Green curry (gaeng kiao waan) is probably my favorite Thai dish of all time. Prior to moving to Thailand I stuck to some pretty simple dishes. I didn’t venture into anything exotic and at the time the idea of eating a big bowl of what looked like split pea soup did not appeal to me. So, upon moving to Thailand I had never tried it. Thankfully, when you live in Thailand and are working very hard to follow traditional customs (and not offend people in the process) you eat whatever is put in front of you.

During my first few days with my host family in Ayutthaya I was presented with a large bowl of green curry at breakfast. Fantastic. I’d only been there a few days and I was already being tested. Maybe I can just avoid it and eat everything else. I quickly dished myself some rice and a portion of the kai diao (fried egg omelet) consciously steering clear of the green goop.

I should have known better.

My mae (mother) noticed the absence of curry on my plate almost immediately. She grabbed the serving spoon and threw a big pile of it onto my plate nearly covering my entire mound of rice. Oh great. Now what do I do? I had just learned about proper Thai eating etiquette in my Peace Corps training classes and the first thing they tell you is to eat everything on your plate. It is rude not to. I had done well to avoid the curry when it stayed in the bowl, but once it made its way onto my rice I was out of luck.

I took a deep breath and scooped up a large pile of rice onto my spoon, smiled at my mae, and dipped the very edge of my spoon into the green pile. She nodded vigorously. “Gin, gin!” Eat, eat! I looked down at the spoon and grimaced. You signed up for this.

I put the spoonful of rice and green in my mouth and slowly started chewing. It wasn’t terrible but I couldn’t really tell if I liked it because I couldn’t really taste the flavors. I’d only taken a tiny dip, remember? I took another spoonful of rice, smaller this time, and added a bit more green curry including an actual piece of meat – I think it was chicken (another thing I learned, never ask what protein you’re eating)?

This time when I put the bite into my mouth I was completely sold. The flavor was indescribable at the time but now I can distinctly characterize it as a combination of sweet and salty with just the right amount of spice (even for me who, at the time, did not do anything spicy). The chicken was tender, the sauce was thinner than many curries with a bit more oil, but still creamy and savory and absolutely delicious.

I smiled back at my mae and nodded my head that I did in fact like it. She grinned and continued to eat. I found green curry on the breakfast table every day for the next week.

I didn’t mind.

I tell that story because many people often have the same experience with Thai food, or any ethnic/exotic food for that matter. They find one or two dishes they like and stick to those because they are delicious but also because all the others are way out of their comfort zone.

I’m here to tell you, feel free to eat whatever suits you but do not discount weird looking, smelling, or sounding dishes simply because they push your boundaries! Some of those dishes will end up being your favorites – I promise J . If the ones you decided to try are yummy, who is to say the other ones aren’t yummy too?

Side note: When my mom reads this she is going to laugh hysterically … this little pep talk coming from her daughter who has always been the pickiest of eaters. Oh, the irony.

Anyway, back to the gaeng kiao waan. If you’re a Thai food fan and you’re looking to branch out past the few dishes you usually try then this would be a great place to start. It doesn’t have too many crazy ingredients, it doesn’t have to be super spicy (though there is usually at least a little bit, which I’ll explain here in a minute), and it’s great with nearly all types of protein. Let’s call it a gateway dish if you will.

Before I get to the recipe though, I want to clear a few things up with you regarding this particular dish. First, there is a misconception that green curry is sweeter than other curries when in fact, it isn’t. Yes, the word waan is in the name, which can be a little confusing (it means sweet in Thai) but it isn’t actually any sweeter than the other curries. By nature it is also the spiciest of all Thai curries because it is made from fresh chilies rather than dried ones. However, I will say that I can handle the higher spice in this dish better than other curries but that might just be a personal thing. If you don’t like spicy foods, you can always use less green curry paste (though you may lose some of the vibrancy of flavor) or you can make your own paste with less spicy chilies (no, making chili paste isn’t super difficult!).

