Serving as an accompaniment in Thai cuisine for many centuries, this dish has remained untouched by any foreign influence. Lon – an authentic Thai dip that banks on tradition.
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.
While lon is served at every Thai restaurant, this particular version is getting dangerously difficult to find: few restaurants still serve it and even fewer diners remember to order it. Food can be a glue between generations. It would be sad to see this dish disappear from the Thai culinary repertoire.
Gabpi Khuaa, An Ancient Dip from The Central Plains (Lohn Gabpi Khuaa; หลนกะปิคั่ว)
Hanuman
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.
Grill the dried fish over charcoal until it is crispy and lightly charred.
Using your fingers, break the fish flesh into large chunks. Carefully observe the abdomen area and discard the remains of any internal organs. In a mortar and pestle, pound the fish meat finely.
De-seed the dry chilies; soak in warm water until soft.
In a mortar and pestle, pound the dry chilies into a fine paste.
Add krachai, the lemongrass stalks and the shallots; pound into a fine paste.
Add the pounded dry fish and fermented shrimp paste; work everything into an even paste.
Place 1 1/2 cups of the coconut cream in a pan over medium heat; stir constantly, until the coconut cream and the oil separate. The oil should float on top.
Add the chili paste; mix well, and cook for couple of minutes.
Add the minced pork meat. Cook thoroughly.
Add the remaining cup of coconut milk; cook and stir until the mixture thickens.
Season with fish sauce and palm sugar.
Add the green and red chilies cut into large chunks.
Garnish with shallots, and the green and red chilies.
Serve with fresh vegetables, fried shrimp or with crispy fish batter.
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Tom Yam is a type of soup with distinct sharp hot and sour flavors, scented with pleasant citrusy aroma.
Tom Yam is known to seduce many westerners to fall in love with Thailand, its people and food. Many trips memories to Thailand were written in diaries, others are etched on film but all are stained by the Tom Yam charm.
I still remember with vivid colors my first bowl of Tom Yam, in the night market of the old neighborhood on a hot night in a ragged, unfashionable part of Bangkok. Where the smell of cooking and the glare of florescent lights decorated the alley where JeMoi used to own a restaurant, a very simple and very good one, decorated with cheap bamboo chairs and peeling orange walls. I would enjoy watching the streets of the early night turning into mornings, eating, drinking and sweating. It was hard to say if I was sweating from the hot and humid weather, the cheap whiskey or JeMoi’s spicy food. I still smile when I think of her, standing by my table with a winning smile, as if she knew how much I enjoy the food.
This is an aromatic stew that leans into the sweet spectrum of the palate. An all-time Thai favorite, moo palo was introduced locally by the Chinese-Cantonese and Tae Chiew immigrants who flocked to the Kingdom in the early nineteenth century.
The name of this dish originates from two Chinese words: pah ziah and lou.
Here is a wonderful spicy Nam Tok recipe; you may as well go for it! A crispy fried fish dressed with plenty of fresh herbs, plenty of chilies than some lime juice and fragrant ground roasted rice as a textural binder. It is an unpretentious dish, that is just about what is around and what is available; there is some sort of truth about it, which makes it so wonderful.
If you are trying your first Issan style recipe, than this is the one to go for. It is not complicated to prepare and will show off beautifully the hearty and rustic flavors of Issan.
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Gain access to NEW MONTHLY masterclasses as they become available.
1-1 support from Hanuman to help you achieve your professional Thai culinary goals
The opportunity to join a monthly live two-hour videoconference where I can answer your questions.
one year access for the price of 3 days in-person training.
You will get everything you need to:
When you design or build a new menu for an event or restaurant or even prepare for dinner with friends.
Finally !
Master your Thai cooking skills and expand your repertoire.