Celebrating the Art of Siamese Culinary Wisdom and Thai Cuisine
Fermented Rice Noodles Served with Pineapple, Fish Balls in Coconut Milk, Grilled Curried Fish Cakes, Young Ginger and Dry Shrimp Powder
(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ ; khanohm jeen saao naam ) For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.
(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ ; khanohm jeen saao naam ) For the khanohm jeen saao naam version that we present today, we turn again to the writing of Thanpuying (Lady) Gleep Mahithaawn for her unique take on the dish. Her version is quite similar to the common recipe encountered nowadays, but Lady Gleep enhances it with more ingredients, elevating the dish yet another notch to the level of a majestic masterpiece.
Gaaeng Raawn (แกงร้อน)
Gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) is a colloquial Thai term that refers to ‘hot curry’. Today, gaaeng raawn is used to denote soups or curries served with steamed rice. While the precise origin of the term is unclear, gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) was deployed in the 1800s for a specific dish – a Siamese soup featuring glass noodles, cooked as either a coconut or a water-based soup with an assortment of dry ingredients revered in Chinese cuisine. The soup’s potential health benefits, combined with its ease of preparation and subtle yet profound flavor, made it a popular choice for entertaining large groups of people, of all ages and backgrounds. The soup is often augmented with fresh proteins: in its more luxurious versions, multiple proteins may be added, including a combination of chicken, pork, shrimp, squid, and crab meat. Thus, over the years, gaaeng raawn (แกงร้อน) was established as a staple source of comfort and warmth for people of all walks of life in Siamese society.
Three-Style Pork (สุกรสามวรรณ; soo gaawn saam wan)
Soo gaawn saam wan: fatty pork reduced three ways—fish sauce with palm sugar, garcinia leaf juice, and fermented bean curd. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Beef Teochew Meatball and Pumpkin Coconut Curry (แกงบะช่อเนื้อโคกะทิ; gaaeng ba chaaw neuua kho:h ga thi)
Gaeng ba chaaw, Teochew-style beef meatballs seasoned with coriander root paste, simmered in coconut milk with pumpkin. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Thai Coconut Curry of Steamed Mackerels and Lotus Stems
(gaaeng gathi saai buaa bplaa thuu neung ;
แกงกะทิสายบัวปลาทูนึ่ง) This old-fashioned Thai coconut curry dish is a simple expression made with ingredients commonly available to Thais, it features steamed mackerels - the fish that Thai people probably love the best and the stems of the lotus flowers - one of Buddhism's most recognized motifs. The fish together with peeled lotus stems are boiled in coconut milk, to which a simple yet very aromatic curry paste, made only of white pepper corns, shallots and fermented shrimp paste is added.
(gaaeng gathi saai buaa bplaa thuu neung ;
แกงกะทิสายบัวปลาทูนึ่ง) This old-fashioned Thai coconut curry dish is a simple expression made with ingredients commonly available to Thais, it features steamed mackerels - the fish that Thai people probably love the best and the stems of the lotus flowers - one of Buddhism's most recognized motifs. The fish together with peeled lotus stems are boiled in coconut milk, to which a simple yet very aromatic curry paste, made only of white pepper corns, shallots and fermented shrimp paste is added.
Roasted Pounded Unripe Rice Served with Shrimp Relish and Grated Coconut (ข้าวเม่าเบื้อง ; khao mao beuuang)
Khao mao bueang and khao Mao Mee (ข้าวเม่าหมี่) are the only two known savory dishes from antiquity made from pounded unripe rice grains (ข้าวเม่า; khao mao). While khao mao mee (ข้าวเม่าหมี่) is still a well-known and widely available dish, very few people remember khao mao bueang. Therefore, we are pleased to reintroduce into the Thai culinary repertoire the delicious khao mao bueang.
Braised Duck with Ginkgo Nuts or Lotus Seeds (เป็ดตุ๋นแบ๊ะก๊วยหรือเม็ดบัว; bpet dtoon bae guay reuu met buaa)
Braised Duck with Ginkgo Nuts, a Thai-Chinese dish where fried duck is slow-simmered with aromatic spices and ginkgo nuts. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1945 cookbook.
Country-Style Curry (แกงบ้านนอก; gaaeng baan naawk)
Gaaeng baan naawk, a country soup of prawns, pork belly and snakehead fish built on a pounded grilled-fish base. Tamrap Sai Yaowapa, 1935.
