Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is famous. The preparation of the latter begins with a
krê·uang gaang,
created by mash-
ing, pounding and grinding an array of fresh ingredients with a stone mortar and pestle to
form an aromatic, extremely pungent-tasting and rather thick paste. Typical ingredients in
a
krê·uang gaang
include dried chilli, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime zest, shallots,
garlic, shrimp paste and salt.
Another food celebrity that falls into the soupy category is
đôm yam,
the famous Thai
spicy and sour soup. Fuelling the fire beneath
đôm yam'
s often velvety surface are fresh
prík kêe nŏo
or, alternatively, half a teaspoonful of
nám prík pŏw
(a roasted chilli paste).
Lemon grass, kaffir lime leaf and lime juice give
đôm yam
its characteristic tang.
Pok Pok,
by Andy Ricker with JJ Goode, features recipes of the rustic regional Thai dishes served at
Ricker's eponymous Portland, Oregon, and New York City restaurants.
Stir-Fries & Deep-Fries
The simplest dishes in the Thai culinary repertoire are the various stir-fries
(pàt),
intro-
duced to Thailand by the Chinese, who are world famous for being able to stir-fry a
whole banquet in a single wok.
The list of
pàt
dishes seems endless. Many cling to their Chinese roots, such as the
ubiquitous
pàt pàk bûng fai daang
(morning glory flash-fried with garlic and chilli),
while some are Thai-Chinese hybrids, such as
pàt pèt
(literally 'hot stir-fry'), in which
the main ingredients, typically meat or fish, are quickly stir-fried with red curry paste.
Tôrt
(deep-frying in oil) is mainly reserved for snacks such as
glôo·ay tôrt
(deep-fried
bananas) or
Ъo
̀
·Ъe
́
e·a tôrt
(fried spring rolls). An exception is
Ъlah tôrt
(deep-fried fish),
which is a common way to prepare fish.
Bangkok's Top 50 Street Food Stalls,
by Chawadee Nualkhair, also functions well as a general introduction
and guide to Thai-style informal dining.
Hot & Tangy Salads
Standing right alongside curries in terms of Thai-ness is the ubiquitous
yam,
a hot and
tangy 'salad' typically based around seafood, meat or vegetables. Lime juice provides the
tang, while the abundant use of fresh chilli generates the heat. Most
yam
are served at
room temperature or just slightly warmed by any cooked ingredients. The dish functions
