So Much Food!

[Galong]

heck we should cook something together

My mother was as child in India and learned cooking there, I loved these sweeter chilies just when I learned speaking. (My mother got a lot complains in restaurants what bad mother she is to allow that baby to eat something spicy).

I usually eat much spicier than people in Bangkok, Isaan or North. And no restaurant believes me if I order spicy....

But go to Nakhon Si Thammerat, they have spicy curries (not chili spicy), that is also demanding for me....some cold beer required.

But also most of the locals don't like that spicy and I am not sure if it doesn't harm the body. You feel it burning in the stomach and when you pee on the toilet the pee also burns.....

I once tried there with a 70 year old school-teacher who can eat more spicy.....She cried first, I followed 10 seconds later.....real strong stuff there.

I can eat just as much chilly as any Thai i have met too, if not more..never been beaten yet.

But, in a local restaurant the a newish waitress wanted to test me so she said...times x 10 chillies in my papaya salad...i said yes, rising to the challenge....and it came with lots of the tiny green chillies...

Bloody 'eck...The top of the salad was okay it was when i started spooning in the chilly pips and sauce from the bottom...my tongue, throat and stomach were burning..and i had tears coming out of my eyes and nose running...I knew they were watching the waitress and chef, so i moved table so i was facing a wall and continued crying and sniveling into my food untill it was finished....

I am not joking, I could not stop crying it was so hot...but i finished it...my tongue was gone..and so was I... I paid up at the till with tears rolling down my face..

I went and bought some ice cream and chocolate ran home scoffed the them down and lay down for a few hours..it was murder...never eaten anything so hot and spicy.....it didn't and doesn't stop me though...just made me stronger for eating chilly...

My guess is that they didn't join you.

Well done for finishing it. I hope you said it was not really hot and that you were sweating because it was hot in the restaurant... save face at all costs!

[h90]

Reading all that makes me really hungry now.......

[sanook2me]

My guess is that they didn't join you.

Well done for finishing it. I hope you said it was not really hot and that you were sweating because it was hot in the restaurant... save face at all costs!

I've become Thai ised without knowing...I'll be wearing a 7-11 bag on my head with the next downpour..and a banana tree branch as a mudguard...

[sanook2me]

woah the gang "eat spicy to be a real man" is out in full force today

)

Flip yeah...I can't eat Thai food without the chilly, what's the point...it would be like a Sunday roast with yorkies and gravy...bland...and your tongue would know it has been cheated of the best taste.

So many similar items go together...bread & butter, salt & vinegar on fish & chips, mint jelly on lamb chops..etc...

How many gangs are their on TV?

[rgs2001uk]

woah the gang "eat spicy to be a real man" is out in full force today

)

Flip yeah...I can't eat Thai food without the chilly, what's the point...it would be like a Sunday roast with yorkies and gravy...bland...and your tongue would know it has been cheated of the best taste.

So many similar items go together...bread & butter, salt & vinegar on fish & chips, mint jelly on lamb chops..etc...

How many gangs are their on TV?

"How many gangs are their on TV?"

Well for starters how about, ga(e)ng massaman nuea, penang neua, kiaw wan gai, gang som.

[barefoot1988]

thai chillies are alright. they are spicy but tasteful and more so than those crazy buffalo wing challenges

[MAJIC]

Old timer Thais report that Thai food in general has gotten MUCH more sweet (sugar) over the decades. That is definitely a bad thing in every way, for taste and for health.

As far as tolerance for spices and heat, I am a total chile-head but over the years I have become more tolerant of chile phobes. There is something to the idea that massive chiles change your palate so that it is harder to appreciate subtle foods.

You may be right there! and it would account for massive doses of Salt,which almost give a heart attack in one meal,but their answer is disguise the Salt,with more Sugar,health wise a double whammy.

Edited September 13, 2012 by MAJIC

[bangkokburning]

Massaman is South Thai - Malay, but I see it far more here than in Malaysia.

It is a yummy curry, but also the sweetest.

[kennedy]

Years ago my wife worked with a guy that had cooked for the Kings family.She will make those family dishes ocasionally.Some are very time consuming.That said, it kind of makes you feel special eating food that most people in Thailand have never eaten including Thais.

[Semper]

heck we should cook something together

My mother was as child in India and learned cooking there, I loved these sweeter chilies just when I learned speaking. (My mother got a lot complains in restaurants what bad mother she is to allow that baby to eat something spicy).

I usually eat much spicier than people in Bangkok, Isaan or North. And no restaurant believes me if I order spicy....

But go to Nakhon Si Thammerat, they have spicy curries (not chili spicy), that is also demanding for me....some cold beer required.

But also most of the locals don't like that spicy and I am not sure if it doesn't harm the body. You feel it burning in the stomach and when you pee on the toilet the pee also burns.....

I once tried there with a 70 year old school-teacher who can eat more spicy.....She cried first, I followed 10 seconds later.....real strong stuff there.

I can eat just as much chilly as any Thai i have met too, if not more..never been beaten yet.

