Fake ingredients - do you know what you're eating?

Sawaddee Ka!

In my latest video I shared my experience tasting real sago pearls vs “fake” ones (tapioca pearls) …and yes, did you know that tapioca pearls were made to be a cheaper imitation of real sago pearls?

If not, watch this video below, then read on and I will share a few more “deceptive” Thai ingredients that you might not know about.

Fake: “100% Coconut Water”

Cartons of coconut water line store shelves with the label “100% coconut water,” with pictures of green young coconuts with straws coming out of them…implying that what’s inside is just like what you get on the beach in Thailand.

Except that’s not true! Read this blog post to find out more about what’s really in them.

Fake: “Pure Palm Sugar”

I’ve shared this in my “Ultimate Guide to Palm Sugar” video linked below, but if you haven’t seen it here’s the spoiler: the palm sugar you are using has white granulated sugar mixed in! A LOT of white sugar in fact. Up to 75%.

“But my package says it’s 100% pure palm sugar!”, you might be thinking. Hate to break it to you, but that’s not true. I know, because I’ve been to the factory where much of the exported palm sugar is made.

Is it that bad though? Not so much. It’s not nearly as good as pure palm sugar of course, but for everyday cooking it’s fine. It’s good to try different brands so you can use the best one you have access to, but don’t sweat it. The pure stuff is so rare most Thai people haven’t even tried it!

Watch this video to see different grades of palm sugar and how you can tell the difference!

I hope this gave you some food for thought today. Thank you for being here and for watching my videos. Happy Thai cooking!