3 Things that will make your relationship successful in Thailand

[JuniorExPat]

I am, sadly, starting out with lousy loaner knives off the bat

Don't worry; it's been hours and hours sincde my salad, and so far no cramps or any such trouble I think I may be ok with no chems! (Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton just sat up in their graves)

although I think you may be a touch premature with those obituaries.

JxP

[mobile69]

Having read this thread it appears people are happy to wash their salads, clean their teeth in tap water, but no one drinks it. Surely those nasty micro organisms one wants to avoid by drinking the water are present on your lettuce & toothbrush? In smaller quantities, but still there. Just a thought.

[Samuian]

...HDPE is a world standard in the food process industry, and even UHMWPE which a more dense polyethelene, and will not turn the edge of a knife.

So sorry for that mistake, how could I...? But thanx for the lecture and setting the records straight - now we know!

P.S.

(I did mean the white boards, what ever they are made of, which (almost) have replaced the wooden boards!)

[JuniorExPat]

Having read this thread it appears people are happy to wash their salads, clean their teeth in tap water, but no one drinks it. Surely those nasty micro organisms one wants to avoid by drinking the water are present on your lettuce & toothbrush? In smaller quantities, but still there. Just a thought.

I think you used the key phrase regarding the use of tap water but you make a good point - I have never really thought about it, tap water is used for everything except drinking. I'm not prepared to run the obvious experiment!

JxP

[p1p]

Drink the stuff quite regularly.

In tea, coffee, whiskey etc.

[PhilHarries]

The side stream to this thread about chopping boards set me thinking. All through my childhood and teens my mother had a wooden chopping board. All through my married life we had a wooden chopping board. All my 12 years in Thailand we had a wooden chopping board and so it was when I went back to the UK. Notice the use of the singular "a wooden chopping board", yes the same one was used, with a quick rinse under the tap, for meats (fresh and cooked), fish, vegetables and cheeses. The same board was even used to chop up the cats food when they were getting a treat. I can not remember any cases of bad guts erupting in my youth or married life and those encountered in Thailand were few and far between.

Back to washing vegetables etc, I do wash the likes of lettuce and celery but rarely bother with tomatos, cucumber, bell peppers etc. At home we always had a bowl of fruit straight from the market with no washing unless obviously dirty. I am still alive and kicking and certainly don't lose sleep worrying which chemical I should use in the veggie wash. As for buying special vegetable washing liquids jeez did they ever see some of you coming! That's even more stupid than the current trend of walking around clutching a bottle of mineral water like your life depended on it.

Oh well, another case of media inspired paranoia.

[rrose070]

Ouch. I didn't actually DO it, though!

[Samuian]

........ Notice the use of the singular "a wooden chopping board", yes the same one was used, with a quick rinse under the tap, for meats (fresh and cooked), fish, vegetables and cheeses. The same board was even used to chop up the cats food when they were getting a treat. I can not remember any cases of bad guts erupting in my youth or married life and those encountered in Thailand were few and far between.

Well, there you go!

Nobody said that there is something wrong with using a single wooden cutting board for private use - if commercially you would be sooner or later up for a fine! And if things go badly wrong, a massive law suit could set your finances straight!

....Back to washing vegetables etc, I do wash the likes of lettuce and celery but rarely bother with tomatos, cucumber, bell peppers etc. At home we always had a bowl of fruit straight from the market with no washing unless obviously dirty. I am still alive and kicking and certainly don't lose sleep worrying which chemical I should use in the veggie wash.

If you could see what is on those fruits and vegetables, you probably would start washing them thoroughly!

What does "still alive and kicking" mean exactly?

Where do the zillions of tonnes of insecticides, herbicides, pesticides and preservatives and the heck I don't know, end up then, in the systems of those who don't wash their vegetables and fruits, maybe?

I think I can follow what you basically mean, but I think a little precaution doesn't hurt either, for sure it won't hurt anytime later!

[grtaylor]

But what a lively topic, no? Thanks all, now I'll try and dream up another topic to stir everyone's interests and passions!

Are we therefore to assume that this topic was completely hypothetical and a waste of everybody's time? The implication of the above is that you "dreamt it up" . . . . .

[Donnyboy]

The side stream to this thread about chopping boards set me thinking. All through my childhood and teens my mother had a wooden chopping board. All through my married life we had a wooden chopping board. All my 12 years in Thailand we had a wooden chopping board and so it was when I went back to the UK. Notice the use of the singular "a wooden chopping board", yes the same one was used, with a quick rinse under the tap, for meats (fresh and cooked), fish, vegetables and cheeses. The same board was even used to chop up the cats food when they were getting a treat. I can not remember any cases of bad guts erupting in my youth or married life and those encountered in Thailand were few and far between.

Back to washing vegetables etc, I do wash the likes of lettuce and celery but rarely bother with tomatos, cucumber, bell peppers etc. At home we always had a bowl of fruit straight from the market with no washing unless obviously dirty. I am still alive and kicking and certainly don't lose sleep worrying which chemical I should use in the veggie wash. As for buying special vegetable washing liquids jeez did they ever see some of you coming! That's even more stupid than the current trend of walking around clutching a bottle of mineral water like your life depended on it.

Oh well, another case of media inspired paranoia.

yes the good ole days. Where an old wooden chopping board was sufficient to do every thing. Now days its multi coloured with different types of knivies for different kinds of foods, but its not the complete solution if theres lack of hygiene.

these days, theres more outbreak of food poisioning than ever before. Not sure if its due to it being reported or due to people eating out more. Probably both. Most cross contamination of infection is due to lack of hand hygiene whilst preparing food.

[Sledge71]

But what a lively topic, no? Thanks all, now I'll try and dream up another topic to stir everyone's interests and passions!

Are we therefore to assume that this topic was completely hypothetical and a waste of everybody's time? The implication of the above is that you "dreamt it up" . . . . .

"Waste of time" Quite the opposite, through this thread I have decided to organically grow my own fruit and veg, I will never eat out at any restaurant ever again be it the Chedi, Four seasons, Tuskers or local Thai restaurants - Who knows what they wash their vegetables in !!?! It's Evian from now on to do my teeth and so long ice cube(s) !! Utter Tosh