Cnn: Yucky Or What?

[ScubaBuddha]

Live shrimp, fermented oysters and red ants. Even Thais have trouble stomaching some of the country's most notorious delicacies

http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/eat/thailands-13-most-repulsive-dishes-242509?hpt=hp_bn10

[PhilHarries]

Well I've eaten nine of the thirteen, I won't say enjoyed, so I can look someone in the eye and offer an opinion based on personal experience.

The fact that in some of the cases that personal experience will not be repeated need not be said.

[lannarebirth]

Sataw Curry made the list of worst dishes? That's one of my favorite Thai foods. Absolutely delicious.

Edited June 17, 2011 by lannarebirth

[ricku]

Just looking on these images and their descriptions is almost enough to make me wanna throw up. Thai food can sure be crazy some times.

[doggie888888]

The Sataw beans, although stinky, is quite delicious. Rather like broadbeans with a slight pungency. First had it when I was in KL, where it's called Petai beans. Apparently, it's good for people who have high blood pressure. One thing for sure, it makes my pee stink the next day.

[NoBrainer]

Looks like the missed the MangDa

Those giant Cockroaches. You steam them and then flip them inside out on their shells to get to the meat. Yummy!!!

"Mangda are large insects about 8 cms long, that live in rice fields in Northern Thailand. During the evening they fly around lights and are easily netted and eaten. Mang-da is also the name given to boyfriends who live off their girlfriends."

[PaulHamon]

I would like to ea...

5. Larb Mote Daeng

I eat eggs all the time, why would ant eggs be any different.

BUT think i'll skip the rest.

[NanLaew]

Looks like the missed the MangDa

Those giant Cockroaches. You steam them and then flip them inside out on their shells to get to the meat. Yummy!!!

Mangda are large insects about 8 cms long, that live in rice fields in Northern Thailand. During the evening they fly around lights and are easily netted and eaten. Mang-da is also the name given to boyfriends who live off their girlfriends."[/color]

I remember them well. When I was working in China in the early 80's, we had an Isaan mechanic called Thawee for the outboard motors on our boats. He got all pissed up most nights and was truly missing his homeland. Then one night he discovered mangda's down by the boat dock and harvested them in the wee small hours. The look of horror on the cooks face was priceless the following morning when he opened the fridge to prepare for breakfast. Thawee had stored about a hundred of these bugs loose in the fridge where the cold made them real slow 'and keep them fresh too', according to Thawee.

Another of his culinary traits was to infuse his Chinese noodle soup with a shot or three of Maotai, the Chinese national stomach-turning, sorghum-based rocket fuel toasting liquor. He claimed it kept the cold out.

[sbk]

Can't abide sataw, gives me terrible stomach issues and I am not a fan of the bitter taste. Oddly, many Thai people also get stomach issues but still eat, its an acquired taste to be sure. But disgusting? no. Just not my cup of tea is all.

[NanLaew]

13. Mok huak

NOW I know what a former Udon GF's mom cooked up for me the morning after I fell through the sh!thouse floor and dislocated my knee*. Waking up with a head feeling like and a knee the same size as a football (and both hurting like hell), she insisted that a soup made with these teeny weeny frog wannabe's was what I needed to fortify me before the terror of the 45-minute trip to the hospital in the GF's brothers samlor... in the rush hour!

* Awesome party btw!

[khaowong1]

The Sataw beans, although stinky, is quite delicious. Rather like broadbeans with a slight pungency. First had it when I was in KL, where it's called Petai beans. Apparently, it's good for people who have high blood pressure. One thing for sure, it makes my pee stink the next day.

Doggie888888, we could probably have gone all day without knowing about your stinky pee thing.

[arco27]

I mean some of those dishes are an acquired taste, but non of them is as revolting as a big Mac . Since when is CNN a food judge :jap:

[Millard]

CNN didn't do their homework. If they did, surely a Thai dish that contains feces would have made their list. Yes, such a food item does exist in one of the rural areas.

[sunholidaysun1]

CNN didn't do their homework. If they did, surely a Thai dish that contains feces would have made their list. Yes, such a food item does exist in one of the rural areas.

This was discussed before , its the green bile of a cows stomach that is used in a soup , its very bitter and not something I want to eat again. I have eaten 9 also of the dishes

mentioned in that report but Nam Palah - fermented fish used in Som Tam is a taste even some Thais dont like and many foreigners cant stomach , I love it .

[Groongthep]

Durian, one of the worst dishes in Thailand? Judging from it's widespread popularity and high prices I would say that just the opposite is true. I love the stuff myself. Especially with ice cream. Goong dten and goong chae nam blaa are also pretty common. I think that if more foreigners got up the nerve to try them they'd find out they're really pretty good, depending of course who has prepared it.

