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.
angel
Angel Visiting the Chamber: A Salad of Pomelo, Pork Skin and Shrimp with Chili Jam Dressing, circa 1920s (ยำนางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง; yam naang faa yiiam haawng)
The name of this dish, yam naang faa yiiam haawng (ยำนางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง), translates to ‘Angel Visiting the Chamber Salad’ in English. This celestial salad, which originated in the 1920s, is a playful chili jam-based salad that combines the textural gradients of pomelo, with its citrusy bursts, chewy cooked pork skin, and the sweet and slightly resilient cooked shrimp meat. The pomelo’s citrusy notes are further amplified with thinly sliced lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves sliced into hair-thin juliennes. I like to adjust the sourness and sweetness of the chili jam-based dressing based on the acidity of the pomelo. As our aim is to achieve a final sour-salty and sweet flavor profile, a sour-salty dressing is suggested if the pomelo is sweet, while a salty-sweet dressing pairs better with a sour pomelo.
ยำกลีบกุพชกะ - ตำนาน "ดอกกุหลาบ" กับ เรื่องรัก 14 กุมภาพันธ์ แบบไทย ๆ
สูตรทำยำกลีบกุพชกะ อย่าง พระยานครราชเสนี - วันแห่งความรัก 14 กุมภาพันธ์นี้ ข้าพเจ้าเปลี่ยนความคิดใหม่แล้ว แทนที่จะพาครอบครัวไปฉลองข้างนอก เปลี่ยนมาฉลองที่บ้านดีกว่า จะลงปรุงอาหารคาวหวานจากดอกกุหลาบหลาย ๆ ตำรับให้เป็นธีม (theme) ดูท่าคงจะมีเรื่องเล่า จากดอกกุหลาบแดงช่อนั้นของแม่ลูกสาวข้าพเจ้าในโต๊ะอาหารเป็นแน่แท้... คิดแล้วก็ขับรถไป ฮัมเพลงไป เบา ๆ
ส้มตำไทยข้าวโพด
Bangkok's markets are busy from dawn until dusk, sometime even stay open when most of the city is asleep. Normally, the traffic of shoppers and crowds of office workers hurrying their way masks the busy stretch of shops and food stalls, making it difficult to pay close attention to details. Earlier this year, however, a strange silence had fallen on the city, civil unrest brought life in the city of angels to an eerie standstill, Bangkokians elected to stay home, and shops closed their doors.
smoked grilled duck salad
Salad of smoked grilled duck breast with roasted shallots and bitter yellow eggplants (พล่าอกเป็ดรมควันกับมะเขือเหลืองและหอมเผา ; phlaa ohk bpet rohm khwan gap ma kheuua leuuang lae haawm phao)
ยำทวาย

This recipe would probably change your perception about the term "salad", maybe because its dressing has a multi layered, curry-like personality, rather than the common sour vinaigrette-like dressing, or maybe because it takes some good few hours to prepare, somewhat longer than simply opening a bag of hydroponic greens.

This salad is the fruit of the dedication of court ladies from aristocratic households, that for centuries perfected and elaborated on the art of cooking through detailed and calculated process, to create sophisticated dishes that are not only delicious but also very healthy and visually pleasing.

These ladies made a very large commitment for small things, and they attended all their time and efforts to make minor things better and getting the small things just right.

