There is one thing after being in Thailand Thighland for 16 months that is still a huge mystery to me.. how the heck are Thai people so freakin thin?! Literally, stick thin. When I first came to Asia, I obnoxiously thought I would magically obtain a slim slender Thai figure. Maybe the miracle slenderizing substance in the air or in the white rice! Its true that when I came from America and stepped off the plane into this new Asia world, I was an extremely picky eater and was so overwhelmed with all these new unfamiliar foods that I only ate plain white rice and pineapple my first few weeks, which may have given me the slimming affect I thought would be easy to obtain here. The truth is, I had never had Thai food before I moved to Thailand.. The most Asian food I'd had before Thailand was Panda Express and PF Changs. To be even more embarrassingly honest, I wouldn't have been able to tell you where Thailand was on a map until the flight navigation screen on my flight over flashed a map of the world and I zeroed in on the dotted line to where our flight was going to be landing. Pathetic, I know. After my first few months here, slowly I discovered that I loved fried rice and pad thai and ate ONLY rice and noodles for every single meal every day for the following few months. It quickly became apparent that this new "diet" was becoming quite a problem. Luckily I was able to able to nip this issue in the bud with the help of a strict gym schedule, running with the goal of the half marathon, and limiting my 30 cent Dairy Queen ice cream cones as well as limiting rice and noodle intake to only once or twice a week. I now look exactly the same, if not better, than I did when I left America, PHEW! Its sometimes a challenge though, imagine living in Asia, the rice continent of the world and surrounded by rice fields, and trying to eat your way around eating rice! 16 months later, I still love fried rice and pad thai but I've discovered SO. MUCH. MORE. Thai food that I absolutely LOVE! I'm going to miss Thai food SO much, nothing will ever beat the cheap price (1 dollar for dinner every night!), the amazing taste and flavors (the cheaper the better and straight off the street cart is the ultimate best), and the uncertainty of if the lady understood my awful Thai correctly and the anticipation if she'll hand me the dinner I thought I ordered.. okay, I wont miss that last one, but I'll miss REAL THAI FOOD! I'm eating ALOT more Thai as I'm at my 48 day countdown, trying to OD on it now so I won't crave it for a few months after I leave, I've heard Thai in America is nothing like Thai food on the streets of Thailand. Anyways, I expect to eat every single food item on the Mexican menu starting the day I arrive in California so that'll keep me occupied for a while.. But I sure have come a long way from white rice, pineapple, and fried rice with ketchup.
Thailand and traveling Asia has introduced me to: every type of Thai food, curry, noodles that arn't chow mein fast cheap Americanized Chinese, sushi, plain white rice (I grew up eating white rice with butter and salt.. such an American thing to do), new fruits including oranges, tofu, fish not in a fish taco, soy milk, duck, Indian food, jellies and custard desserts, coconut milk/water, crab meat, spice and chili that's spicier than mild salsa, green tea (any type of tea actually), bugs (okay, the bugs are a half joke).. thats right, these were all new food experiences within the last 16 months! Deprived as a child? Nope, I was darn picky. I honestly have no idea what I used to eat on a regular basis back home, probably bagels, cheese, and honey nut cheerios. I'm still picky about certain things like meat and the temperature of milk (it has to be ICE cold), but I sure have come a long way! I've only scratched the surface when it comes to Thai food and I still have so much more to learn!
This is Thailand Thighland!
Khao Chi: these are my ultimate favorite quick breakfast for days I need to get up early.. 2 for 10 baht. They are basically cakes of sticky rice in patty shapes dipped in a beaten egg and grilled over a charcoal fire giving it a crunchy crust. Haven't tried it but I bet it would go great with ketchup.Khao Niaow Sang Khaya (Sticky Rice and Thai Custard): Sticky rice, egg custard, coconut milk.. AMAZING! I think its traditionally a dessert but if I'm walking to school and see the guy who sells them on his mobile cart, I nab one for breakfast! Its neatly packaged in a banana leaf and comes in white or purple wild sticky rice.
Khao Phat: Fried rice is one of the most common dishes in Thailand. Usually with chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, crab or coconut or pineapple, or vegetarian. Fried rice used to be one of two of my main dishes and I'd only eat it with ketchup.. then I ate it so much that I overdosed and havent had it since, its been months and my fried rice ladies give me an evil eye when I walk by their stall to the curry one instead!
Khao Soi: This is a Burmese influenced dish and is widely served in northern Thailand. The dish combines the richness and spiciness of a coconut milk curry with hearty yellow and crispy fried noodles and a diversity of tart, crunchy and spicy condiments. I've only had this dish once in Chiang Mai but it was DELICIOUS! I'm tempted to go back just for the Khao Soi... and for the shopping.
