have much of a menu, besides a tacky laminated sheet with a few faded pictures of what some photographer once interpreted as food on a plate.

Don’t worry, ask for whatever you want, if they can cook it, they will, if they cannot make it, they will tell you in no uncertain terms they don’t have it. Simple.

Yes, I am promoting, or ‘biggin-up’ Thailand in this blog series but I have had the fortune of travelling much of the world and eating street food in countries such as Brazil, Egypt, Marocco, Tunisia, Jamaica, Puerto Rica, as well as ‘westernised countries’ like the USA, Italy, France, Norway, and the UK.

I can say from experience most of the food in the westernised countries is a poor excuse for genuine street food. Burgers, ribs, pork sandwiches, and hot dogs, are not, in my opinion genuine, or traditional street foods, and I think the catering industry needs to come up with a term to categorise these often-offensive offerings.

My challenge is, for you to come here, come out to Thailand for a few weeks and find out what REAL street food and the local eateries have to offer.

I bet you will agree with me by the end of your trip.

Thank you for reading my ‘moaning’, I needed to get this off my chest! I promise that in the next edition, part ten of My Thailand Oddity, I will be back on track with all the good points about this country and my journey so far.

Oh, one more thing… This is not a monetized blog. I do not earn from writing this, I do so purely to share my views and experiences.

However, if you would be kind enough to purchase the book below, it will help me maintain this blog.

Thank you and enjoy reading the book. I know you will love it. https://amzn.to/3s342Pm

Keep Happy, Paul

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Each story explores the depths of human character, the quintessence disposition of living and of life itself. Many ask questions we often shy from, the ones we are afraid to ask ourselves are unearthed, revealed and brought screaming into the daylight of recognition.

The prevailing factor is, they are written with consideration for our fragile human disposition, the fears, the dreams and wishes, the uncertainties and self-doubts we all carry inside ourselves, the human element of love, of life, of hope and survival.

This is a collection of poignant, emotive, yet entertaining stories, stories which will remain with you forever.

My Thailand Oddity – Part 8. Thai-d up about food

In this post, I’m dishing up some personal observations about food.

Not just the food itself, but the connection of food in Thai culture.

There is an adage along the lines of… ‘Some people eat to live; others live to eat’.

The second part of this maxim is accurate when it comes to the Thai’s association with food; simply because food has an intrinsic part in Thai culture that goes way beyond eating a meal.

I shall, in my usual and haphazard way, explain how food and eating forms part of this nation’s character, and people’s attitude to life.

But first, let’s devour some basics about Thai cuisine.

There are four styles of cooking which make up the majority of Thai dishes. They are:

Tom (Boiled), Yam (Spicy salads), Tam (Pounded foods), Kaeng (Curries)

Deep frying, Stir fries, and Steaming are methods introduced from Chinese cuisine and are not native to Thailand, although these methods have been widely adopted.

There are also regional variations to consider, Northern Thai cuisine shares much with Burma (Myanmar), Laos, and Yunan, China. Issan (Northeast Thailand), more by Southern Laos, and Vietnamese dishes to the east. Southern Thailand, whose dishes often contain liberal amounts of coconut milk and turmeric have a connection with Indian, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine.

A better way to define the variations of Thai foods is to classify them by the regions of the country and the foods prepared by the Royal kitchens.

1, Bangkok. The food here is traditionally influenced by Teowchew, and Portuguese styles, and by their Royal dishes. However, being a major cosmopolitan capital city, many foods are combined, or altered to suit Asian, European, and other Western tastes.

2, Central Thailand. This is a flat, wet, rice-growing area. The former kingdoms of Sukhothai, Ayuttaya, and Dvarvati. Home of the Mon people before the arrival of the Siamese.

3, Issan. The cuisine in this more arid area, the Khorat Plateau, is shaped by Laos, and Khmer cuisines.

4, Southern Thailand. This is the food of the Kra Isthmus, which is bordered on two sides by tropical seas. Malaysian cooking has affected the style here, as did the Sultanate of Pattani, which was in the deep south.

