Showing 81 - 90 of 137
'Yam' that makes you go 'yum'
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 26/10/2014
» Thailand's cuisine spans many kinds of dishes, among them kaeng (curries and soups), boiled and steamed dishes, stir-fries, deep-fried dishes and more. Some go together well to form pairs. Kaeng khio waan (a spicy, coconut cream-based curry) with phat phak khana kap pla khem (Chinese broccoli stir-fried with salted fish), kaeng som phak boong kap khai jio (a sweet-sour-spicy, soup-like curry together with omelette), kaeng pa pla sai (a very spicy fish curry made without coconut cream) with pla chon daed dio thawt (deep-fried semi-dried snakehead fish), kaeng lueang pla kraphong (a fiery Southern variant of kaeng som made with sea bass) with moo waan (sugar-sweetened pork), and kaeng lieng nam tao (a vegetable soup containing gourds) with dried mussels fried with sugar and nam pla to make them sweet and salty, are just a few from an endless list of Thai dishes that pair up nicely.
A foreign but not forbidden fruit
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 19/10/2014
» When we hear someone mention khanom farang (a muffin-like sweet), man farang (potato), maak farang (chewing gum) and trae farang (natural trumpet), we know that the word farang means the item in question was a Western import into Thai culture. But the word farang itself has two meanings. One is the name of a fruit — the guava — that was introduced by Westerners, and the other refers to Caucasian foreigners.
Food for all seasons
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 12/10/2014
» Why is it that in the past Thais ate seasonally, cooking different dishes at different times of the year? One reason is that they lived much closer to nature than most of us do now. They understood the natural cycles — what ingredients would be at their best in a given season, and what things were best to eat. The changing possibilities that came with the rotating seasons brought variety to the table.
The old ways of making rice nice
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 05/10/2014
» Everything evolves and changes. Even cooking rice evolves in ways to keep it tasty and appealing. Nowadays we have electric rice cookers and microwave ovens. All you have to do is push a button and let the electricity do the work. You don't need any special skill or technique. But before we reached this point, the situation was more complicated.
Local dishes make a big impression
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 21/09/2014
» Sometimes instinct springs into action at mealtimes. One quick example is the way a button is pushed to make us automatically start scanning for seafood when driving through Hua Hin, Chon Buri or Rayong. When we see the forests and mountains in Kanchanaburi or Uthai Thani we’re on the lookout for ahan pa (dishes made from wild game), Pak Chong and Khao Yai mean steak, Kang Krachan in Phetchaburi elicits a hankering for grilled fish encrusted with salt, and a visit to Ayutthaya calls for pla nuea awn deep-fried with pepper and garlic or river prawns.
Tasty and versatile pork belly
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 17/08/2014
» The three layers that give moo sam chan (three-layer pork, or pork belly) its name are the skin, the fat and the meat. They make up the largest cut of pork and the one used in the most recipes. But what are these recipes, and what do they taste like?
Mincing by hand shows you care
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 03/08/2014
» Practically nobody minces beef, pork, or chicken by hand any more. It’s tiring and takes a lot of time. Then there is the fact that markets of every kind sell meat ready-minced, which makes doing it by hand seem even more pointless and old-fashioned. But if you decide to try mincing the meat for a recipe by yourself, you’ll find that it is well worth the effort.
Tastes change with the times
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 20/07/2014
» Central Thai cuisine is full of old recipes that are total strangers to younger generations. It isn’t the fault of young people that they don’t know or don’t like these foods, because tastes change, and each period enjoys the dishes that are appropriate to it.
Destroying the past
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 13/07/2014
» The close link between Thais and water, or waterways, stretches far into the past. The cultural basis of this bond can be seen everywhere: the structure of traditional houses, Thai professions, religious and other beliefs, customs, arts and crafts, and cuisine. All are closely tied to water.
Let the shop come to you
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 06/07/2014
» If you live around Sukhumvit, Yen Akat or Sathon and want to buy bunches of fresh coriander and spring onions and some pla tu, it will cost you about 60 baht. If you decide to buy it at a market far from the middle of town you’ll need at least 200 baht for transport and a spare two hours. But if you live on the outer fringes of the metropolis — Om Noi or Phutthamonton in Nakhon Pathom; Thaa It or Pak Kret in Nonthaburi; or Lam Luk Ka, Lat Lum Kaeo in Pathum Thani — and you want to get hold of the same coriander, spring onions and fish, you’ll have no problems with transport or price.