Raw Pig Blood In Thai Noodle Soups

[Jingthing]

While it is true I don't appreciate it when Thai cooks farangatize my food by toning down the chilies and spices, I do NOT like raw pork blood in my food! I know boat noodles normally have blood, but there must be others as well. Yes, I know most Thais like the blood and often ask for extra.

So, blood lovers and haters, how can I tell which places are putting in blood, how can I request no blood, etc.

I don't mind the square chunks of congealed blood in many soups, I can avoid eating those. The other day I ordered some noodle soup from a food court, and it was a bloodbath. I could not eat it. That is very unusual for me to not be able to eat something ...

Anyway, any helpful tips appreciated. Of course I am talking about noodle soups, tom yum, etc. won't be served with blood.

Edited March 19, 2010 by Jingthing

[tigerfish]

i think i may be able to help you out on this one, seeing as my wife sells all sorts of noddle varieties(kutieow)with pork and fish

adding either tom yam soup or nam tok (pigs blood soup with herb and vegetables)

as far as i can understand, if you do not want the blood, when ordering just say "my ouw lueat(blood)"

Edited March 19, 2010 by tigerfish

[Jingthing]

i think i may be able to help you out on this one, seeing as my wife sells all sorts of noddle varieties(kutieow)with pork and fish

adding either tom yam soup or nam tok (pigs blood soup with herb and vegetables)

as far as i can understand, if you do not want the blood, when ordering just say "my ouw lueat(blood)"

Any tips on pronouncing lueat? Thanks?

[Penkoprod]

Loo-et

[toptuan]

Loo-et

"Loo..." Not really. It's exactly halfway between "loo" and "lee". A sound you won't find in English. "Leu" or is the common way of transliterating the sound to English. Then add "aht" (not a short "a", not a long "a," pronounce "a" as in "father."

Good luck.

Option #2: Just cut your wrist, point at the spurting blood, oink like a sow, and scream "Mai Ow."

Edited March 19, 2010 by toptuan

[aircut]

just ask for NAAM SAI (clear soup) this differ the noodles from the NAM TOK version with the addition of blood.

so for pork noodles with no blood just ask for "guay dtiaao moo naam sai" or state the type of noodle at the beginning

Sen Mee Moo Nam Sai (Mee noodles with clear pork broth)

Sen Lek Nua Nam Sai (Thin noodles noodles with clear beef broth)

Tom Yam noodles are not served with blood.

Edited March 19, 2010 by aircut

[isaanpaul]

The wife say if you order noodle soupand you no want blood just say :kuwai tijou naam sai.

And with blood say:kuwai tijou moo naam tok.

I hope this will help you and look if they not give you the kidney

isaanpaul

[SAMCHAROEN]

"LEART " is just about there

[GarryP]

Another option is when ordering noodles follow by the words "mai tok". Such as "sen lek nam, luk chin, neua peuay, mai tok" which in English simply is "small noodle soup with meat balls and braised beef but no blood".

[Jingthing]

Just to clarify, the salads yam nam tok moo and yam nam tok neue contain raw pork and beef blood respectively? Or maybe its cooked? If so, I do like those salads. I guess technically the blood in the soups is cooked too somewhat in hot broth, maybe my bad experience was because the broth wasn't hot enough.

Great info here, I think nam sai may be the ticket.

Another question, sometimes I see Thais eating these big bowls of super spicy noodles with broth and the broth is really super red and spicy hot pepper looking. I assume that isn't a blood soup but rather a chile spice soup, yes? What is that dish called?

Edited March 19, 2010 by Jingthing

[Naam]

Loo-et

"Loo..." Not really. It's exactly halfway between "loo" and "lee". A sound you won't find in English. "Leu" or is the common way of transliterating the sound to English. Then add "aht" (not a short "a", not a long "a," pronounce "a" as in "father."

Good luck.

Option #2: Just cut your wrist, point at the spurting blood, oink like a sow, and scream "Mai Ow."

[GarryP]

A variety of duck noodle soups have a reddish broth. Also, at the table you have the usual culprits, sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and dried chilli, plus at some stalls they also have red chilli paste which you can use instead of the dried chillies. It creates a red colored broth.

