December 29, 2014 · by Amber D. · in Asia, On the road, Gastronomy, Places, Southeast Asia, Thailand
One of the wonderful things about Thailand is its wonderful dishes. I don't think it would be right to talk about Thailand without introducing you to some of the foods you just have to try while you are out here. There may be some I have missed out on, but these are my own favourite selections:
1. Panang curry: a delicious (and spicy) red curry flavored with lime and coconut milk feeding the sensations.
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| Panang curry |
2. Pad Thai: the famous rice noodles with egg, tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, large doses of chopped peanuts and coriander, all served with a slice of lime. I recommend you squeeze it on the Pad Thai straightaway to bring out all the flavours.
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| Pad Thai |
3. Massaman curry: a sweet little spicy curry and usually with A hint of cumin, cinnamon, peanuts and coconut milk that drives my tatsebuds crazy. Usually it comes loaded with potatoes and meat such as chicken or beef.
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| Massaman curry |
4. Mango sticky rice: glutinous rice (kao neaw moon) with coconut milk, some toasted sesame seeds and fresh mango pieces that will leave you wanting more
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| Mango sticky rice |
5. Pad Se-ew: These fried rice noodles (fat) seasoned with soy sauce and accompanied by lots of vegetables, eggs and meat pieces are a delicacy that you must try.
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Pad Se-ew
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6. Pad Ga (kra) -Prao: that Arrocito with spicy meat and basil that will make you giddy with excitement...
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| Pad Ga (kra) -Prao |
7. various chicken and pork satays: kebabs lifetime of Spain in their Thai version. Best of all: the accompanying peanut sauce I could eat by the bucketful.
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| chicken and pork satays |
8. Tom Kha Gai: although an unappetizing color, this delicious white soup has a flavor that you will love. Mainly cooked with coconut milk, other ingredients that characterize it are the lemon grass, lime leaves, coriander leaves and a variant called galanga ginger. Ingredients usually contain chicken but you can also find seafood, mushrooms, pork or tofu. Best to accompany boiled rice so the dish isn't too overwhelming.
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| Tom Kha Gai |
9. Som Tam: the famous still green papaya salad with huge amounts of green chili, fish sauce and sugar, which is often accompanied by ingredients such as tomatoes crab and lime juice. My favorite version is the fried papaya, the tastes are divine!
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| Som Tam |
10. Khao Soi: the jewel in the crown of northern Thailand called Khao Soi, a dish of Burmese influence that will delight the noodles and coconut milk. This is a soup-curry crispy egg noodles with large amounts of fried onions, fried chili, curry, chicken in most cases, lime and coconut milk.
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| Khao Soi |
Remember, Thai food is usually spicy to very spicy. And if you are not someone who handles heat well, its best to let them know that you do not want too much chilli. This is what you need to say: Mai Sai Prik (no chili) or Mai Ped (not spicy). And you should also avoid any dish that contains the word Yum (spicy) otherwise you'll be breathing fire the rest of the day!
And if all this is not exotic enough for you ... you can always try scorpions, turtles, tarantulas and toads ...
A few minutes ago I remembered the trip to the North Cape I had last year. When reviewing the images I had of that trip in my Flickr gallery, I stopped at a series of photos where there were fish drying outdoors.
Leaving Honningsvåg, we hit the coast and one of the revolts of the route appeared one of the many triangular wooden structures that would set outside. Fish were hung there to dry in the air, straight out of the sea, and just gutted. They are cut in two and hung separately: the head in "clusters" and the body and tail individually.
The fish remain three months drying in the sun and then the process is finished indoors. In those first months, the fish (mainly cod but also other species), loses 80% of water, nutrients and flavors are concentrated giving pieces of the highest quality.
Once off the bus, we saw these extended "stairs" on a small hill near the water. In that corner some fishing boats, small pier, a reservoir for the final drying, a minimum clustered office. Quite a production unit for one of the most famous products of Norway stockfish or dried fish. We walked between the structures, we went down to see the fish well. No expected strong smell, we were just accompanied by the gentle breeze and the sound of birds in the sky.
The pieces laid for drying are aimed at two distinct markets: the European and American.
A few meters from the famous medieval Bryggen is Bergen's market. A modern building that houses both the stalls selling seafood to buy and consume products, such as the Office of Tourism of the city in his basement.
Whenever I travel, I attempt to go to local markets to browse the products, prices, places, people. On this trip to Norway where I went to the region of the Norwegian fjords, I set up the pulpit (and despite subsequent soreness), I enjoyed a mythical journey in the train Flam, I became a Viking sailing the fjords, and ... I could not resist entering the market Bergen.
Market Bergen, Norway
Inside the market, we can wander through the halls and peek into the refrigerators where seafood from the area are exhibited: wild salmon or factory in a thousand forms (natural, smoked, marinated, pickled, etc. etc.), hedgehogs , crabs, shrimps and prawns, lobsters, herring, mussels, oysters, etc.etc.
Market Bergen, Norway
In these places you can buy whatever you want them prepare and eat it on the spot right there at a table overlooking the port of Bergen. A luxury.
MercadoBergen
Roaming around have many options, from sushi to whale meat (dark and tender), not forgetting the typical dishes based on smoked.
Market Bergen, Norway
In the esplanade that opens in front of the building market, with the same bay of the port, also stalls where you can buy products as diverse as sausages "rare" meats, fruits, vegetables, canned are placed.
At the site you can also purchase platters to sample the exquisite king crab legs or whale meat in economic disposable bowls with a lower gourmet restaurants from all over the world who are fighting to have these products in their letters budget.
Market Bergen, Norway
You see: a combination plate of king crab or whale for only 20 euros! Remember that we are in Norway ... this is a very good price.
Market Bergen, Norway
You can see cooked ready to eat halibut, salmon to take home and that dark meat is ... whale.
And for the curious who dare to try: sausages reindeer, elk and whales. All that I've tried. The elk is stronger and more like the wild boar; The reindeer is a spicier version of its tasty flesh and something firm (not hard); and the whale looks like the typical black pudding we all know.
Below I leave more pictures of jobs and dishes so you can get an idea of the variety on a visit to Bergen market stalls.
SEA URCHIN