An Ancient Siamese Recipe for Tom Yum Soup (First Published in 1890). Sour Spicy Tom Yum Soup with Snakehead Fish, Roasted Chili Jam and Green Mango (Dtohm Yam Bplaa Chaawn, ต้มยำปลาช่อนแบบโบราณ อย่างหม่อมซ่มจีน ราชานุประพันธุ์ ร.ศ.๑๐๙)
Tom yum soup from the late 19th-century Siam to present days. Including a step-by-step recreation of tom yum soup with snakehead fish (dtohm yam bplaa chaawn, ตัมยำปลาช่อน) as recorded by Maawm Sohm Jeen (Raa Chaa Noopraphan) (หม่อมซ่มจีน, ราชานุประพันธุ์) in her book “Tam Raa Gap Khao” (ตำรากับเข้า), published in 1890 (2433 BE, 109RE).
Lod Chong Recipe
Pandan Flavored Rice Flour Droplets in Sweetened Coconut Cream Syrup
(khanohm laawt chaawng naam gathi)
สูตรทำขนมลอดช่องน้ำกะทิ หรือ นกปล่อย Thai desserts are usually made from common ingredients and therefore very popular. However, it was only during the 17th century that desserts and sweets actually became part of everyday meals. In the old days, they were served only at auspicious occasions and ceremonies. During wedding ceremonies, for example, four kinds of sweets are usually served, collectively known as "the four plates dessert" (ขนมสี่ถ้วย ; khanohm see thuay). The ancient Thai expression "To eat four cups of dessert" (กินสี่ถ้วย ; gin see thuay ) used in the central region of the kingdom as an idiom referring to a wedding banquet.
Pandan Flavored Rice Flour Droplets in Sweetened Coconut Cream Syrup
(khanohm laawt chaawng naam gathi)
สูตรทำขนมลอดช่องน้ำกะทิ หรือ นกปล่อย Thai desserts are usually made from common ingredients and therefore very popular. However, it was only during the 17th century that desserts and sweets actually became part of everyday meals. In the old days, they were served only at auspicious occasions and ceremonies. During wedding ceremonies, for example, four kinds of sweets are usually served, collectively known as "the four plates dessert" (ขนมสี่ถ้วย ; khanohm see thuay). The ancient Thai expression "To eat four cups of dessert" (กินสี่ถ้วย ; gin see thuay ) used in the central region of the kingdom as an idiom referring to a wedding banquet.
Chicken Sam-oi (ไก่สำออย; gai sam aawy)
Gai sam aawy, whole chicken steamed with sugarcane inside, then simmered in coconut cream with coriander seed and cumin. From Tamrap Sai Yaowapa, 1935.
FShrimp Tom Bproong Soht Curry Soup (แกงต้มกุ้งปรุงสด; gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht)
Gaaeng dtohm goong bproong soht: grilled shrimp with green mango and pickled garlic, seasoned at the bowl. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Khanohm Jeen Naam Yaa (ขนมจีนน้ำยา) - Fermented Rice Noodles with Minced Fish in Aromatic Coconut Curry
In the Central Plains of the Kingdom, fermented rice noodles are inextricably linked to a dish known as naam yaa. Composed of a dense, coconut-based minced fish curry, the dish is infused with layers of salted fish and possesses the distinctive, invigorating and purifying notes of fingerroot. Typically, naam yaa is served with fresh lemon basil as the herb of choice along with an array of side dishes collectively known as meuuat khanohm jeen (เหมือดขนมจีน). These include blanched bean sprouts seasoned with a touch of turmeric for color, fresh lemon basil leaves, thinly sliced three colored chilies, and ground chili for added heat. More elaborate versions will add blanched Chinese bitter gourd slices, batter-fried young morning glory shoots, and fresh shrimp minced and fried with its tomalley in pork lard, as well as crispy-fried shallots as the finishing touch.
Beef Curry Seasoned with Fermented Shrimp Paste Chili Relish (แกงรัญจวน ; gaaeng ranjuaan)
Gaaeng Ranjuaan is spicy, sour, sweet and salty beef curry seasoned with no more than fermented shrimp paste chili sauce. It should be served steaming hot, and must possess three distinct flavors, similar to fish Tom Yam soup. These modest ingredients and an intensely-flavored curry emerge from a story about love, things lost in translation and…leftovers.
Yam Sohm Choon Mango Salad with Sweet Pork Condiment, Fermented Shrimp Paste, Shallots, and Crispy Deep-Fried Fluffy Fish (ยำส้มฉุน ; yam sohm choon)
Yam sohm choon is a sour green mango salad served with grilled fermented shrimp paste; roughly chopped shallots; sweet pork condiment, deep-fried fluffy grilled catfish and seasoned with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice and topped with deep-fried dry chilies cut into small pieces.