[Groongthep]

I mean some of those dishes are an acquired taste, but non of them is as revolting as a big Mac . Since when is CNN a food judge :jap:

A Big Mac more revolting than Mangdana? I will be the first to admit I am no fan of fast food either but you are now taking the "I hate everything American" fad to the level of "We'd rather dine on turd eating coachroaches than fast food hamburgers". Will you ever learn to think for yourself or will you always be a slave to trends and fashion?

[meadish_sweetball]

Mangrove horseshoe crab egg salad is my personal yuck favourite. Can't find a pic of the actual salad that isn't copyright protected so here's a pic of the critter from Wikipedia instead:

"A limule in the Ha Long Bay" Date 13/07/07 15:57 Author: Nicolas Pourcelot

[dunkin2012]

Dietician recommended no.13

[chessplayer]

Hi,I am looking for a proper Thai restaurant which has red ants and or eggs on it's menu. Chinese folklore is that it can aid in arthritis.Ya guys knows of any.

[Raesum]

Cheesplayer yes i personally go to a restaurant that serves a variety of red ant egg recipes.It is in Bangkok near Wong Sawang( on the outskirts but can be reached by bus etc) I don't know if they serve the actual red ants themselves but they offer several egg dishes.I think the restaurant is called Nit-ah-yah and has a big rooster out the front.PM me if you want more info

[evanson]

I mean some of those dishes are an acquired taste, but non of them is as revolting as a big Mac . Since when is CNN a food judge :jap:

A Big Mac more revolting than Mangdana? I will be the first to admit I am no fan of fast food either but you are now taking the "I hate everything American" fad to the level of "We'd rather dine on turd eating coachroaches than fast food hamburgers". Will you ever learn to think for yourself or will you always be a slave to trends and fashion?

I'd take Mangda over a Big Mac any day, and I'm American. When did he say he 'hates everything American'?

Much less chance of food poisoning with the Mangda.

Nam Prik Maengda tastes exactly like Blue Cheese. Used as a dip for steamed/raw veg and rice.

I would never eat the reconstituted cattle used in a Big Mac. Shit. And I really don't see much difference between Gong Chae Nam Bplaa and oysters.

[KRS1]

Hi,I am looking for a proper Thai restaurant which has red ants and or eggs on it's menu. Chinese folklore is that it can aid in arthritis.Ya guys knows of any.

the guys that walk around with carts full of insects for sale usually have them.

[Groongthep]

I mean some of those dishes are an acquired taste, but non of them is as revolting as a big Mac . Since when is CNN a food judge :jap:

A Big Mac more revolting than Mangdana? I will be the first to admit I am no fan of fast food either but you are now taking the "I hate everything American" fad to the level of "We'd rather dine on turd eating coachroaches than fast food hamburgers". Will you ever learn to think for yourself or will you always be a slave to trends and fashion?

I'd take Mangda over a Big Mac any day, and I'm American. When did he say he 'hates everything American'?

Much less chance of food poisoning with the Mangda.

Nam Prik Maengda tastes exactly like Blue Cheese. Used as a dip for steamed/raw veg and rice.

I would never eat the reconstituted cattle used in a Big Mac. Shit. And I really don't see much difference between Gong Chae Nam Bplaa and oysters.

Perhaps you guys didn't read my original post closely. I said don't like fast food ( i.e. McDonald's) either, but I dislike rice paddy insects even more. They both suck. I do like Gung Chaem Nam Bplaa but can't see how anyone would compare that to oysters unless of course they think oysters taste like shrimp and they soak their oysters in fish sauce.

I have generally found that those who whine the loudest against fast food chains are very often the same people who say they hate all television, automobiles, mobile phones, bottled water, large discount stores, and just about all the other things that are fashionably out of fashion. Quite often but not always, their actions don't match their words which betrays them for the hypocrites that they are.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Groongthep

[nocturn]

Goong Chae Nam Pla and Gaeng Sataw (number 4 and 8) are two of my favorite dishes in Thailand. Maybe I've been here too long?

I've also eaten Goong Ten, not bad at all. And how does Durian even come close to being on this list?

The only truly nasty one is number 7, but I've only seen it in Laos, not Thailand. Just the sight of it is enough to induce vomiting.