Another dish isn't the usual noodles. It is nom jin nam ya or more particularly nom jin nam ngiew. It is like a curry sauce served over Chinese soft noodles (Chinese spaghetti). One of the few Thai dishes I cannot cope with.

Edited March 19, 2010 by GarryP

[Jingthing]

The red soup, I am not talking about yen ta fo, which I know about and like alot (I think that is colored with food coloring). It is another kind of soup that comes to the table very red with lots of noodles (seems like more noodles than broth). I am sure it isn't yen ta fo because its a different color and ingredients, but what is it? This soup I am talking looks like a chilephobes worse nightmare!

Edited March 19, 2010 by Jingthing

[GarryP]

I wasn't talking about the yen ta foh either. In fact that had completely slipped my mind, probably because I am not a real fan of the dish. Does it come in a bowl or just a quite deep plate. If it is the latter then it will be the nom jin thingy I mentioned.

[jfchandler]

Good topic and subject, Jing...

I usually can eat just about anything in Thai food, and spice is no problem. But there are some things I prefer to avoid... blood, innards and chicken feet among them...

Re innards, the wife long ago taught me to say... mai ouw kung nii (meaning no innards)

Now I can add to my vocabulary, ... mai ouw lue aht (no blood)

Chicken feet, I can spot on sight...

Re blood in nam tok, my wife tells me some shops use it and others don't... But, at least around my parts, the nam tok is always cooked in a pot before being salad-ized... meaning at least any blood involved is no longer raw...

But I watch the places I buy from...and most don't seem to use blood for nam tok...

[Jingthing]

A variety of duck noodle soups have a reddish broth. Also, at the table you have the usual culprits, sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and dried chilli, plus at some stalls they also have red chilli paste which you can use instead of the dried chillies. It creates a red colored broth.

Another dish isn't the usual noodles. It is nom jin nam ya or more particularly nom jin nam ngiew. It is like a curry sauce served over Chinese soft noodles (Chinese spaghetti). One of the few Thai dishes I cannot cope with.

I think I know what you mean. That's not it either. I also don't think all places have it. I don't see it all that often but it is so spicy looking it really makes an impression. Maybe its even regional (I live in Pattaya). I have never seen it written about in media, unlike yen ta fo, duck noodle soup, boat noodles, etc.

[GarryP]

A variety of duck noodle soups have a reddish broth. Also, at the table you have the usual culprits, sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and dried chilli, plus at some stalls they also have red chilli paste which you can use instead of the dried chillies. It creates a red colored broth.

Another dish isn't the usual noodles. It is nom jin nam ya or more particularly nom jin nam ngiew. It is like a curry sauce served over Chinese soft noodles (Chinese spaghetti). One of the few Thai dishes I cannot cope with.

I think I know what you mean. That's not it either. I also don't think all places have it. I don't see it all that often but it is so spicy looking it really makes an impression. Maybe its even regional (I live in Pattaya). I have never seen it written about in media, unlike yen ta fo, duck noodle soup, boat noodles, etc.

Is it Khao Soi?

[Jingthing]

No, definitely not Khao Soi. That's a curry broth. The dish I am talking about really looks like it's a nuclear red chile broth. This is getting more intriguing to me because although I don't know the name of this style of noodle soup, I figured somewhere here would.

[aircut]

Another question, sometimes I see Thais eating these big bowls of super spicy noodles with broth and the broth is really super red and spicy hot pepper looking. I assume that isn't a blood soup but rather a chile spice soup, yes? What is that dish called?

That's sound like YEN TA FO noodels [ก๋วยเตี๋ยว เย็นตาโฟ] which is made drom fermented tofu TaoHuYee (เต้าหู้ยี้) which gives it the red color.

hth

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check out my Thai food blog at http://www.thaifoodmaster.com

[Jingthing]

No, once again, I am not talking about Yen ta fo. The dish I am talking about is much different (I know all about yen ta fo).

[tutsiwarrior]

I don't understand the argument; normally with thai soups you just eat the content and leave the broth as a cooking sauce...

anyone ever try hooking down the broth from a tom yum after eating the shrimp? the sauce is just supposed to flavor the main ingredient and not intended for consumption afterwards...does anyone eat the broth from kweiteo after fishing out the noodles?

gedouttahere...