But, in a local restaurant the a newish waitress wanted to test me so she said...times x 10 chillies in my papaya salad...i said yes, rising to the challenge....and it came with lots of the tiny green chillies...

Bloody 'eck...The top of the salad was okay it was when i started spooning in the chilly pips and sauce from the bottom...my tongue, throat and stomach were burning..and i had tears coming out of my eyes and nose running...I knew they were watching the waitress and chef, so i moved table so i was facing a wall and continued crying and sniveling into my food untill it was finished....

I am not joking, I could not stop crying it was so hot...but i finished it...my tongue was gone..and so was I... I paid up at the till with tears rolling down my face..

I went and bought some ice cream and chocolate ran home scoffed the them down and lay down for a few hours..it was murder...never eaten anything so hot and spicy.....it didn't and doesn't stop me though...just made me stronger for eating chilly...

Sounds a bit childish to me, like having a test who can drink the hottest coffee.

[p_brownstone]

heck we should cook something together

My mother was as child in India and learned cooking there, I loved these sweeter chilies just when I learned speaking. (My mother got a lot complains in restaurants what bad mother she is to allow that baby to eat something spicy).

I usually eat much spicier than people in Bangkok, Isaan or North. And no restaurant believes me if I order spicy....

But go to Nakhon Si Thammerat, they have spicy curries (not chili spicy), that is also demanding for me....some cold beer required.

But also most of the locals don't like that spicy and I am not sure if it doesn't harm the body. You feel it burning in the stomach and when you pee on the toilet the pee also burns.....

I once tried there with a 70 year old school-teacher who can eat more spicy.....She cried first, I followed 10 seconds later.....real strong stuff there.

I can eat just as much chilly as any Thai i have met too, if not more..never been beaten yet.

But, in a local restaurant the a newish waitress wanted to test me so she said...times x 10 chillies in my papaya salad...i said yes, rising to the challenge....and it came with lots of the tiny green chillies...

Bloody 'eck...The top of the salad was okay it was when i started spooning in the chilly pips and sauce from the bottom...my tongue, throat and stomach were burning..and i had tears coming out of my eyes and nose running...I knew they were watching the waitress and chef, so i moved table so i was facing a wall and continued crying and sniveling into my food untill it was finished....

I am not joking, I could not stop crying it was so hot...but i finished it...my tongue was gone..and so was I... I paid up at the till with tears rolling down my face..

I went and bought some ice cream and chocolate ran home scoffed the them down and lay down for a few hours..it was murder...never eaten anything so hot and spicy.....it didn't and doesn't stop me though...just made me stronger for eating chilly...

Sounds a bit childish to me, like having a test who can drink the hottest coffee.

I agree - totally childish.

Food is about the combination of ingredients and how they balance and add to the flavour of the dish as a whole.

Eating what is basically a bowl full of prik-e-noo is just pointless macho posturing.

Patrick

[Galong]

heck we should cook something together

My mother was as child in India and learned cooking there, I loved these sweeter chilies just when I learned speaking. (My mother got a lot complains in restaurants what bad mother she is to allow that baby to eat something spicy).

I usually eat much spicier than people in Bangkok, Isaan or North. And no restaurant believes me if I order spicy....

But go to Nakhon Si Thammerat, they have spicy curries (not chili spicy), that is also demanding for me....some cold beer required.

But also most of the locals don't like that spicy and I am not sure if it doesn't harm the body. You feel it burning in the stomach and when you pee on the toilet the pee also burns.....

I once tried there with a 70 year old school-teacher who can eat more spicy.....She cried first, I followed 10 seconds later.....real strong stuff there.

I can eat just as much chilly as any Thai i have met too, if not more..never been beaten yet.

But, in a local restaurant the a newish waitress wanted to test me so she said...times x 10 chillies in my papaya salad...i said yes, rising to the challenge....and it came with lots of the tiny green chillies...

Bloody 'eck...The top of the salad was okay it was when i started spooning in the chilly pips and sauce from the bottom...my tongue, throat and stomach were burning..and i had tears coming out of my eyes and nose running...I knew they were watching the waitress and chef, so i moved table so i was facing a wall and continued crying and sniveling into my food untill it was finished....

I am not joking, I could not stop crying it was so hot...but i finished it...my tongue was gone..and so was I... I paid up at the till with tears rolling down my face..

I went and bought some ice cream and chocolate ran home scoffed the them down and lay down for a few hours..it was murder...never eaten anything so hot and spicy.....it didn't and doesn't stop me though...just made me stronger for eating chilly...

Sounds a bit childish to me, like having a test who can drink the hottest coffee.

I agree - totally childish.

Food is about the combination of ingredients and how they balance and add to the flavour of the dish as a whole.

Eating what is basically a bowl full of prik-e-noo is just pointless macho posturing.

Patrick

I respectfully disagree. Your definition of food, Patrick, is simply your definition. It's not necessarily everyone's.

Eating super spicy food is both fun and literally addictive. Not only do I personally like the taste... yes taste... but I also like the slight endorphine buzz from it.

