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.
Mussel Salad (ยำหอยแมลงภู่; yam haawy maae lohng phuu)
Mussel Salad (ยำหอยแมลงภู่; yam haawy maae lohng phuu)
Yam haawy maae lohng phuu, mussels tossed with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and toasted coconut. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's Salad Recipes, 1949.
Celestial Fish Salad (ยำมัจฉาสวรรค์; yam mat chaa sawan)
Celestial Fish Salad features acid-cured fish marinated in lime juice until firm, combined with lemongrass, basil, and toasted coconut. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 royal cuisine manuscript.
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.
Emerald Yam (ยำมรกฎ; yam maawn goht)
Emerald Yam (ยำมรกฎ; yam maawn goht)
Emerald Yam (ยำมรกฎ; yam maawn goht) - A historical Thai recipe from Dtam Raa Gap Khao Naree Napparat (ตำรากับเข้านารีนพรัตน์).
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.
Salad of grilled pork and coconut-cooked pumpkin by Maawm Ying Soophaa
c1949 Salad of grilled pork and coconut-cooked pumpkin by Maawm Ying Soophaa (ยำฟักทองกะทิ ตำราการปรุงอาหารยำ หม่อมหญิงสุภา พ.ศ. 2492; yam fak thaawng Gathi)
lemongrass salad
Pomelo salad with salted shrimp and a lemongrass-infused coconut cream dressing (ยำส้มโอกุ้งเค็ม ; yam sohm o:h goong khem)
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.
Small Salad (ยำเล็ก; yam lek)
Small Salad (ยำเล็ก; yam lek)
Yam lek, a Thai-Muslim vinegar-dressed salad with cucumber, mint, and bruised bird's eye chili. From the Islamic Cookbook, 1933.
Enhanced Fried Garlic with Bird's Eye Chilies and White Peppercorns (กะเทียมเจียวรสสูง; grateam jiaao rot suung)
Enhanced Fried Garlic, garlic pounded with bird's eye chilies and white peppercorns, fried in lard as a universal flavor enhancer. From Mom Ying Supha, 1949.
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.
Green Mango Salad with Puffed Fish (ยำมะม่วงปลาฟู; yam ma muaang bplaa fuu)
Green Mango Salad with Puffed Fish (ยำมะม่วงปลาฟู; yam ma muaang bplaa fuu)
Yam ma muaang bplaa fuu, green mango salad with snakehead fish grilled, air-dried, then lard-fried until puffed. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
ยำดอกขจร
The first Thai restaurant in London was opened during the 1960's by HRH Princess Jurairat Nasiriman (1910-2000) (พระเจ้าวรวงศ์เธอ พระองค์เจ้าจุไรรัตนศิริมาน), the granddaughter of HRH King Mongkut (Rama IV). Princess Jurairat chose to offer this salad on the menu and named it "Salad of Thai Milkweed Flower". (Other names: Cowslip creeper, Telosma Cordata). This fresh and tasty salad is so vibrant and easy for us to enjoy, it takes in the very basic flavors, sweet, salty, hot and sour and wrap them in a creamy coat of reduced coconut cream. The milkweed flower buds retain their crunchiness and their pleasant fragrance with only a gentle and very quick blanching in sweet boiling water.
Duck and Cabbage Salad (ยำกระหร่ำปลีเนื้อเป็ด; yam graram bplee neuua bpet)
Duck and Cabbage Salad (ยำกระหร่ำปลีเนื้อเป็ด; yam graram bplee neuua bpet)
Duck and Cabbage Salad featuring shredded roasted duck, dried squid, and tender cabbage with a balanced sour-sweet dressing. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 manuscript.
roselle salad
c1890 Fresh roselle salad with acid-cured shrimp (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรณ์วงศ์ ร.ศ.๑๐๘ ; yam phohn gra jiiap;)
Deluxe Cucumber Salad (ยำแตงกวาทรงเครื่อง; yam dtaaeng gwaa sohng khreuuang)
Deluxe Cucumber Salad (ยำแตงกวาทรงเครื่อง; yam dtaaeng gwaa sohng khreuuang)
Deluxe cucumber salad of bias-cut cucumber, boiled pork belly, shrimp, and sea crab in a three-flavor dressing. From Princess Jongjittanom, 1978.
papaya salad ข้าวมันส้มตำ
Khaao man sohm dtam and the first-ever recorded recipe for papaya salad (ข้าวมันส้มตำ)
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)
peanut-bar-salad
c1933 Sour bilimbi fruit and crispy candied peanut salad with pork, shrimp and pork fat (ยำตะลิงปลิง ; yam dtaling bpling)
A candied peanut bar might be considered an unlikely ingredient for an old-fashioned Siamese-style salad. Yet, peanut bars were familiar to the Siamese as early as the Ayutthaya period and were part of a broader set of Teochew Chinese sweets called, in Thai, “khanohm janap (ขนมจันอับ)”.
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