5, Royal Cuisine. Thai Royal dishes can be traced back to around 1351, the time of the Ayutthaya kingdom, whose chefs refined cooking techniques, presentation, and experimented with the use of ingredients. Thai Royal cuisine is further inspired by Khmer Royal foods, brought to the Ayutthaya kingdom by cooks from the conquered Khmer empire.

While many Thai dishes are now familiar in the West, albeit often adapted to suit the local palate, many excellent dishes have not yet made the transition to the Western world.

In general Thai food is served one of two ways, Ahan Chan Diao, or Rat Khao.

The first, and most common when not dining alone, is for the food to come to the table as Single Dish Foods, or Ahan Chan Diao. Several dishes are placed in a central position on the table, and the diners serve themselves, taking small amounts with serving utensils and putting them on the plate, or bowl, they are eating from. More about this later in the post.

Rat Khao simply means Poured on Rice. This can be one or more foods served with rice on the same plate. You eat directly from your plate. Good for dining alone, as a couple when you are happy to ‘steal a taste’ from each other’s plate.

One of the best-known Thai dishes is Phad Kaprow or Pad Kaprao, also known as Pad Gaprao. I don’t think there is a definitive direct translation from the Thai alphabet, so many Thai words are phonetically interpreted, which makes life quite fun at times.

This dish is popular among locals and foreigners. It is spicy, tasty, engaging, and at the same time tongue-numbing. Its versatility means you can consume it with any type of meal. You can have it for breakfast, dinner, lunch, or a snack.

It is made with minced, or finely chopped meat, such as pork, chicken, or beef. (Many Thais do not eat beef due to their Buddhist beliefs), fried with fresh chillies, garlic, soy sauce, and Thai (holy) basil. It is usually served Rat Khao, and a fried egg is usually placed on top of the rice. Pad Kaprao is a spicy dish, although you can order it less spicy, but I like it hot.

A side condiment, Nam Pra Prik, accompanies this and many other Thai meals. It is an incredible Thai Table Condiment; slightly sour, salty, spicy, and sweet. It adds the perfect, if addicting, bite to many Thai foods. ‘Prik’ translates to chilli. ‘Nam Pla’ translates to Fish Sauce. These two ingredients are the main components along with aromatics and citrus.

Another commonly eaten dish is Pad Thai. Pad Thai is considered as the country’s most popular dish. Pad Thai, also known as Phad Thai, is an intricate blend of various food products that was first made around 1932, during Thailand’s nationalism period. This is a noodle dish, pan-fried with sugar, fish sauce, tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg, combined with meat, fish, prawns, or whatever your choice may be. I find this dish a little too sweet for my taste. This dish can be served as Rat Khao or placed centrally for dining Ahan Chan Diao.

Laab is a minced meat salad and one of the traditional dishes from the Isan region. Its history goes back to Laos but because Isan is close to the border, there is no doubt that Laab could easily find its way here.

It is a tasty meal made using a combination of ground pork meat, scallions, dried red chilli, and lime juice. Besides that, it features mint leaves and ground-toasted rice. This results in a colourful dish that has variations of greens, white, and red thanks to the meat, herbs, and spices.

Laab is highly versatile. Apart from pork, you can also make it with liver, fish, or chicken. There are also vegetarian options that are made with mushrooms and minced tofu.

Tom Yum Soup. This is a spicy and aromatic soup featuring a slightly sour lingering taste. It is another renowned dish from the central region which is traditionally served with rice. Tom Yum is mostly served as an appetizer, to prepare your taste buds for the main meal.

This staple of Thai Food is made by using minced fresh ginger, minced Thai chilli pepper, mushrooms, lime juice, shrimp, and kaffir lime leaves. Tom Yum’s popularity led to the creation of multiple versions including tom yum talay plus mixed seafood and tom yum gai plus added chicken.

Green Curry chicken, known locally as Gaeng Keow Wan Gai. Green curry chicken is a signature dish in Thailand and nearly everyone, locals and foreigners love it. It features an amazing blend of green curry paste in combination with coconut cream.

