Do Thai Chefs Think Westerners Like Thai Food Over-Sugary?

[Jingthing]

I think the answer is yes, at least commonly, but my experiences have been varied, so not sure.

I do know the trend in recent decades is for Thai food in general (for Thais) to be more sugary.

Had a recent inappropriately sugary experience in a small casual plastic chair restaurant that serves mostly Thais but also expats and tourists.

So I ordered kee mao noodles phet phet. Ordered in Thai even though the dish wasn't written Romanized.

What I got was OK and barely phet enough, but I soon noticed it was massively sweet. Now I know that is wrong for that dish from experience and even reading recipes (it uses a little sugar but not enough to make it into a dessert). So I did ask them if they think farangs like a lot of sugar on the food and I got a sickly sweet smile, that I read as yes but don't expect us to ever really process that not all farangs are the same! (In other words, the next whitey who walks in, asks for it the same way, will get the same SUGAR bomb that I got.)

Oh well ...

Edited July 10, 2011 by Jingthing

[sceadugenga]

What type of places are we talking abut here?

Obviously you are not going to have this type of problem in the lunch places where food is pre-cooked or quickly prepared in front of you but I can't think of a single instance where it's occurred in "menu" type places.

Maybe it's because I usually go with Thais who do the ordering?

I once ate with a very experienced expat in a middle class Thai place out of town and the food was practically incandescent.

Maybe they were all chortling in the kitchen to see if the farangs would eat it?

[Cuban]

IMHO Thais like sugar with everything. The times I have to repeat no sugar (พอผมพูดไทย) when ordering Pad Thai from a street stall!

[p_brownstone]

I don't thionk it was prepared that way because you are a Westerner, as you mention in your Post it's a trend that has been going on for some time to add a lot of sugar to most Thai dishes. Younger Thais are particularly fond of sweet food and I often see them sprinkling sugar on their noodles or whatever even before tasting the dish.

You can't usually avoid the sugar if you order Noodles of any sort with soup because the stock / soup used to cook the noodles has already been pre-loaded with sugar.

When my wife and I eat out at any Thai restaurant these days it is automatic for us to specify "no sugar" - ไม่ใส่น้ำตาล every time we order anything.

Patrick

[afarang]

First ,where do you get this word "chef" from? They are COOKS, not chefs.They don't add extra sugar for farang, they add it to everything for everyone. Unless you eat at the same place and so can "train" the cook to delete sugar from your meal. Thais have the highest rate of sugar consumption in the world, with a corresponding high in Diabetes type 2. Our little Amphur hospital is treating around 800 diabetics. It has special diabetic clinics, the problem is so serious. And as Thailand becomes more americanised, read Fast Food, the problem will only get worse.

[remiss]

Bah, I've started noticing it now.. The curry boxes says the equivalent of one tablespoon pr. person.. Sounds like a lot to me..

[afarang]

Bah, I've started noticing it now.. The curry boxes says the equivalent of one tablespoon pr. person.. Sounds like a lot to me..

It is.!! Consider how much Thais consume in one day.Not only in Main course meals, but they consume lots of sweet Dessert type foods,as well as pre mix coffees, etc. ,as well. How much worse will it get as american type "fast' Foods (read pre-cooked,fried) become available on a national basis.Diabetes 2 is nearly at epidemic proportions ,now.In Thailand. It is costing the health system mammoth amounts, now.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I have a sweet tooth for sure. I like my cookies and soda, as well as other sweets. But much of my food I don't like too sweet. Don't like the sweet Katch up or Mayonaise Thai's use or the salad creams. However, going to Mcdonalds where they have "American" catch up, it was way to vinagery for me. SO i guess my tastes are changing too

[overherebc]

I have a sweet tooth for sure. I like my cookies and soda, as well as other sweets. But much of my food I don't like too sweet. Don't like the sweet Katch up or Mayonaise Thai's use or the salad creams. However, going to Mcdonalds where they have "American" catch up, it was way to vinagery for me. SO i guess my tastes are changing too

Can always remember the first time I bought plain yoghurt for cooking and it totally ruined the food because it was ten percent sugar. now can find real plain yoghurt but took a few years

[Jingthing]

Somewhat related. The other day I bought some NO SUGAR (clearly marked) bottled green tea. The cashier was nice enough to warn me that the product had NO SUGAR. Seems she thought I made a mistake.

[Millard]

This reminds me of how food often is cooked with less spice for farangs. I always ask for "phet", but am frequently disappointed. These cooks must think think only Thais like spicy food. Either that or they've had complaints from unsuspecting tourists.

[fredob43]

My G/L & I used to eat in a local restaurant two or three time's a week just for lunch, alway's very bizzy. We went one day and we both ordered duck noodle soup, up it came I as usual had a quick taste sugar eeeeek there must have been 5 large spoon's in it I just pushed it away G/L did the same. Then another table all Thai's called the boss over and complained about the sugar, something Thai dont do that often my G/L also went into one. Reply from the boss well we have a new chef and she from Issan so she put's it in. The upshot was that no one ate any of the food. N/B There was a sugar pot on the table to do it yourself if you wanted. But we all still had to PAY For Several week's we went past the place and there was no one in there. And they still had the same chef. It has now closed. On making inquiries seem's it was a food problem to-wit the sugar. So my reply to the question is maybe Thai chef's have brain's but some the Boss's dont.

[Jingthing]

This reminds me of how food often is cooked with less spice for farangs. I always ask for "phet", but am frequently disappointed. These cooks must think think only Thais like spicy food. Either that or they've had complaints from unsuspecting tourists.

A common issue when going to new places. I am a regular at most of the Thai places I go so I have trained them and don't have a problem at those places. I find if they don't know you, say phet phet (extra spicy/hot) while looking at them seriously in the eye is the best way to go. In that case, most times you will get phet and not phet phet which is what you want (but actually I want phet phet). If it's still not there, I comment, it's not spicy enough. I rarely do this, but if you order phet phet and it's bland, I think you have the right to send back the dish, but it's not worth it because they'll just throw some chilies on it, and won't recook the dish. Occasionally, if you order phet phet the people will play a game with you and serve a dish 10 times hotter than they would ever serve a Thai ordering that way (just for the laughs to watch you cry). In those cases, well they are rare, I just don't go back.

[tutsiwarrior]

usually when 'dining out' at the food stalls near the bus station the family does all the ordering and I haven't noticed any sugary type concoctions prepared for my benefit alone...it's all pretty good but some stuff is hotter than others and I know to stay away...

as a matter of fack, I only ever order food alone at burger places when in Thailand and one usually knows what to expect...

not so like in cinemas in the UK...if yer not careful they'll put sugar on yer popcorn...