naam phrik roy rot
Salted Indian salmon chili relish (น้ำพริกปลากุเลาเค็ม; naam phrik bplaa goo lao khem)
แกงไส้กรอกหมูแห้ง
c1935 Princess Yaovabha's Sweet Chinese Sausage in Coconut Cream Soup (แกงไส้กรอกหมูแห้ง; gaaeng sai graawk muu haaeng)
A 1935 Thai palace recipe preserving Princess Yaovabha's Chinese sausage coconut curry. This ivory-colored soup features sweet goon chiang sausage in creamy coconut with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind. The dish represents a historic culinary shift when Chinese ingredients entered royal Thai kitchens, transforming from street food to palace cuisine.
miang-bplaa-naaem
bplaa naaem (ปลาแนม) - A Siamese aristocratic small plate snack
crab curry
Crab and Spring Onion Coconut-Based Curry (แกงคั่วปูกับต้นหอม; Gaaeng Khuaa Bpuu Gap Dtohn Haawm)
Preparing a crab curry is an exercise in culinary diplomacy, wherein the challenge lies in negotiating the distinct flavors of land and sea into a cohesive understanding and capturing the perfect balance. This golden gastronomic horizon is where the delicate whispers of the ocean meet earth’s bold declarations – and at its core is a straightforward question: How do we craft a curry that testifies, via crab, to the ocean’s bounty, yet remains grounded in the earth’s aromatic flora, with roots like galangal and turmeric? In addition, it is challenging to create a curry that is luxuriously creamy, yet light and not too greasy; where the crab’s delicate natural sweetness surfaces as a pleasant sea breeze, levitating above the pitfalls of being too fishy or overly sweetened. Another hurdle is achieving the precise color – produced by red chilies, golden turmeric and peppercorns – that reflects the culinary traditions of southern seashore fishing communities. I like mine set to about a 70:30 ratio of yellow to red and, if using black peppercorns, with a deep brown undertone.
Dry-Fried Salted Spanish Mackerel Relish (ปลาอินทรีคั่ว; bplaa in see khuaa)
Dry-Fried Salted Spanish Mackerel Relish (ปลาอินทรีคั่ว; bplaa in see khuaa)
Bplaa in see khuaa — grilled salted mackerel pounded with seven aromatics, fried in roasted coconut oil. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Fish Dumplings (เกี้ยวมัสยา; giaao mat sayaa)
Fish Dumplings (เกี้ยวมัสยา; giaao mat sayaa)
Fish Dumplings (giaao mat sayaa) featuring fish-shaped wrappers with salted egg yolk eyes served in broth. From Jeeb Bunnag's royal Thai cookbook, 1945.
miang kham ; เมี่ยงคำ
Miang kham - A royal leaf wrap appetizer เมี่ยงคำ
Each leaf-wrapped parcel is a kaleidoscope of flavors and richness, textures, aromas and sensations. Fresh green-earthy-chlorophyll-herby-tobacco-peppery wild betel leaves enfold bursts of flavor from nutty roasted peanuts and crispy roasted coconut matches, the umami of savory dry shrimp, pungent-sweet diced shallots, small ginger cubes with a warm bite, sour and bitter unpeeled lime cubes, citrusy perfumed diced bitter orange (som za), naughty whole fresh tiny bird’s eye chilies, and small slices of the sharp and sour dtaling bpling (Averrhoa bilimbi, a relative of the carambola/starfuit). All of which is blended with a thick paste of sweet-sour and salty palm sugar and tamarind sauce. The miang kham takes every taste bud on a fascinating pleasure trip through sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and umami, piquancy, sharpness and spiciness, with an array of textures that slowly subside as the journey ends, leading to a familiar post orgasmic expression, a smile and the desire for more.
Chicken Curry Steamed in Young Coconut (ห่อหมกไก่มะพร้าวอ่อน; haaw mohk gai ma phraao aawn)
Chicken Curry Steamed in Young Coconut (ห่อหมกไก่มะพร้าวอ่อน; haaw mohk gai ma phraao aawn)
Chicken Curry Steamed in Young Coconut, featuring chicken cooked inside a coconut shell with a curry base of unpeeled peanuts and fermented shrimp paste. From Gingganok's 1948.
chuu chee pork shrimp tomalley
Coconut Cream-Based Chuu Chee of Pork and Shrimp Glazed with Shrimp Tomalley (แกงฉู่ฉี่หมูกับมันกุ้ง;  gaaeng chuu chee muu gap man goong)
In the context of Siamese samrub meal planning, this thick chuu chee of pork and shrimp with a reddish coconut-based, curry-like sauce is considered a side dish (ของจาน; khaawng jaan). It consists of small, equal-sized slices of pork meat and shrimp fried in coconut cream together with a phrik khing curry paste. With no other vegetables or herbs, the dish is seasoned using fish sauce and palm sugar to a salty and only slightly sweet profile. Finally, it is glazed with shrimp tomalley poured on top and left unstirred, then cooked covered with the lid on, until the tomalley is baked-cooked. When serving, garnish with hair-thin juliennes of kaffir lime leaves and hand-picked coriander leaves.
