Kanga Japan

DE Land,

 

Please let me know how you go.  Good luck.

 

Kanga

 

DE Land,

 

Don't know why it is not working.  Others have downloaded it and had no problem.  Please give it a few more tries.

 

Thanks.

 

Kanga

Dear DE Land,

 

Thanks so much for that!

 

Kanga

 

Hi Forum Members,

 

A few years ago, I was working on a Thai food app and received incredible assistance from the forum members.  Finally, the android version has been published.  The English, Thai and Japanese titles are:

 

Thai Food & Cooking Ingredients Dictionary

พจนานุกรมอาหารไทยและเครื่องปรุงอาหารไทย

タイ料理/食材辞典 (英語-タイ語-日本語)

 

The app is in English, Thai and also Japanese (all in one).  There are 2 versions - a small free version and the full paid version.  Hopefully it will be useful to not only those interested in Thai food, but also the many foreigners living in or visiting Thailand.  The dictionary has 27 categories, as follows, with over 2,500 entries - complete with photos:

 

bread/wrappers, chillies, curries, dairy products, desserts/sweets, drinks/liquids, flours, fruit, fungi/mushrooms, grains, herbs & spices, insects, legumes, meals/snacks, meat, miscellaneous, noodles, nuts/seed, oils, plants/trees, poultry, sauces/curry pastes, etc., seafood, seasonings/additives, cooking terminology, utensils and vegetables

 

It is basically a dictionary, although I have added the meals/snacks and desserts/sweets categories to include some common dishes.

 

I hope that you will find it useful.

 

Best regards,

 

Kanga

Dear telstrareg,

Thank you for giving me permission to use your photo.

Much appreciated.

Dear SlyAnimal,

Thank you for the Thai script for the words I sent. Catweazel and AyG provided me with the English translation.

I also appreciate the additional names which you sent. Thanks so much.

Thanks Seligne2,

I wish I could go to a Thai bookshop, but unfortunately I live in Japan.

Sorry, I think now that you may be directing your remarks to Derek M.

Thanks for that information AyG.

The site looks good and it may take some time, but I think can work it out.

Dear Catweazel,

Thank you very much for those English meanings.

The app you mentioned seems very helpful - I have never seen that one before.

Actually, however I am looking for a printed chart, so that I can copy and paste.

I understand that there are 32 Thai vowels, however lists I have come across differ from this number. In a Thai Forum post dated October 22, 2004, it was stated that there are:

18 single vowels

6 compound vowels

8 consonant-like vowels

Links to these were provided (www.learningthai.com), however these no longer open.

Is there any definitive chart available, showing all the vowels and their closest 'English' pronunciation? There are so many sites out there, that it is confusing.

Also, my text book separates some of them into the following divisions:

sara siiangsan

sara siiangyaaw

sara prasom siiangsan

sara prasom siiangyaaw

sara phiseet

I have no idea what these mean and there is no Thai script for them, which would allow me to look them up.

Thanks for your help.

Thanks Pla shado,

I understand. Much appreciated.

Dear Pla shado,

Thank you for your information. I really appreciate the follow-up that you and your wife are providing.

Yes, it is surprising (perhaps better described as 'annoying') that not much detailed botanical information can be found on TAENG THAI. All sites only refer to the species (Cucumis melo) and there is no mention of the variety (for example honeydew melon - Cucumis melo Inodorus). If we knew the variety name, I am sure that we could find more information. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have one, which is unusual.

So, according to your wife's remarks, there is also actually a round green (immature) TAENG THAI (TAENG THAI ON). That is another bit of new information. I was under the impression that the immature ones were a long oblong shape.

I have my dictionary ready to be put into app format and was hoping that most of the information was correct, considering the amount of research which has been put into it and the incredible help of the members of Thai Forum. When things like this come up, it depresses me a bit. Still, as an app, it will always be able to be revised, so that's one good thing. Still working on the photos for it.

Thanks again for your help. I will submit a new post if any further information is received. Enjoy your weekend!

I am still waiting for replies from the various sites which I have sent enquiries to, however after quite a bit of researching, I have come to the conclusion that TAENG THAI can be considered as;

1. Cantaloupe (often used, but basically incorrect).

2. Thai musk melon, with the following characteristics:

a. shape: either round, or oblong (roundish).

b. skin: orange/yellow (sometimes pale green), with ridges.

c. flesh: either pale green, yellow, or a combination of pale green and yellow.

The immature TAENG THAI (TAENG THAI ON) is:

a. shape: oblong (a little plump, similar to a cucumber).

b. skin: dark green, with white stripes.

c. flesh: pale green, with seeds (similar to a cucumber).

I hope that my assumptions are correct, but will still wait for any replies I may receive to the enquiries I sent.

My conclusions are based on checking the following:

GotoKnow:

https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/389476

Thank Catweazel,

Much appreciated.

Can someone confirm which of the following is the correct word for arrowroot powder:

1. แป้งท้าวยาวม่อม

2. แป้งท้าวยายม่อม

Thank you for your help.

No problem Pla shado. I do the same thing in Japanese.