Additionally, there is a big difference between authentic green curry in Thailand and the green curry you are served at restaurants around the states. I find that there are two distinct differences:

1. Green curry in Thailand is much thinner and slightly less creamy. The ratio between the amount of broth and the amount of protein/vegetables is much larger. Most bowls of green curry I received in Thailand were heavily broth-based with some meat and veggies swimming around. In the states, green curry (as with most curries) are served a bit thicker with a lesser amount of sauce. You will either receive a plate with both rice and green curry on it or you’ll still receive a bowl/plate of the curry but it will be protein/veggie heavy with just enough sauce to compliment the dish. This isn’t to say the curries here aren’t delicious, they just aren’t the same consistency or ratios.

2. The vegetables that are used in authentic green curry are very different. In Thailand, the only vegetables you usually find in green curry are Thai eggplants and eggplant peas. It may also be topped with Thai basil. In the states, they add numerous other vegetables like bamboo shoots, bell peppers, and regular eggplant. I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of Thai eggplants so the Americanized version with different veggies often appeals to me, but when I’m going for a traditional bowl of green curry I’ll always use the Thai eggplants.

So I think that’s about it. Willing to try it yet? If not, I’d be happy to continue rambling about how amazing it is and regale you with more stories of my gaeng kiao waan experiences in Thailand. I have another particularly good one that involves a little restaurant across the street from MBK mall in Bangkok. Probably the best bowl of green curry in my life. I can’t wait to go back.

I can’t tell you the number of people who, when I tell them I lived in Thailand, respond with, “ooh, I’ve heard Phuket is nice!” It’s pretty typical for people to think about Phuket, Krabi, “that awesome beach where the movie The Beach was filmed” when they think about visiting Thailand. And why not? It’s the most tropical part of Thailand with the sandy beaches, clear blue water, and endless sun.

Perfection!

For me though, what’s even more wonderful about these places and the surrounding region is that it brings a great deal of variety and deliciousness to Thai cuisine. Extremely different from the northern region of my last post the southern region brings new flavors, ingredients, and even different brighter colors!

Located closest to the equator, the southern part of Thailand receives a steady amount of sun throughout the year along with eight rainy months which allows for very fertile growing conditions. (Check out the pictures; it’s a lush jungle over there!) This fertility means that crops such as coconut and rubber can grow more abundantly and thus become some of the key outputs from this region. Thais use this abundance of coconut to their advantage when cooking by using the milk to thicken soups and curries, the oils for frying meats and fish, and the meat as a grated accompaniment. As a coconut fiend I kind of love the food of the south for this very reason.

 

Unfortunately, southern Thais also like their food incredibly spicy. I mean really spicy. Their use of chilies is far beyond my tolerance so when traveling in the south I have to act a bit more like a farang (foreigner) and ask for things mai pet (without spice). It’s okay though, the rest of the amazing flavors make up for it!

Additionally, the climate also allows for a wealth of fruits and nuts to grow, most commonly pineapple and cashews. These crops can be found in a number of different delicious dishes including gaeng massaman and gaeng saparot. If you haven’t checked out my Gaeng Saparot Gai recipe you definitely should. It’s aroi mak!

Another important geographical feature is the bodies of water that surround southern Thailand. Thais use what is available to them thus making seafood a popular protein of the region. Whether it is fish, lobster, crab, mussels, squid, prawns, or scallops, Thais consume far more seafood in the south than they do chicken, pork, or beef – the popular proteins of the more northern regions. They also use a variety of cooking methods from steaming and frying to one of my favorites – baking in a clay pot (often accompanied by noodles) … yum!

So far I’ve only discussed how the geography and climate of the region define Thai cuisine of the south, but this area is also very heavily influenced by its neighboring country Malaysia. Islam is the largest practiced religion in Malaysia, and consequently, southern Thailand is heavily populated with Muslim Thais. The cuisine of this area is much more similar to Malaysian and Indian cuisine than other areas of Thailand.

Specifically, food in this region relies heavily on turmeric, a brightly colored root that is found often in Indian cuisine. The color of this root is what makes some curries of Thailand a brighter yellow color (including the recipe below). Muslim influence also makes roti – a round flat wheat bread – a very popular accompaniment in place of rice. Rice is grown far less copiously in this region so this delicious bread product is used at both normal meals and as a dessert.