Sticky Rice with Golden Fish Topping (ข้าวเหนียวหน้าปลาทอง; khaao niaao naa plaa thaawng)
Sticky Rice with Golden Fish Topping (ข้าวเหนียวหน้าปลาทอง; khaao niaao naa plaa thaawng)
Sticky Rice with Golden Fish Topping features coconut-infused glutinous rice topped with crispy sweet-savory fish floss and fried shallots. From Jeeb Bunnak's 1945 cookbook of Thai desserts.
Matsya Avatara (The Fish Incarnation) (มัสยาวตาร; mat saya aa waa dtaan)
Matsya Avatara (The Fish Incarnation) (มัสยาวตาร; mat saya aa waa dtaan)
Matsya Avatara: deboned whole red snapper filled with a roasted seven-spice paste, steamed in banana leaf, then fried golden. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Young Jackfruit Salad (ยำขนุนอ่อน; yam kha noon aawn)
Young Jackfruit Salad (ยำขนุนอ่อน; yam kha noon aawn)
Young Jackfruit Salad featuring tender jackfruit stir-fried with coconut cream and aromatic herbs and dressed with chili jam. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript on Thai salad recipes.
Special Seasoned Glutinous Rice with Crab and Chicken (ข้าวเหนียวปรุงพิเศษ; khaao niaao bproong phi saeht)
Special Seasoned Glutinous Rice with Crab and Chicken (ข้าวเหนียวปรุงพิเศษ; khaao niaao bproong phi saeht)
Special Seasoned Glutinous Rice, a royal Thai palace dish featuring coconut-infused sticky rice with crab and chicken. From Jeeb Bunnag's cookbook, 1945.
Yam of Chicken (ยำไก่; yam gai)
Yam of Chicken (ยำไก่; yam gai)
Yam gai: chicken simmered in coconut milk until dry, then dressed with mint, kaffir lime and green mango. Maawm Sohm Jeen, Tamra Gap Khao, 1890.
naam phrik roy rot
Chili relish of salted duck egg yolks (น้ำพริกไข่เค็ม ; naam phrik khai khem)
Three Companions Fish Salad (พล่าปลาสามเกลอ; phlaa bplaa saam gluuhr)
Three Companions Fish Salad (พล่าปลาสามเกลอ; phlaa bplaa saam gluuhr)
Phlaa bplaa saam gluuhr: three grilled fish — smoke-dried, dried, and snakeskin gourami — with a tableside herb dressing. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
shrimp-cucumber-curry
c1889 Garee Curry with Shrimp and Cucumber (แกงกะหรี่กุ้งกับแตงกวา; gaaeng garee goong gap dtaaeng gwaa)
In this old-fashioned coconut-based curry, orangey shrimp and bright green cucumber shine in a golden haze of curry powder, caressed by the light breeze of Indian flare. Cucumbers are used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a coolant, to offset internal heat and to resolve fevers. Thus, like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a shimmering desert, the cucumber counterbalances the chili’s internal heat energy and mellows the fragrant, earthy undertones of the spice blend in the dish.
“International Style” Spicy Curry (แกงเผ็ด แบบสากล; gaaeng phet baaep saa gohn)
“International Style” Spicy Curry (แกงเผ็ด แบบสากล; gaaeng phet baaep saa gohn)
Gaeng phet baaep saa gohn — beef pre-seared with fish sauce, curry paste bloomed in cracked coconut cream. green tomatoes or hairy-fruited eggplant (maeuk) and dual basils - Gingganok Gaanjanaaphaa, 1935.
The Earliest Printed Recipe for Papaya Som Tum (ส้มตำมะละกอ; sohm dtam ma la gaaw)
Sohm dtam ma la gaaw, the first printed Siamese recipe for som tum — a Central Thai papaya salad with dried shrimp. Tamra Khraawp Lo:hk, 1929.
Saaeng Waa Shrimp (แสร้งว่ากุ้งสด; saaeng waa goong soht)
Saaeng Waa Shrimp (แสร้งว่ากุ้งสด; saaeng waa goong soht)
Saaeng waa goong soht, a shrimp relish of hand-torn just-cooked shrimp with pink ginger and kaffir lime. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Royal-Style Roselle Bud Salad (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบเสวย; yam phohn gra jiiap sa weeuy)
Royal-Style Roselle Bud Salad (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบเสวย; yam phohn gra jiiap sa weeuy)
Royal-Style Roselle Bud Salad combines wine-ruby roselle buds with pork and crispy aromatics in a bitter orange dressing. Components remain separate until serving, per Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript.
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