AyG kindly gave me the meaning too.

Thanks AyG.

That's a new expression for me. I did know the words separately, however it didn't click.

Dear Pla shado,

Thanks for your mail. Yes, I wonder how many hybrids there are. Sorry, but what is 'dtalat soht'?

Thanks Pla shado,

Chef McDang's a very knowledgeable person on Thai food (as well as being an interesting character!). I enjoy his programmes and sites, as well as his book.

By the way, about 10 minutes ago I received a reply from Kasma's husband Michael. He has passed my enquiry on to Kasma (she's always away teaching, or conducting Thai food tours). Kasma's books are great and provide tons of information on Thai food, as well as Thai culture. Michael also provided me with the following link, which shows the green-striped vege-fruit, which we initially identified as TAENG THAI ON.

http://www.eastwestseed.com/thailand/th/products/detail.php?SECTION_ID=92&ELEMENT_ID=553

I will send more posts if I receive any other information.

Last night I also sent an enquiry to Chef McDang, in extreme desperation. I would be great if a person with his knowledge of Thai food could provide us with some information.

Dear Pla shado,

Thank you for your information. I know the Lanna Food site well and have often used it. I didn't see it this time, when I was researching for TAENG THAI, so thank you for that. It shows a photo of the yellow fruit, so that is a good sign, I guess. Now it has come up twice.

I already had the Thai word for honeydew melon.

I have sent a few enquiries to various sites relating to Thai food and Thai vegetables - Dokmai Gardens, Kasma Loha-unchit, She Simmers and Hot Thai Kitchen. I find all these sites very interesting and informative.

Hopefully I will receive some replies.

Thanks for your help again.

Thanks Pla shado.

No problem with the GotoKnow misunderstanding. Thank you.

Well, this is confusing, isn't it? From what I can see, you (and your wife), AyG and I have now discovered at least 3 different types of fruit (or fruit vegetables) with the name TAENG THAI (or TAENG THAI ON);

1. The long (13cm x 4cm) cucumber-looking vege-fruit, with the whitish stripes (TAENG THAI ON - young native melon).

2. The round netted skin melon (as in the thai-language.com page) (TAENG THAI - musk melon). This actually looks like what is known as 'musk melon' in Japan.

3. The yellow oval vege-fruit with the white stripes, on the GotoKnow site (TAENG THAI).

If they were at all similar I could understand that they would change as they mature, however they appear to be too different.

I can understand that there would be different Isaan descriptions. That is no real problem.

Your wife is correct - cantaloupes are round (and usually orange inside).

Thanks for your help on this. I will continue to research it further and will post something if I find it (hopefully I won't find another different photo).

Dear Pla shado,

Thank you for your information. Yes, it has taken me quite a while to research this, but I still have not cleared things up much.

1. CANTALOUPE

It is confusing to have the net-like melons (with orange or green flesh) and also the smooth surface melons both called cantaloupe. What colour is the flesh of the smooth surface melons? If it is a pale green, they probably are honeydew melons. I wonder if there are more detailed words to describe them. Descriptions for these netted melons are hazy, in all countries.

2. MATURE TAENG THAI

Thanks for the name for this.

3. GOTOKNOW

Sorry, but I am not sure exactly why you gave me the home page link for GotoKnow. My apologies for the possible confusion, however I was asking about the yellow melon pictured in the GotoKnow site which I showed. I notice that it is described as TAENG THAI (musk melon), however when I put TAENG THAI into the thai-language.com site, a completely different photo comes up (a round, netted melon), again described as TAENG THAI . I am wondering whether they are both referred to as TAENG THAI in Thailand, or whether one is incorrect.

Thanks again for your help.

Just getting back to the MUSK MELON.

I have spent hours, trying to work this out, but apparently the name MUSK MELON is used interchangeably with CANTALOUPE.

Musk melon is a species of melon (Cucumis melo), within which are:

cantaloupes (European and North American types)

honeydew melons

In Japan, the name MUSK MELON is given to a melon which looks like a cantaloupe (orange flesh) melon from the outside, with its netted surface, however the flesh is a pale green colour.

Is there a similar melon in Thailand, or are honeydew melons the only green-flesh melons?

Could you possibly tell me what this is?:

https://www.gotoknow.org/posts/389476

I am attaching a chart, which I have made, for the purpose of trying to organize these melons.

If you can offer any suggestions, or otherwise, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for your help.

Thanks for your help. No hurry.

MELON CHART PDF.pdf

Dear AyG,

Just to let you know that my last comments (regarding the photo in the book) were posted before your comments on TAENG THAI ON, with the link showing them with defined stripes and a more cylindrical shape. There seems to be a variety of shapes and patterns for TAENG THAI ON, as the photo of them in the book I am referring to shows them with stripes which are sometimes defined (although not as much as in the link you sent) and sometimes jagged, with spots here and there. The shape is also somewhat more plumper than those in your link.

Dear Pla shado,

Thanks for your information and link. The photo of the mature 'musk melon' in the link surprised me.

I want to check up on a few things about musk melon and then will post some more comments as soon as I can.

Thank you both for your help.