Som Tam (Papaya Salad): I LOVE som tam! This tasty dish combines the four main tastes of Thai cuisine: sour lime, hot chili, salty fish sauce, and sweetness added by palm sugar mixed with green beans, tomatoes, and unripe shredded papaya. The ingredients are mixed and pounded in a motar, the Thai name som tam means 'sour pounded'. Som tam is of Laos origin so there are two types of the salad, som tam Thai (which I order), or som tam Laos/Isaan which contains raw crabs that are found in the rice fields. Rumor is farang bellies can not handle the raw crab so I can't be talked into trying that one. I special order my som tam and stress "NO SPICY KA" and often there is just enough spice left over in the motor from the Thai person who ordered ahead of me for it to the perfect amount of spice. No dried prawns and extra peanuts of course, and it goes amazingly with sticky rice. I'm going to miss this dish the most, I've heard unripe papaya is impossible to find in America!
Pad Thai: Pad thai is very popular with farangs and travelers (I hardly ever see Thai people eating it) and was listed at number 5 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll compiled by CNN Go in 2011. The dish is rice noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg combined with chicken, seafood, or tofu. Again, I overdosed on pad thai nearly a year ago and literally made myself sick and can only eat half a plate about once a month now. I put extra sugar, peanuts, a little chili, and a ton of sprouts.. nummy num! My pad thai lady giggles when I show up once a month and she always makes it just how I like it, no meat or seafood, no dried up baby shrimp, and just enough tofu and eggs.
Meat on a stick: Cheap, easy, quick mystery meats on a stick. I never got too into this one but a few months ago I had a strange obsession with fish balls on a stick. They tasted like a fishy tofu and I LOVED them! That was until an overnight bus I took stopped at 2am at a sketch market area where I was in such a daze and made the decision to get fish balls as my snack. Really, I should have gone with the oreos. As I think back now I should have assessed the situation and seen that they weren't even on ice and could have been sitting out for DAYS but my hungry tired self wasn't thinking straight. Needless to say, I was sick for days and probably lost a pound or two as I was unable to keep food in my stomach the rest of the week. I will never touch fish balls EVER AGAIN!
Massaman Curry: My very favorite curry! I've picked up a few packages of massaman curry paste in BKK and have already sent them home in a box to my family. Unfortunately, massaman is impossible to find in Khon Kaen unless my Thai teacher has her aunt make it just for me after a trip to Bangkok as its a southern Thai dish that is Muslim in origin. It usually contains coconut milk, roasted peanuts or cashews, potatoes, bay leaves, caradomom pods, cinnamon, star anise, palm sugar, fish sauce, chili and tamarind sauce. When I'm on the islands, Massaman is my main dinner item. CnnGo ranked massaman as number one in World's 50 most deilcious foods in 2011! Boy, they got that one right!
Red and Green Curry: Both of these curries taste pretty similar to me but green curry uses green chili peppers and red curry is made with red chili peppers. Both are served in a soup bowl and with steamed rice.
Yellow Curry: After massaman, yellow curry is my favorite. Its more similar to Indian curry at times as turmeric is added. My favorite is when its in stir fry form rather than soup and yes, I again have someone who makes it EXACTLY how I like it without me needing to say a word.. Yellow Curry Vegetable!
Roti: Roti's are much more popular amongst tourists and seem to line the backpacker trail. I'd come across one stand in Khon Kaen but they are more popular down south where there is more of a Muslim community. Its always intriguing to watch a roti being made as the pastry is rolled, spread and gently fried before adding the filling and this vender on Ko Tao even dances and sings while he's cooking up your treat. The pancake is then topped with condensed milk and sugar. Roti flavor choices vary from egg, mango, chicken and vegetable, to my favorite nutella with banana and coconut!
Khao Niaow Mamuang (Mango Sticky Rice): Lucky for me, its just the start of mango season again! I went all through rainy and cold season without getting mango sticky rice because I knew the mangos wouldn't be good and I'm SO glad they are back in season right before I go! I've been putting mango in my yogurt, oatmeal, and of course getting Khao Niaow Mamuang at the night market every week or so. Its simply sweet coconut milk sticky rice with a fresh juicy mango on top. I can't stress how amazing it is! Heaven. in. my. mouth.
Thai Fruit: I eat SO much fruit, its crazy! Its so cheap and easy to get with fruit stands and fruit carts everywhere I go. Apples, bananas, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, guava, lychees, mangosteens, rambutans, Chinese oranges.. I LOVE them all!
And there are always cheap bug snacks! I've given them a try once or twice.. okay, three times.
Who ever thought that this girl would go from mac and cheese to fried rice and pad thai to curries and sushi to eating SCORPIONS!!!
**Okay, I don't normally eat scorpions.. only after a few birthday changs and samsongs on Khao San and being talked into it by CA friends and cheers-ing to Thailand**
