DudleySquat Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 (edited) There has been much talk here about Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants in Thailand. We watch almost all of his TV shows. We do learn about the art of cooking and I use things I have seen him do in my cooking. With that said, Mr. Ramsay has a liking for fish sauce in some of his cooking. I can't stand the smell. A few years ago I walked by the kitchen while my then-wife was preparing something that didn't require fish sauce. Yet, it smelled as if she had spilled some in the utensil drawer. It didn't require a cleanup to get rid of the smell. It required three antibiotics. Why would anyone eagerly pour something that smells like a vaginal infection on their food? Yes, it is a disgusting comparison, but it is right on the money, isn't it? If it is so good, is it so good for you? That's a valid question, too. Rotting fish guts cannot possibly be good for you. Is it? Edited September 24, 2023 by DudleySquat 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post still kicking Posted September 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 24, 2023 1 minute ago, DudleySquat said: There has been much talk here about Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants in Thailand. We watch almost all of his TV shows. We do learn about the art of cooking and I use things I have seen him do in my cooking. With that said, Mr. Ramsay has a liking for fish sauce in some of his cooking. I can't stand the smell. A few years ago I walked by the kitchen while my then was preparing something that didn't require fish sauce. Yet, it smelled as if she had spilled some in the utensil drawer. It didn't require a cleanup to get rid of the smell. It required 3 antibiotics. Why would anyone eagerly pour something that smells exactly like a vaginal infection on their food? Yes, it is a disgusting comparison but it is right on the money, isn't it? If it is so good, is it so good for you? That's a valid question too. Rotting fish guts cannot possibly be good for you. Is it? Well, I can't stand the smell going to a Thai market have to hold my breath. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jastheace Posted September 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 24, 2023 NO even durian has a more pleasing aroma.... 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HauptmannUK Posted September 24, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 24, 2023 (edited) Are you talking about nam pla ra or nam pla? The latter is very inoffensive and I use it a lot. As a condiment I find the 'Abalone' brand delicious. Nam pla ra, on the other hand, is quite pungent. I have developed a taste for it however and often use it as dressing on som-tam Lao, Korat etc., and on Western-style salads. I'm a big fan of blue cheeses (especially Blue Stilton - a popular British cheese) and I detect some of the same flavours in pla ra. You need to choose brands carefully, some are overly salty. I prefer the long-fermented slightly sweet pla ra. Edited September 24, 2023 by HauptmannUK 3 1 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
still kicking Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 4 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said: Are you talking about nam pla ra or nam pla? The latter is very inoffensive and I use it a lot. As a condiment I find the 'Abalone' brand delicious. Nam pla ra, on the other hand, is quite pungent. I have developed a taste for it however and often use it as dressing on som-tam Lao, Korat etc., and on Western-style salads. I'm a big fan of blue cheeses (especially Blue Stilton - a popular British cheese) and I detect some of the same flavours in pla ra. You need to choose brands carefully, some are overly salty. I prefer the long-fermented slightly sweet pla ra. Blue cheese does not smell a lot try Esrom or Harzer roller 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnydrops Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 Megachef and Shrimp Brand have a lighter smell, I don't like Squid Brand.Too strong a smell, to me makes everything it is cooked in taste like fish sauce just because of the smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubascuba3 Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 It's ok, can definitely take your breath away during street food cooking or cause sneezing 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalmagic Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 13 hours ago, DudleySquat said: There has been much talk here about Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants in Thailand. We watch almost all of his TV shows. We do learn about the art of cooking and I use things I have seen him do in my cooking. With that said, Mr. Ramsay has a liking for fish sauce in some of his cooking. I can't stand the smell. A few years ago I walked by the kitchen while my then-wife was preparing something that didn't require fish sauce. Yet, it smelled as if she had spilled some in the utensil drawer. It didn't require a cleanup to get rid of the smell. It required three antibiotics. Why would anyone eagerly pour something that smells like a vaginal infection on their food? Yes, it is a disgusting comparison, but it is right on the money, isn't it? If it is so good, is it so good for you? That's a valid question, too. Rotting fish guts cannot possibly be good for you. Is it? Have you heard of Hakarl (rotting shark) a delicacy in Iceland and Greenland. Or perhaps Surstromming (canned fermented sea herring) a delicacy in Sweden that is the entire fish, rotting guts and all. With regard to knowledge of the smell of vaginal infections I must bow to your superior knowledge and experience. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix40 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 I have a sniff from a nam pla bottle every morning, It wakes me up ! ???? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CecilM Posted September 25, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted September 25, 2023 Love the stuff. Have gone so far as to buy many different brands to explore taste (salty, fishy, sweet, umami, etc) and usage differences (better for cooking, better as condiment, etc). Even the ancient Romans had an equivalent and were mad about it. Popular then, popular now. I’m hooked. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiSePuede419 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Remember to use the right amount of fish sauce, not the White amount. ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAS21 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 I find that the smell/taste totally depends upon the brand… some brands I find quite ok and others not so. I have always assumed that it is the cheaper brands that I find not okay but maybe that is not actually correct. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyfez Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 My wife gets the munchies before bedtime, and brings a dish of somtum into the bedroom before she can sleep. The remains sit on the bedside table all night often...... 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish star Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 14 hours ago, DudleySquat said: There has been much talk here about Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants in Thailand. We watch almost all of his TV shows. We do learn about the art of cooking and I use things I have seen him do in my cooking. With that said, Mr. Ramsay has a liking for fish sauce in some of his cooking. I can't stand the smell. A few years ago I walked by the kitchen while my then-wife was preparing something that didn't require fish sauce. Yet, it smelled as if she had spilled some in the utensil drawer. It didn't require a cleanup to get rid of the smell. It required three antibiotics. Why would anyone eagerly pour something that smells like a vaginal infection on their food? Yes, it is a disgusting comparison, but it is right on the money, isn't it? If it is so good, is it so good for you? That's a valid question, too. Rotting fish guts cannot possibly be good for you. Is it? And the amount of Sodium yuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairynuff Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Doesn’t bother me at all. It’s an essential ingredient that can’t be replaced by normal salt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandtee Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 14 hours ago, DudleySquat said: There has been much talk here about Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants in Thailand. We watch almost all of his TV shows. We do learn about the art of cooking and I use things I have seen him do in my cooking. With that said, Mr. Ramsay has a liking for fish sauce in some of his cooking. I can't stand the smell. A few years ago I walked by the kitchen while my then-wife was preparing something that didn't require fish sauce. Yet, it smelled as if she had spilled some in the utensil drawer. It didn't require a cleanup to get rid of the smell. It required three antibiotics. Why would anyone eagerly pour something that smells like a vaginal infection on their food? Yes, it is a disgusting comparison, but it is right on the money, isn't it? If it is so good, is it so good for you? That's a valid question, too. Rotting fish guts cannot possibly be good for you. Is it? I've no knowingly smelt an infected vagina. But I like fish sauce. Nam bla prik.???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quake Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 No don't like the smell, even after 25 years. But it does make food taste good. But when overly used in any dish , it just tastes disguising to me. Thai's as kids years back, had rice and Fish sauce as a snack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchilli Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 1 hour ago, stix40 said: I have a sniff from a nam pla bottle every morning, It wakes me up ! ???? I use it for eye drops... and nasal spray.. also gargle is good. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huangnon Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 I don't mind the smell of fish sauce. Combined frying with basil it can launch a fit of sneezing though. The smell of pla ra on the other hand is horrendous to these nostrils. I've banned it in the house, forcing the missus to covertly sneak it and eat it in a spare room, like she's doing drugs or something. ???? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quake Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 46 minutes ago, Andyfez said: My wife gets the munchies before bedtime, and brings a dish of somtum into the bedroom before she can sleep. The remains sit on the bedside table all night often...... Somtum in the bedroom. No way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiepeter Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Funny story about nam-pla. My first ever experience of both LOS & fish sauce was on an overseas posting to Europe in 1987, with a stopover in Bangkok. I stayed in Embassy accommodation with a mate & we got a bit sloshed the first night on beers initially, then Mekong whiskey. The Oz embassy back then had two condo's at Jomtien for free, so we got a lift down there in the Embassy car (a Benz). The driver spoke little English but as we drove to Pattaya, my mate saw a stall selling what looked to us exactly like the whiskey we drank the night before. He got the driver to stop & we bought two bottles of 'Mekong', or so we thought. Dirt cheap too, we were amazed - only about 50 baht a bottle - same exact bottle, same label. As we drove on my mate, a big Geordie, decided that a 'crack of the whip' would do wonders for his hangover. He opened a bottle & took a huge swig. The embassy Merc almost got a spray. "(expletive) - it tastes like bl**dy fish !" You guessed it - we had just found out that they make nam-pla down in Rayong & sell it on the side of the road. Better him than me - many laughs later on as we worked it out. Like a few on here - if it is in the food then OK, but even after 23 years of marriage, the smell still bothers me .