Taste of Thailand
My interest in Thai cuisine must have piqued as I travelled through Bangkok when I was younger. Although I don’t remember much about the trips themselves, growing up my mother would make Thai food at home. The combination of spicy, sweet, and sour flavors drew me in, and is the perfect place to begin my culinary journey. I would love to visit Thailand and experience its authentic culinary delights. But for now, I will open a little window into the beautiful country from my own quarantined kitchen.
I decided to make Tom Yum Goong (hot and spicy shrimp soup), Som Tum Thai (papaya salad) and Kao Neuw Ma Muang (sticky coconut rice with mango), which quickly became a personal favorite. Tom Yum Goong and Som Tum Thai were easier because I was familiar with both and had eaten them countless times. I chose sticky rice to balance the spiciness of the shrimp soup and the papaya salad. Kao Neuw Ma Muang was also something I’ve long wanted to make; with a Thai-centered meal, it fit into place perfectly.
TOM YUM GOONG
Origins
Tom Yum Goong (or Tom Yam) is a deliciously light Thai soup. “Tom Yam” is a combination of two Thai words: “Tom” refers to the hot or boiling broth, and “Yam” translates to the sour and spicy taste that comes from the distinct flavors of the fresh lime juice and red chili paste. With each spoonful, you experience an explosion of flavors inside your mouth. The traditional Thai soup is known for its broth made with a trio of Thai herbs: lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. The herbs not only add a mouth-watering aroma but also counters the “fishy” flavor of the freshwater shrimp in the soup.
The inclusion of shrimp as an integral ingredient is believed to have started with an influx of shrimp entering the Thai palate through the Chao Praya River. A staple in authentic Thai cuisine, this soup was reportedly first served in the United States at Chada Café in Denver, Colorado in the 1960s. A visiting doctor’s wife opened a Thai restaurant that soon gained popularity, causing a wave of Thai restaurants to open up across the United States, inspiring many variations of the original soup.
Process
Unlike the other dishes I experimented with, I did not refer to a step-by-step guide while making this. Although we have multiple books on Thai cooking at home, I couldn’t track down a Tom Yum Goong recipe, no matter how long I looked. So, I made my own version, working with whatever we had at home. We had the essentials, but I had to improvise with a few things -- as I’m sure many of you are also doing during our time in “coronacation”.
I started off by boiling water to make the broth. I added the classic Thai herb trio of lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal and cooked them with shitake mushrooms, and Nam Prik Pa (chili paste), along with fish sauce. I added shrimp and lemon juice, gave it a swirl and put it into bowls, piping hot and ready to serve with a sprig of Thai sweet basil on top.
Taste
Even though I didn’t follow a recipe, eyeballing seemed to do the trick. The soup, known to contain antibacterial properties and be chock-full of antioxidants and micronutrients, was just as flavorful as it was healthy. No overly “fishy” flavor remained from the shrimp. The lemongrass and lime leaves added an abundance of freshness and the spiciness from the chili paste was just right. My only recommendation -- if you do decide to make Tom Yum Goong -- would be to remove the lime leaves (and perhaps the galangal and lemongrass stalks) after they’ve stewed in the broth. While they do add a fragrant aroma and indescribable taste to the broth, they don’t taste great on their own.
SOM TUM THAI
Origins
Som Tum Thai (or Som Tam) papaya salad has a firm place in Thai culture. “Som” is sour and “Tum” is the pounding sound the pestle makes as it crushes the ingredients that make up the. Yet, it is believed to have been born in neighboring Laos. Even though the Thai version of the salad is more recognized, it is also prevalent in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its Lao origin may also explain why it is one of the most popular dishes in Isaan, which lies in the northeast region of Thailand, close to Laos. Like much of Thai cuisine, this green papaya salad is very spicy, enough so that when served in the West, the recipe has to be modified. The high spice level is derived from the red bird chilis, which are used as a topping on the salad. Similar to the Tom Yum Goong, Som Tum Thai uses a variation of the shrimp that is so integral to Thai cooking. Unlike the shrimp soup, however, the papaya salad isn’t common in American-Thai restaurants. The papaya salad is treated more like street food in Southeast Asia, which may have influenced its place in the restaurant menus in the United States. The ingredients (i.e. shredded unripe papaya) are also uncommon to American cooking, don’t last too long before losing their freshness, and are also harder to acquire outside of Thai grocery stores.