[Jingthing]

I certainly do eat the broth for most soups -- tom yum, tom kha gai, yen ta fo, khao soi. However I know what you mean about a standard noodle soup, for that I don't eat all of the broth. But you do make a good point. I happen to love Vietnamese pho, everything about it, and especially the broth. However, I have noticed that Viet people usually do not finish the broth. Back to the blood, even if you don't eat much of the broth if there is blood in it.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Jingthing

[tigerfish]

I don't understand the argument; normally with thai soups you just eat the content and leave the broth as a cooking sauce...

anyone ever try hooking down the broth from a tom yum after eating the shrimp? the sauce is just supposed to flavor the main ingredient and not intended for consumption afterwards...does anyone eat the broth from kweiteo after fishing out the noodles?

gedouttahere...

everytime, love the broth best part of the dish. brings out a good sweat and fills your belly. not foor too long though unlike eating rice, wait about 2/3 hours and im ready to go again.

[aircut]

last guess: Kanom Jeen Naam Ya

ขนมจีนน้ำยา

[Jingthing]

Not even close. I know that well. It's my fault for not taking a picture of it. I have also never seen a picture of it. Another weird thing, the times I have seen it, it is usually away from the street stall selling it. I know, I know, I need to ask questions and track this down (take pictures even) the next time I see it. It really is the kind of thing most Thais are going to assume foreigners won't eat as it looks shockingly spicy. The closest thing I can compare it to is a really hot red pepper Korean soup, but it looks even more extreme.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Jingthing

[tutsiwarrior]

I like pho bho as well and the trick is in the broth...anyone ever seen the movie Tanpopo?...love the scene where the opposing chef accuses the protagonist of stealing his broth, vibrating with rage and about to unsheath a sword and let her have it...

wonderful stuff, but with all the condiments and etc., nobody ever eats the broth...

fresh mint leaves with noodles in VN...mmmm, good...an' I could go on forever about mie ayam in Indonesia; if the seller doesn't show up with his cart in the morning yer whole day is ruined...highly addictive...

[PhilHarries]

You're all wimps. My Thai missus used to make the most awesome (a word I hate for it's overexposure but the only one viable to describe the end result) laarb muu. This involved going to the market before dawn to get the meat and PIG'S BLOOD both of which were used in the ensuing laarb which was the best I've ever eaten. What wasn't eaten in the morning was then cooked up for later.

Sometimes I think I must be another (alien?) species as I just dont do all this pathetic wimpishness and I'm still alive. Sometimes I wonder why you are all in this part of the world. But whatever you do never forget MacDonalds is always round the corner for you.

[xylophone]

You're all wimps. My Thai missus used to make the most awesome (a word I hate for it's overexposure but the only one viable to describe the end result) laarb muu. This involved going to the market before dawn to get the meat and PIG'S BLOOD both of which were used in the ensuing laarb which was the best I've ever eaten. What wasn't eaten in the morning was then cooked up for later.

Sometimes I think I must be another (alien?) species as I just dont do all this pathetic wimpishness and I'm still alive. Sometimes I wonder why you are all in this part of the world. But whatever you do never forget MacDonalds is always round the corner for you.

Hmmm......I cut an article out of the Bangkok Post regarding the use of pigs blood in Thai dishes and pinned it on our fridge. It warned of the many dangers of cooking with it and eating it.

As for being a wimp, up to you if you want to eat a lot of the rubbish that passes for the Thai diet........it has to be one of the most unhealthy diets around (and no I don't eat Mcdonalds).

[tutsiwarrior]

nah...can't have any blood in the larb; even my family who are into basic shit insure that the pork is fully cooked...

I don't eat larb much that's prepared at home as there appears to be a competition to see who can make the spiciest, they also prefer the guts to the ground meat...they do a good one down the food stall at the bus station, however...excellent wid sticky rice and a cold Leo...

[aircut]

nah...can't have any blood in the larb; even my family who are into basic shit insure that the pork is fully cooked...

I don't eat larb much that's prepared at home as there appears to be a competition to see who can make the spiciest, they also prefer the guts to the ground meat...they do a good one down the food stall at the bus station, however...excellent wid sticky rice and a cold Leo...

Last guess about your mystery noodles... ขนมจีน-น้ำพริก

if not. i give up

Edited March 20, 2010 by aircut