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyExpat57 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Not "used to it," rather I'm resigned to tolerating it. No matter how much I might whinge about it, it ain't going away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamenRaven Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 I love blue cheese. That's why I can tolerate fish sauce. But I can't understand why Thais can't tolerate the smell of blue cheese. It's basically the cheesy version of fish sauce. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Which one is it that gives you liver flukes and liver cancer? 'Cause I'd like to avoid those. I'm actually afraid to eat some great looking/smelling street food because I can't tell if they use a commercial bottled sauce (safe, I figure) or their homemade secret formula (dodgy?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quake Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 44 minutes ago, Aussiepeter said: Funny story about nam-pla. My first ever experience of both LOS & fish sauce was on an overseas posting to Europe in 1987, with a stopover in Bangkok. I stayed in Embassy accommodation with a mate & we got a bit sloshed the first night on beers initially, then Mekong whiskey. The Oz embassy back then had two condo's at Jomtien for free, so we got a lift down there in the Embassy car (a Benz). The driver spoke little English but as we drove to Pattaya, my mate saw a stall selling what looked to us exactly like the whiskey we drank the night before. He got the driver to stop & we bought two bottles of 'Mekong', or so we thought. Dirt cheap too, we were amazed - only about 50 baht a bottle - same exact bottle, same label. As we drove on my mate, a big Geordie, decided that a 'crack of the whip' would do wonders for his hangover. He opened a bottle & took a huge swig. The embassy Merc almost got a spray. "(expletive) - it tastes like bl**dy fish !" You guessed it - we had just found out that they make nam-pla down in Rayong & sell it on the side of the road. Better him than me - many laughs later on as we worked it out. Like a few on here - if it is in the food then OK, but even after 23 years of marriage, the smell still bothers me .... Ha Ha, Thought you were going to say it had 91 Gasohol in it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdey Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Doesn't bother me. I use it on rice instead of salt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauptmannUK Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 30 minutes ago, RamenRaven said: I love blue cheese. That's why I can tolerate fish sauce. But I can't understand why Thais can't tolerate the smell of blue cheese. It's basically the cheesy version of fish sauce. My wife loves blue cheese... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nauseus Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 15 hours ago, DudleySquat said: There has been much talk here about Gordon Ramsay opening restaurants in Thailand. We watch almost all of his TV shows. We do learn about the art of cooking and I use things I have seen him do in my cooking. With that said, Mr. Ramsay has a liking for fish sauce in some of his cooking. I can't stand the smell. A few years ago I walked by the kitchen while my then-wife was preparing something that didn't require fish sauce. Yet, it smelled as if she had spilled some in the utensil drawer. It didn't require a cleanup to get rid of the smell. It required three antibiotics. Why would anyone eagerly pour something that smells like a vaginal infection on their food? Yes, it is a disgusting comparison, but it is right on the money, isn't it? If it is so good, is it so good for you? That's a valid question, too. Rotting fish guts cannot possibly be good for you. Is it? All the British TV chefs seem to use some green top squid-based stuff, which I detest and can ruin many Thai dishes. I like what must be the most popular Thai fish sauce, which has to be Tiparos, made from fermented anchovies, which I have consumed gallons of over the years without problem and which should be good for you too, given that the anchovy is a source of omega-3 and selenium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticky Rice Balls Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 16 hours ago, still kicking said: Well, I can't stand the smell going to a Thai market have to hold my breath. are there any vegan girls there threatening you and protesting the fish sauce??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticky Rice Balls Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 18 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said: My wife loves blue cheese... i used to be a cheese monger...would get to nibble on cheeses 8 hrs a day The gift and the curse........my mind said yes...my body and "plumbing" disagreed...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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