Process
The process for putting together the salad was simple. We have a clay mortar at home that I used to pound the ingredients together with its wooden pestle. Each ingredient added a different flavor to the salad -- palm sugar gave it a sweet taste, and the heat from the bird chilis complemented it well. Once all the ingredients were combined, the Som Tum Thai was set aside to rest. I sprinkled the papaya salad with crushed roasted peanuts before serving.
Taste
This dish has also been a staple within my family for a few years (although I did base my measurements off of a recipe this time), and the taste was just as good as I remembered. The sweet and spicy taste worked perfectly with the papaya and dried shrimp and each bite into the plump red tomatoes was a burst of fresh sweetness. The roasted peanuts added a woody, darker flavor that was perfect with the salad, and each ingredient added a certain tang. A rollercoaster of tastes, each bite was more delicious than the last.
KAO NEUW MA MUANG
Origins
Last, but not least I had to include dessert. So, I made Kao Neuw Ma Muang (or Khao Niao Mamuang), which translates to sticky rice with mango, a common Thailand, and immensely popular in the US. Rice has a prominent place in Thai homes, eaten as the main food for practically every meal. Rice farming is a huge industry in Thailand, and the crop also has religious beliefs tied to it. There is a widely-held belief in Thailand, especially amongst rice farmers, that the goddess of rice, Mae Phosop, guards the rice, helping produce a great harvest season. She is celebrated and worshipped throughout the year.
Like the papaya salad, sticky rice with mango is popular in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia as well, and is also well known in India and the US. There are a few variations of the dessert throughout Southeast Asia, such as sticky rice with banana (a Lao twist), and sticky rice with coconut egg custard, but yellow mango as a topping is the most common of the three. The presentation of the mango is important, so the mango should be well ripened, to a bright yellow color without bruises or stringy texture. Sometimes the mango is also sliced into shapes, such as palm leaves. The rice dessert is often served from February to June in order to have the best quality mangoes.
Process
There are a few ways to prepare the sticky rice, but I made it in a few different parts: the rice, the coconut marinade, the coconut topping, and of course the mango to top it off. I used a recipe that was not from a Thai cookbook. Although I saw variations of the dish that leave out the marinade, I did some research and found that the marinade produced sweeter sticky rice. The recipes tell you to leave the sticky rice to soak overnight or for at least multiple hours. I soaked it in warm water for four hours beforehand. The longer you soak it, the more of a sticky or glue-like consistency it will develop while cooking. I steamed the sticky rice, and while it was steaming, I made the marinade over medium heat and combined them. Next, I made the coconut topping and poured it on top of the rice right before serving. I sliced up the mango and added it to the side for the fruity-sweet flavor that is so important to the dessert.
Taste
Unlike most rice dishes, sticky rice is not savory. Just as sweet as it is rich, it was a delicious end to our Thai meal. The flavors of the coconut and the mango complimented each other beautifully and tasted heavenly. Although it took some time to make, it was a perfect complement to a meal consisting of a light soup and a salad. The fresh Champagne mangoes added a kick of extra sweetness. I’d never made the dessert before, but it was delicious beyond belief, and I will definitely be making it again.
Credit
Here are some of the amazing blogs and websites that I used to help me research about Thai cooking:
https://cookingwithlane.com/thai-sticky-rice-with-mango/
https://forknplate.com/2015/08/26/tom-yum-soup-the-heart-and-soul-of-thailand/
http://www.liftenrichment.com/blog/sticky-rice-with-mango-a-multi-purpose-dessert
http://momentum.travel/food-drink/secret-history-thai-food/
https://thaisq.com/an-interesting-story-about-tom-yum-goong/
https://thaisq.com/makes-tom-yum-goong-healthy-thai-dish/
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/a-brief-history-of-som-tum-thailands-popular-green-papaya-salad/
https://www.willflyforfood.net/thailand-the-magical-concoction-known-as-tom-yum-goong/
Photo Credits: Maya Pandey
