5 Dishes You Only See in Thailand
Take a virtual culinary tour of Thailand with 5 dishes that never appear in overseas Thai restaurants!
Sawaddee Ka!
First order of business, the latest video is an ingredient deep-dive! Everything you need to know about “the queen of stir fry sauces” - oyster sauce. PLUS a taste test of cheap vs premium to see if it’s worth the splurge!
Thai Dishes That Never Crossed the Border
This is the longest period of time I’ve ever gone without taking a trip home. Needless to say, I’m feeling a bit homesick.
That’s got me thinking about a few of my favourite Thai dishes that I never see served outside of Thailand. So, I thought that this might be a fun week to take all of you on a virtual culinary trip back home to introduce you to a few of those dishes!
Grandma’s Twice Cooked Chicken - Gai Kem
My Grandma’s Twice Cooked Chicken is one of my all-time favourites, both for its deliciousness and its sentimental value. As you can probably guess from the name, Grandma always makes it for me when I return home.
This dish of twice cooked chicken tossed with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and palm sugar is so simple. If you want something mild, serve as is but, for more zing make sure you make the dipping sauce!
Funky Shrimp Paste Dip - Nam Prik Gapi
Funky Shrimp Paste Dip, or Nam Prik Gapi, is a hard core Thai recipe. It’s one of the easiest, most basic and most commonly enjoyed dishes in the country.
The key ingredient is fermented shrimp paste which is… in a word… stinky. But, with its intense umami flavours, it’s so delicious. I know not everyone loves it as much as I do but, if you’re a curious culinary explorer, I strongly recommend giving the dip itself a try!
Northern Curry Glass Noodle Stir Fry - Gaeng Ho
Northern Curry Glass Noodle Stir Fry, or Gaeng Ho, is a classic northern Thai dish that was born out of that age old question: what do I do with these leftovers? Some things are universal!
The thing is, you don’t need leftovers to make this dish, which is based on the spices of Hung Lay Curry. My recipe gives you everything you need to make your own spice mix so you can make this stir fry any time you like!
Five-Spice Egg & Pork Belly Stew - Kai Palo
Five-Spice Egg & Pork Belly Stew, or Kai Palo, is another one of my childhood favourites and this recipe can be made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.
This is pure comfort food - hard boiled eggs and amazingly tender pork belly are simmered in a sweet and salty five-spice broth. It’s so kid friendly that it was a staple in my school cafeteria!
Dry Tom Yum Seafood
Dry Tom Yum Seafood is essentially, Tom Yum Soup without the soup! It’s more like a Tom Yum stir fry - saucy but not soupy but with all the flavours of the original.
Crammed with seafood, this is a truly luxurious dish but one that is so easy to make. It is the perfect marriage of delicious flavour and simplicity.
Thank you for the 5 recipes! My Thai mum made these recipes also when I went home as a youngster. My mum died almost 40 years ago and I did not eat it since she died. Now I am an old woman myself, so I am very pleased that I can make it myself now!