Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [105]
Lighter morning choices, especially for Thais of Chinese descent, include Ъah·tôrng·gǒh (deep-fried bits of dough) dipped in warm nám đôw hôo (soy milk). Thais also eat noodles, whether fried or in soup, with great gusto in the morning, or as a substantial snack at any time of day or night.
As the staple with which almost all Thai dishes are eaten (noodles are still seen as a Chinese import), kôw (rice) is considered an absolutely indispensable part of the daily diet. Most Bangkok families will put on a pot of rice, or start the rice cooker, just after rising in the morning to prepare a base for the day’s menu. All other dishes, aside from noodles, are considered gàp kôw (side dishes) that supplement this ah·hăhn làk (staple).
Finding its way into almost every meal is Ъlah (fish), even if it’s only in the form of nám Ъlah (a thin amber sauce made from fermented anchovies), which is used to salt Thai dishes, much as soy sauce is used in eastern Asia. Pork is undoubtedly the preferred protein, with chicken in second place. Beef is seldom eaten in Bangkok, particularly by Thais of Chinese descent who subscribe to a Buddhist teaching that forbids eating ‘large’ animals.
Thais are prodigious consumers of fruit. Vendors push glass-and-wood carts filled with a rainbow of fresh sliced papaya, pineapple, watermelon and mango, and a more muted palette of salt-pickled or candied seasonal fruits. These are usually served in a small plastic bag with a thin bamboo stick to use as an eating utensil.
Because many restaurants in Thailand are able to serve dishes at an only slightly higher price than they would cost to make at home, Thais dine out far more often than their Western counterparts. Dining with others is always preferred because it means everyone has a chance to sample several dishes. When forced to fly solo by circumstances – such as during lunch breaks at work – a single diner usually sticks to one-plate dishes such as fried rice or curry over rice.
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STAPLES & SPECIALITIES
Bangkok’s central position, and more importantly its wealth relative to the rest of the country, means that spices, seasonings and produce hailing from any corner of the kingdom are easily available. Coconuts from the south, bamboo shoots from the north, maang dah (water beetle) from the northeast – all find their way into Bangkok markets.
Rice
Bangkok sits right in the middle of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya delta, the country’s ‘rice bowl’. Although Thailand’s role as the largest producer of rice was recently taken over by Vietnam, its product is still considered the best in the world. Thailand’s kôw hǒrm má·lí (jasmine rice) is so coveted that there is a steady underground business in smuggling bags of the fragrant grain to neighbouring countries.
Rice is so central to Thai food culture that the most common term for ‘eat’ is gin kôw (literally ‘consume rice’), and one of the most common greetings is, ‘Gin kôw rěu yang?’ (‘Have you eaten rice yet?’). Cooked rice is usually referred to as kôw sǒo·ay – literally ‘beautiful rice’, yet another clue as to how thoroughly Thais esteem this staple. When you order plain rice in a restaurant you may use this term or simply kôw Ъlòw (‘plain rice’). Restaurants may serve rice by the jahn (plate) or you can order a tǒh (large bowl) of rice, lidded to keep it warm and moist.
In Chinese-style eateries, kôw đôm (‘boiled rice’), a watery porridge sometimes involving brown or purple rice, is a common carb.
Noodles
Exactly when the noodle reached Thailand is difficult to say, but it probably arrived along trade routes from China since the preparation styles in contemporary Thailand are similar to those of contemporary southern China.
You’ll find four basic kinds of noodle in Bangkok. Hardly surprising, given the Thai fixation