Okay, a little tangent here.

Roti as a dessert is delicious.

I mean absolutely, insanely, mind-blowingly, “I would fly back to Thailand just to have a serving of roti” delicious.

Think sweet crepe but more fried and crispy lathered in butter and most commonly (at least where I was living) served with bananas, cinnamon and condensed milk. I guess you could say it has some similar features to an elephant ear but 150 times more delectable.
*drooling*

Alright, that’s it; I need to post a recipe for that ASAP. Be on the lookout.

Okay, back to business. There also happens to be a large Chinese population in southern Thailand which brings regional specialties like khanom jin (or chin or jeen or however else you want to spell it). This is a dish of rice noodles cooked in one of a number of different curry soups and often served with fish. This isn’t one of my favorite dishes, but maybe I just haven’t had the right stuff yet. I know of quite of few people who love it and I’m open to keep trying until I find one that suits me!

So there you go … southern Thai cuisine.

In the spirit of adventure and trying new things here is a southern Thai recipe for you to try! This is another yummy curry but very different from other curries you’ve probably had. However, give it a shot. It’s tasty and you just might find your new favorite recipe!

This past weekend I was introduced to heaven in a cookbook. No lie, I have a ton of cookbooks but this particular one is my new obsession.

Within my collection I have quite a few Thai cookbooks – everything from the printer paper string-bound book handed out during my cooking class in Chiang Mai to Thai Street Food, a nearly 400 page, five-pound, oversized book best known for the incredible photographs found inside. I’m constantly looking for new books to add to my collection and awhile back a follower of my blog informed me that I should look into the Pok Pok cookbook.

Pok Pok has a cookbook, you say? You mean all of the amazing recipes from the Pok Pok restaurant can be made at home? *swoon*

In that very moment I died and went to heaven … and immediately ordered the cookbook of course.

The day it arrived was like Christmas. I curled up on the couch with a grin on my face like a giddy school girl and started slowly working my way through the recipes. How could so many amazing recipes be found in one place? And more importantly, how had I gone this long without knowing about it?

No matter; I have it now and that very first night I pulled out at least a dozen recipes that I want to try … right now … today … this minute. Unfortunately, that’s not possible *grumble, grumble* so I settled for one to start with that sounded off the charts.

Sii Khrong Muu Yaang – Thai-style Pork Ribs

Can we say delicious?

I couldn’t just make the ribs on their own so I selected a second dish that I absolutely loved in Thailand but haven’t had since coming back to the states – Pak Boong Fai Daeng (Stir-fried Morning Glory). I can’t even begin to explain to you how excited I was to make this meal.

And let me tell you, it turned out INCREDIBLE. A few comments from my fiancé as he ate:

“These are some of the best ribs I’ve ever had.”

“This sauce is so freaking good.”

“You can make this meal every day if you want to.” *No thanks, it takes a lot of time, but nice compliment anyway!*

Let’s just say I was super proud of the results and SO excited to have found this cookbook. If you have the time I would definitely recommend giving these recipes a shot. We plan on making this again very soon, hopefully this time out on the grill with some beer and good company!

If you’ve only eaten Thai food at restaurants here in the U.S., you’ve barely scratched the surface of the unbelievable variety of fare available in Thailand. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the majority of Thai restaurants here in the states have very similar menus. You’d be hard pressed to find a place that doesn’t serve Pad Thai, green curry, tom yum soup, or mangoes with sticky rice. It just doesn’t happen. Pick a favorite Thai dish and you can probably find it no matter where you choose to eat.

For someone who has lived in Thailand, this can be very frustrating. I can’t tell you the number of times I have walked into a Thai restaurant here in Seattle and been disappointed that some of my favorite dishes were not on the menu. Why is it so darn hard to find a bowl of khao soi?

The fact of the matter is that most Thai restaurants in the U.S. serve what is considered central Thai cuisine, or Thai food that comes from the central region of the country. Unfortunately, the other regions of Thailand bring some amazing flavor profiles, ingredients, and specialty dishes that no one includes on their menu!