If you follow Thai movies and TV dramas, you probably remember Sohm Choon, the adorable boy ghost character from the period romance movie Reun Mayura (1997), which was a love story between a beautiful woman and a handsome man living in different periods of time.
The Ambassador’s House Style Noodle Soup (หมี่น้ำบ้านราชทูต; Mee Naam Baan Raat Thuut)
This soup dish features crispy rice vermicelli noodles, a chicken broth that has a three-flavor profile infused with the aroma of bitter orange, and a plethora of other ingredients such as crispy fried tofu, chicken, pork, crab and pickled garlic.
In Thai, the phrase mee naam baan raat thuut refers to a rice vermicelli noodle soup in the style of the Ambassador’s house. The dish was not new when it appeared in the 1956 book Snacks, Tea Nibbles, Hors D’oeuvres and Drinking Food (ตำราอาหารว่าง - เครื่องน้ำชา และ เครื่องเคี้ยว หรือ กับแกล้ม) by Jeeb Bunnag (จีบ บุนนาค), as noodle dishes were often the preferred ingredient for light meals or snacks. In Grandparents Recipes: 100 Years Old Recipes (จานอร่อยจากปู่ย่า สูตรโบราณ 100 ปี), a volume printed in 2014 that highlights recipes from the kitchens of fifteen prominent families, a similar version of the dish is referred to as mee naam baan bpaak naai leert (หมี่น้ำบ้านปาร์คนายเลิศ) and is associated with Nai Lert.
Thai Dessert Recipe: Pandan Flavored Sweet Translucent Glutinous Rice (khaao niaao gaaeo) สูตรทำข้าวเหนียวแก้ว
One of the charms of street food is that it finds you rather than you finding it. Therefore you are usually in the perfect mood to embrace it.
This treat along with other sweets are traditionally presented on tricycle drawn trays that are protected from insects and pollution by a transparent nylon tent and light up by a single light bulb.
Clear Soup of Bitter Gourd Stuffed with Pork and Glass Noodles ต้มจืดมะระยัดไส้หมูสับ ; dtohm jeuut mara yat sai muu sap
Bitter gourds have long been prized in Asia for a trait considered a defect in cucumbers: bitterness. We tend to believe that anything bitter is medicinal and, in this case, we could be correct. The bitter gourd is said to cure a wide range of ailments - from gastrointestinal conditions to cancers, and from diabetes to HIV.
Also known as bitter melons, bitter gourds are pale green, with an irregular, warty surface. Typically, they are eaten following an initial treatment to remove some of the bitterness; often they are stuffed, to complement their somewhat eccentric bite.
Beef Rump Simmered Tender in Dark Soy with Mangosteen Flesh and Seeds (ต้มเนื้อโคกับมังคุด; dtohm neuua kho:h gap mang khoot)
Dtohm neuua kho:h gap mang khoot, lard-fried beef rump simmered in dark soy with peeled mangosteen, seeds and all. From Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.
Rustic & Spicy Laotian Fish Soup with Grilled Eggplants, Oyster Mushrooms and Herbs (ต้มแจ่วปลา ; dtom jeaw pla)
Dtom Jeaw Pla is a rustic and spicy fish soup that is far from being unsophisticated. There is something humble, genuine, and unpretentious about it, which makes you fall in love with it.
Its humble countryside charm and surfeit of tastes quickly placed it high on my personal list of favorite dishes.
The fresh essence of fish cooked to perfection melds with the earthy tones of the grilled ingredients, the eggplants, shallots, chilies and garlic. It has a heavenly silky broth with a scent of lemongrass, which is generously lifted up by a handful of fresh herbs, lemon basil, saw coriander and spring onions.
Gabpi Khuaa, An Ancient Dip from The Central Plains (Lohn Gabpi Khuaa; หลนกะปิคั่ว)
In the Thai language, lon (lohn; หลน) means to simmer. In this ancient style dip, minced pork and fermented shrimp paste, along with smoked-charred dry fish, chilies and other aromatics, are slowly simmered in rich coconut cream to create a deep, multi-layered - yet subtle and silky – dip; a dip which is then lightly seasoned with just palm sugar and fish sauce. The dip is served with an array of fresh and fried vegetables, tempura-like cakes, crispy small fishes or tiny transparent salt-water shrimp. For a dish with so many subtle flavors, there is surprisingly little fuss.
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