Other core ingredients include sweet basil, fish sauce, coriander, palm sugar, sizable chicken pieces, and of course green apple eggplants. The delicious curry dish, as its name suggests, has a green colour and is usually served with Thai rice.

Speaking of Rice…

Rice is the most prominent item in Thai cuisine is rice. Rice is treated with respect and never wasted. Thailand grows and serves many varieties of rice, Jasmine rice being the most favored, but also the most expensive. Glutinous, or sticky rice is also common, while white rice is abundant. Cooks pay attention to the quality of the rice and have many techniques for cooking it, which temperature to use, how much water, how to steam or fry it, and for how long. Rice can make or break a meal.

It is believed that rice has a soul. Mae Posop is the symbol of rice, known as the rice mother. She was born from rice, then later fell pregnant and gave birth to rice children. Her cycle symbolizes the notion of rebirth and regeneration inherent in Thai culture.

Noodles, of all descriptions, are a familiar ingredient, but not used as commonly as rice. Rice is generally served to share, while noodle dishes are more often for individual consumption.

That’s enough about the dishes themselves, but why does food feature in Thai life and society in such a big way?

I shall endeavour to explain by rambling on…

Thai people rarely eat alone. Food is very social in Thailand and eating is a task that is most always shared.

Many dishes come with the meat or fish cut into bite-size pieces, Buddhism discourages cooking a whole animal. So, fish, beef, pork, and chicken are sliced before cooking, as are most of the other ingredients.

The Chinese introduced chopsticks to Thailand long ago, yet most Thais prefer to use Western cutlery, though in their own unique manner.

In Thai table etiquette, it is normal to just use a fork and spoon. The spoon is held in the right hand and used in place of a knife; the fork helps to arrange (shovel!) the food on the spoon before bringing it to the mouth. As most of the food is already in bite-sized pieces, as explained above, the need for a knife is lessened. Any cutting required can usually be accomplished with the side of the spoon.

In the West, the most important person, or the ‘head of the family,’ will sit at the head of the table. In Thailand, however, the senior member of the group will sit in the middle of the ensemble. It may be a little confusing for first-time visitors, especially when a member of a larger party. I suggest waiting until you are shown a seat by another member of the group rather than choosing a place to sit.

When eating a Thai meal, age, and social status denote the order of who eats first.

Etiquette states the person of the highest social rank, or the eldest, will begin the meal. They may start with a signal or speech to begin proceedings. It can be rude if you start before them. Patience is a key factor when formally dining here.

It will most likely be the ladies, the most senior ladies, who decide on what will be served. (Although they may instruct the younger women to place the order).

A multitude of bowls and plates piled high with specialties will arrive at the table, and everyone will dip into what takes their fancy. The notion of ordering your meal is not one Thai people entertain. (If you order a dish you fancy when in a group situation, do not eat it all yourself. The dish will be considered for sharing with the rest of the table.) Only put on your plate what you are going to eat, as leaving food may be considered rude.

A meal will typically consist of rice, which may be individually portioned on the eating plates or served in a large bowl in the center of the table, a soup, which can be sour, spicy or both, a curry, and a plethora of other dishes, along with a vegetable dish, papaya salads. You will also find condiments such as shrimp paste, chilli dips, dried chilli flakes, chilli vinegar, fish sauce, fresh herbs, raw vegetables, and sugar on the table.

While conversation, laughing, joking and general socializing are fine, some rules need to be adhered to regarding table manners and noise. You should not make any noise, particularly talking while chewing or drinking. You should also be careful not to hit or bang tableware clumsily.

The locals eat slowly.

Dining is a time for Thais to catch up with one another, to discuss business and family affairs and so forth. Meals should never be rushed. Take your time. Savour each dish; take in the whole experience of traditional family-style Thai dining. At the start of the meal wait for someone to serve you; this will usually be one of the youngest people at your table.