Farang-ified Thai food is way more repulsive than most of the dishes in that article.

reading through the comments, it seems that he is not talking about goong chae nam pla, but isnatead it is gong che nam pla, specifically mantis shrimp which is apparently quite different in texture. from the comments:

Pic No. 4 mantis prawns in Thai we call "Gang" (falling tone) > กั้ง "Gang Chae Naam Bplaa' :

[mdechgan]

1. Goong Ten - This is a very good dish. Spicy, salty, and sour. The shrimp are live but by the time they get to your table they are dead. They are usually smashed or "Tum" like in som tum. Really good with stick rice

2. Larb Leuat Neua - This dish is pretty good with sticky rice also. However raw beef and blood is really unhealthy. Would never pass a health inspection in the U.S. and the restaurant that serves it would be shut down. There is another similar dish "koi moo" that uses raw pork instead of beef and no blood is used. I eat it all the time.

3. Som Tam Hoy Dong - I think this dish uses cockles instead of oysters. Oysters are expensive and cockles or "hoy klang" are best served semi-cooked anyways.

4. Gong Chae Nam Pla - This dish originally uses mantis shrimp but they are expensive like 800 to 1000 baht per kg. So most of the time prawns or even smaller shrimp is used. I love this dish, even though I have a slight allergic reaction to eating raw shrimp I still eat this dish anyways. Mind over body!

5. Larb Mote Daeng- Never found on a menu or eaten before.

6. Yam Kai Yeow Maa - Thousand year old eggs are really a Chinese cuisine. I eaten the eggs many times, however with lots of soy sauce or some spicy sauce to cover up some of the smell.

7. Kai Khao - I've never seen one before. I thought it was a Philippine Dish

8. Gaeng Sataw - I hate sataw, they smell and taste terrible. It is a popular southern dish.

9. Baak Bpet - I've eaten it many times. Nothing really to eat, not much meat and kinda tough like jerky.

10. Malang Tod - Seen it but never tried.

11. Teen Gai - There is nothing wrong with chicken feet. Actually there is a really good dim sum dish with chicken feet.

12. Durian - I am not a fan of durian. I don't know why people love durian so much. It smells and taste bad. Must be a learned taste. If it smells bad and tastes bad then no joy for me to eat.

13. Mok huak - Never seen it or heard of it before. Don't think I would try it.

[Groongthep]

1. Goong Ten - This is a very good dish. Spicy, salty, and sour. The shrimp are live but by the time they get to your table they are dead. They are usually smashed or "Tum" like in som tum. Really good with stick rice

12. Durian - I am not a fan of durian. I don't know why people love durian so much. It smells and taste bad. Must be a learned taste. If it smells bad and tastes bad then no joy for me to eat.

Good post. Thanks for your opinions and observations. There are a couple things I would like to comment on though.

1. When you buy Goong Dten (or however you would like to spell it using roman letters) from the food carts in Bangkok, the grass shrimp are most definitely still alive. I've had them jump right out of the container they serve it in.

12. Durian is indeed a learned taste, but once you've acquired that taste which doesn't take long, you'll wonder why you didn't like the stuff right from the beginning.

[mdechgan]

1. Goong Ten - This is a very good dish. Spicy, salty, and sour. The shrimp are live but by the time they get to your table they are dead. They are usually smashed or "Tum" like in som tum. Really good with stick rice

12. Durian - I am not a fan of durian. I don't know why people love durian so much. It smells and taste bad. Must be a learned taste. If it smells bad and tastes bad then no joy for me to eat.

Good post. Thanks for your opinions and observations. There are a couple things I would like to comment on though.

1. When you buy Goong Dten (or however you would like to spell it using roman letters) from the food carts in Bangkok, the grass shrimp are most definitely still alive. I've had them jump right out of the container they serve it in.

12. Durian is indeed a learned taste, but once you've acquired that taste which doesn't take long, you'll wonder why you didn't like the stuff right from the beginning.

Goong Dten are alive, but not for long. They need cold water to survive. Once out of the tank, ans especially when smashed, they are dead within a few minutes. The lemon juices and chili also shortens their lifespan.

Most seafood is cooked alive, so live "goong" doesn't bother me. You know what the Chinese say, if it ain't swimming its not fresh.

Durian is something I tried but can't learn. It smells up the car, the house, even the refrigerator. And when I bite down on a piece it makes me want to gag. I've tried Durian ice cream and chips to no avail. Just not my thing.

[rice555]

Hello All, is this what your calling: #1 Goong Then?

This from a river restaurant outside Ubon. It was

called 'prawns dance', came covered so they didn't

jump off the plate. Hot & Spicy.

rice555

[Groongthep]

[barefoot1988]

never try any of the mentioned except durian and sataw which i like alot. never once find durian digusting, maybe the smell but the taste is great. the smell of thai durians are okay, you have to smell those in malaysia and singapore, they are way difference and their flesh are usually softer and more slimy.

sataw just taste like normal greens to me