ยำขมิ้นขาวกุ้งเค็ม
This dish brings yet another angle to celebrate the essence of Thai cuisine. The Thais dare pairing ingredients, which at first seem to be unmatchable, strong players with opposite characteristics, white turmeric and salted prawns, and guess what? It works beautifully! The pairing actually has the intention to enhance the differences in flavor and texture, creating a playful dish, both in taste and in presentation. The delicate thin cut white turmeric juliennes with its crunchy-apple like texture matched well with the just made salted prawns chunks which still maintain some of their intrinsic sweetness.
Mandarine Orange Peel Salad (ยำผิวส้มจีน; yam phiu sohm jeen)
Mandarine Orange Peel Salad (ยำผิวส้มจีน; yam phiu sohm jeen)
Yam phiu sohm jeen features carefully prepared mandarine orange peel combined with minced shrimp and pork. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 royal Thai culinary manuscript.
ยำแหนมข้าวทอด
The dish was introduced to me by a street vendor in forsaken part of town some twenty years ago. Auntie Yai was a true character. She was wearing intensive makeup and I still remember her talkative hilarious manner. I and other customers waiting in line were regularly subjected to nonstop "interrogations" or "interviews". I must admit I enjoyed the peek into other people lives while waiting over an hour for her mouth watering curried rice croquettes. I loved how the pungent, vibrant swirl of ginger was setting off the fermented pork sourness just perfectly, how the nutty crunch of those peanuts was balanced by the vivid tone of fresh herbs.
Chinese Water Chestnut Salad (ยำแห้วจีน; yam haaeo jeen)
Chinese Water Chestnut Salad (ยำแห้วจีน; yam haaeo jeen)
Chinese Water Chestnut Salad combining crisp water chestnuts with seafood and pork in a salty-sweet-sour dressing. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 cookbook.
lemongrass salad
Pomelo salad with salted shrimp and a lemongrass-infused coconut cream dressing (ยำส้มโอกุ้งเค็ม ; yam sohm o:h goong khem)
Phla of Fresh Transparent Shrimp (พล่ากุ้งฝอยสด; phlaa goong faawy soht)
Phla of Fresh Transparent Shrimp (พล่ากุ้งฝอยสด; phlaa goong faawy soht)
Phlaa goong faawy soht, raw transparent shrimp dressed whole and unpeeled with mint, from Maawm Sohm Jeen's Tamra Gap Khao, c. 1890.
Gravid Female Sea Crab and Egg Roe Salad with Dried Squid, Cucumber and Roasted Peanuts (ยำนางปู; yam naang bpuu)
Gravid Female Sea Crab with Roe Salad features crab meat, roe, and roasted peanuts in a balanced sour-sweet-salty dressing. From Princess Supha's 1949 royal cookbook.
Passion Fruit Flower Salad (ยำดอกเสาวรส; yam daawk sao wa roht)
Passion Fruit Flower Salad (ยำดอกเสาวรส; yam daawk sao wa roht)
Passion Fruit Flower Salad, a delicate mix of floral elements with shredded pork, shrimp, and toasted coconut. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.
ก้อยปลานิลหลวงพระบาง

A marvelous Luang Prabang style fish salad recipe (Koi Pla), which is very easy to prepare and even though it looks simple, its flavors are complex and clever.

Fresh fish fillet is sliced into thin strips which are quick blanched in lemongrass infused boiling water - a cooking method that presenting it’s natural flavors with an uplifting citrusy notes. The white fish slices are then mixed with, deep golden brown caramelized mix of fried garlic, shallots and lemongrass, which are not just visually pleasing but also add a unique sweetness and richness to the dish.

Roasted Tomato Salad, or Banana Chili Salad (ยำมะเขือเทศ (หรือพริกหยวก); yam ma kheuua thaeht)
Yam ma kheuua thaeht: flame-roasted tomatoes, peeled and seeded, dressed with ground dried shrimp and madan. Lady Gleep Mahithaawn, 1949.
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.
Bean Sprout Salad (ยำถั่วงอก; yam thuaa ngaawk)
Bean Sprout Salad (ยำถั่วงอก; yam thuaa ngaawk)
Bean Sprout Salad featuring blanched sprouts tossed with pounded roasted peanuts and coconut in a coconut cream-vinegar dressing. From Ibrahim's Islamic Cookbook, 1933.
Dressed Shrimp and Salt-Pressed Jellyfish (ยำกุ้งแท่; yam goong thaae)
Dressed Shrimp and Salt-Pressed Jellyfish (ยำกุ้งแท่; yam goong thaae)
Yam goong thaae, a royal Thai salad featuring shrimp and salt-cured jellyfish with multiple textures and proteins. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript.
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.
ยำผิวส้มซ่า
พูดถึงอาหารไทยแท้ไทยโบราณ ท่านรู้หรือไม่ว่า พืชชนิดใดที่คนไทยสมัยก่อนนำมาให้รสเปรี้ยวในสำรับอาหารมากที่สุด ? ถ้าเป็นปัจจุบันจะตอบได้ง่าย ๆ ว่าเป็น "มะนาว" แต่สมัยก่อนนั้น ไม่ใช่เลยขอรับ คนไทยอาศัยความเปรี้ยวจาก"มะขาม" มากที่สุด ใช้ทั้งยอดอ่อน ดอก ฝักอ่อน และ โดยเฉพาะมะขามเปียก แต่ทราบไหมขอรับว่า ส่วนใหญ่น้ำมะขามเปียกมักไม่ใช่องค์ ประกอบเด่นในอาหารไทย ตัวมะขามเปียกเอง ก็นำมาทำเป็นอาหารหลักไม่ได้ ไม่เคยมีตำรับ ยำมะขามเปียก แกงมะขามเปียก หรือ มะขามเปียกลอยแก้ว แต่อย่างใดเลย อย่างที่เห็นก็แค่เป็นเครื่องดื่ม ในกลุ่มน้ำปานะ ที่ภิกษุในศาสนาพุทธสามารถฉันได้ในยามวิกาล เช่น น้ำมะขาม
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