Help yourself to the dishes during the meal but be sure to only take a small amount of rice, followed by a small amount of your desired dish(s). Thais do not pile food on their plates as we do in the West, they take a little at a time, going back for more once they have eaten what they placed on their plate. Always take food from the side of the plate or bowl nearest to you, not from the centre or the far side. Use the serving utensils provided, do not use the spoon you are eating with, and never help yourself with your fork.

When you serve yourself, it is polite to offer food to the person sitting next to you first. Thus, making sure the people around you are well-fed.

Eat with your spoon, never put the fork into your mouth. Instead, use the fork to push the food onto the spoon. Thais even put noodles onto their spoon with chopsticks when eating noodle soup.

When you have finished eating, place your spoon and fork together on the top of your plate. It is good manners to ensure nothing is left on the table around your plate. Napkins are usually available to wipe up any little spillages and sweep debris into a tissue. Bins for their disposal are usually at the foot of the table.

Never rest your chin in your hand, or your elbow on the table, while talking to the other people in the group. This is considered very disrespectful.

In Thailand, it is usually the eldest member or the wealthiest person in the group who pays the bill, regardless of how many people are dining. An exception to this rule is when the person who invited the guests makes it clear that the meal is their gift or treat. You can offer to ‘chip in’ if you feel the need but accept refusal gracefully for fear of offending the host.

However, the custom between friends is often a more relaxed affair, in most cases, the group will split the bill.

Note: If you are invited to eat in someone’s house, you may be seated on the floor, be careful about how you sit so you avoid showing the soles of your feet to anyone while they eat.

Quick facts.

Thai cuisine borrows a lot from its neighbours including Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Burma, India, and Laos.

Locals prefer to use frying pans, woks, and grills to cook their food rather than using an oven to bake.

The formal presentation of food is important during meals and festivals. This is why Thai food is considered the most exquisite globally.

In Thai culture, eating food is a sacred activity that should be undertaken in a group. Eating alone is considered a sign of bad luck.

Age and social status are considered during mealtimes. As a child, you must wait for a ‘go ahead’ from the eldest person. If in a gathering, the highest-ranking individual will signal everyone to commence eating.

Thai food is highly prioritized. You will often be asked when meeting, or shortly after if you have eaten yet – “Gin Khao Yung”

Breakfast is an important meal of the day. Rice porridge is one of the most consumed breakfasts.

The country has hundreds of chilli varieties used to prepare different meals.

Thailand is a tropical country which grows many excellent fruits, including pineapples, mangoes, watermelon, and papaya. Thai desserts are unique as they are not made with wheat flour or cream, but use rice flour, coconut flesh, and coconut cream.

Noodles are very popular additions to many Thai dishes, but they are considered new arrivals. They were introduced to curb rice shortage during World War II.

Southern Thailand serves plenty of seafood and coconut-rich meals. The unique tastes are predominantly due to the fish pastes and roasted spices used in the preparation.

Central Thai food (Ahab Phak Klang) features a harmonious combination of sour, salty, and sweet flavours.

The Northeastern Thailand region (Issan) features food made with a hot and salty flavour. Often eaten on Pa Kap, a type of bamboo table.

The mountainous region of Northern Thailand consists of foods with mildly hot soups and curries as well as sour sausages.

Let’s ‘Thai’ things up here. 

Thai food culture has a rich history, as cooking and eating in Thailand is a form of expression based on the route philosophy and ethos of its people.

Thank you for reading this post, part eight of my Thailand Oddity series.

I would love you to like, follow, subscribe (it’s free), or comment on this blog, not just on the social platform you found it. This will help grow my readership base so more people can enjoy the information I’m sharing.

This is not a monetized blog. I do not earn from this, I do it purely for enjoyment and sharing my experiences.

You can help me maintain this blog however by purchasing one of my books. There is one I am promoting under this post, just scroll down a little further.

Once again, Thank You.

Keep happy, Paul

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This is a collection of poignant, emotive, yet entertaining stories, stories which will remain with you forever. https://amzn.to/3PLTb43