Okay, I better not say no one. There are some delicious region-specific Thai restaurants out. There are also some restaurants that do a fantastic job compiling a variety of fare from all over the country, but generally speaking the majority of the US population has only experienced central Thai food.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a crying shame. You are being deprived.

Because of that, I’ve decided to do a blog series on the four regions of Thailand and the specific cuisine native to those areas. No one should have to miss out on all that yummy goodness!

First up, mainly because I want to share a phenomenal khao soi recipe with you, is the Northern region.

Northern Thailand Cuisine

Geographically speaking, the northern region of Thailand is actually the northwestern region. It centers around the city of Chiang Mai and spans outward to the western border shared with Myanmar (previously Burma) and the northern/northeastern border shared with Laos.

It is a beautiful area.

I took a trip up to the north with Cory when he came to visit. We rode an overnight bus so we went to sleep in Bangkok and woke up in Chiang Mai and I absolutely could not believe the difference in climate and topography when we arrived.

The climate in the northern region is much cooler than other parts of the country. It is part of the temperate zone and therefore has an abundance of vegetation. Green trees everywhere! And not just trees but all kinds of crops. Many of the northerners are agriculturists and because of this, northern cuisine is heavy in vegetables and fruit. They also have a large variety of roots and herbs that brings a sour and bitterness to dishes of the north. These flavors also show a heavy influence from the bordering countries of Myanmar and Laos.

The cool weather also makes it very difficult to sustain the growth of coconuts so instead of making dishes based on coconut milk, food in this region is broth or water-based making curries and soups thinner and less creamy. Less creamy isn’t a bad thing though. Northern cuisine has a fantastic flavor profile and brings some unique characteristics to the table.

Another regional specialty of the north is spicy pork sausage which you can find just about anywhere in that region. I’ve only had it once but it was delicious! It’s often served with some north specific chili pastes like nam prik noom and nam prik ong. Pork in general is popular and often substitutes for chicken and beef that are used regularly in other parts of the country. That doesn’t mean you can’t find chicken and beef though – they do still use a variety of meats and proteins.

Finally, the preferred rice of this region is glutinous rice, otherwise called sticky rice. It is often eaten with the hands by rolling it into small balls and dipping into dishes or a variety of delicious sauces. Delish!

So, there you have it – northern Thai cuisine. Interested in giving some of these dishes a try? Next time you’re at a Thai restaurant order from the list below.

• Miang Kum – an appetizer dish of leaves (traditionally betel but commonly spinach in the states) filled with a variety of chopped up ingredients and topped with a sweet sauce.
• Laab – ground meat (traditionally pork or chicken) flavored with lime, shallots, mint, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and roasted rice powder.
• Khao Soi – a delicious curry noodle dish with chicken and crispy egg noodles on top.

There are tons of additional northern Thai dishes but they can be difficult to find in restaurants. In order to try these you’ll probably have to find a region-specific restaurant such as Pok Pok in Portland (and New York) or Pestle Rock in The Ballard area of Seattle. Pok Pok specializes in northern and northeastern Thai food and while Pestle Rock is technically an Isaan (northeastern) restaurant they have a number of dishes that would be considered northern as well.

That last one on the list, khao soi, is one of my all-time favorite Thai dishes. I searched far and wide for an amazing recipe, one that captured the intense depth of flavor that I found in a tiny little restaurant on a street corner in Chiang Mai … and I’ll happily say that I found one!

I can’t take credit for this recipe in any way. It’s from the March 2013 issue of Bon Appetit magazine and after finding it, making it, and trying a few tweaks to see if I could adjust it to my personal liking (more than just the typical variance in fish sauce or sugar) I just couldn’t do it. This recipe is exactly the way I like my khao soi … hearty, filling, and aroi mak!

It takes a bit of prep but it is absolutely delicious and you’ll find yourself wanting to make it over and over again.

Earlier this month I vacationed in Hawaii for two weeks. It was a wonderful trip overall (who wouldn’t enjoy two weeks of relaxation?) but one of my favorite parts of the trip was traveling to the local grocery store for produce and seeing an array of fruit I haven’t seen (at least in fresh form) since living in Thailand.

Oh how I miss the fruit over there! Continue reading “Friday Five: Fruit in Thailand” →