And honestly, what harm does it do if some of us like being macho in this realm? We're not hurting anyone else AND we're not hurting ourselves. They have a good bit of vitamin C, provide anti-inflammatory benefits and they speed up your metabolism. Eating peppers in moderation is good for you. I don't eat them every day. When I do eat them, I want them hot! My choice.

Having said all this, my ears are sweating right now. I made some chilli that is exceedingly hot. I put about a half a tablespoon of my hottest sauce in the bowl. Wow.

Just prior to that, I let my step daughter's girlfriend put the tip of her pinky finger in the hot sauce. She tried to act like it wasn't hot. Ah, the Thai ego is almost as big as mine.

Seconds later, of course, she was on a rampage in the fridge looking for milk.

[sanook2me]

I respectfully disagree. Your definition of food, Patrick, is simply your definition. It's not necessarily everyone's.

Eating super spicy food is both fun and literally addictive. Not only do I personally like the taste... yes taste... but I also like the slight endorphine buzz from it.

And honestly, what harm does it do if some of us like being macho in this realm? We're not hurting anyone else AND we're not hurting ourselves. They have a good bit of vitamin C, provide anti-inflammatory benefits and they speed up your metabolism. Eating peppers in moderation is good for you. I don't eat them every day. When I do eat them, I want them hot! My choice.

Having said all this, my ears are sweating right now. I made some chilli that is exceedingly hot. I put about a half a tablespoon of my hottest sauce in the bowl. Wow.

Just prior to that, I let my step daughter's girlfriend put the tip of her pinky finger in the hot sauce. She tried to act like it wasn't hot. Ah, the Thai ego is almost as big as mine.

Seconds later, of course, she was on a rampage in the fridge looking for milk.

Milk works does it.. I normally go for plain rice, icecream or sweet chocolate to soothe the after burn..

I had no idea that my/your liking to super hot spicy food would cause such olde fuddy duddy cantankerous rantings......it's childish.. "macho posturing"

They sound like my mom and shes 75..ish...."not that foreign food again" this applies to pizza or the mildest curries or anything that is not a carrot or potato...

Personally, being English I didn't eat really hot spicy food until i came to Thailand and I grew to love it, what is wrong in that? Get back to your Villa supermarket and baked beans on toast

[Galong]

I respectfully disagree. Your definition of food, Patrick, is simply your definition. It's not necessarily everyone's.

Eating super spicy food is both fun and literally addictive. Not only do I personally like the taste... yes taste... but I also like the slight endorphine buzz from it.

And honestly, what harm does it do if some of us like being macho in this realm? We're not hurting anyone else AND we're not hurting ourselves. They have a good bit of vitamin C, provide anti-inflammatory benefits and they speed up your metabolism. Eating peppers in moderation is good for you. I don't eat them every day. When I do eat them, I want them hot! My choice.

Having said all this, my ears are sweating right now. I made some chilli that is exceedingly hot. I put about a half a tablespoon of my hottest sauce in the bowl. Wow.

Just prior to that, I let my step daughter's girlfriend put the tip of her pinky finger in the hot sauce. She tried to act like it wasn't hot. Ah, the Thai ego is almost as big as mine.

Seconds later, of course, she was on a rampage in the fridge looking for milk.

Milk works does it.. I normally go for plain rice, icecream or sweet chocolate to soothe the after burn..

I had no idea that my/your liking to super hot spicy food would cause such olde fuddy duddy cantankerous rantings......it's childish.. "macho posturing"

They sound like my mom and shes 75..ish...."not that foreign food again" this applies to pizza or the mildest curries or anything that is not a carrot or potato...

Personally, being English I didn't eat really hot spicy food until i came to Thailand and I grew to love it, what is wrong in that? Get back to your Villa supermarket and baked beans on toast

Yeah, really, calling us childish is a bit over-the-top.

We should be able to have a bit of fun posturing about our superhuman talents.

Yep, milk works. I think the key is getting something with oil. Capsacin binds to fat/oil. Don't use skim milk obviously.

Burn away, bro!

[Songhua]

look how many different dishes are in France, Italy, Austria or Germany......I guess there are more varieties of breads in Germany than different Thai dishes.

mmm not sure but the fact that after 4 years I can still not see much difference between pad kee mao, pad chaah and some pad pets I guess there are some that are doubled up due to region.Good link but not much on the history

Most Thai people don't know the difference, which is why they make it the way you describe it.

It's sad. Thai food (for Thais as much as anyone else) has deteriorated remarkably during the past 15 years.

Agreed. My Thai wife and I have owned and operated Thai restaurants in Australia for seventeen years. Only over the psst few years have we noticed that many of our long-time Thailand travelling customers have commented that they are no longer able to find real Thai food in Thailand anymore.

On our recent visit to BKK my wife very often left food on her plate saying that what she thought she ordered and what she got were two very different things.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Songhua

[maxme]

- Response to H90's post

I used to live in E-san and thought these people were nuts with their excessive chili usage until I came to Nakhon Si Thammarat. H90 is right and the people here are proud of their curry, especially geang som, which happens to not be my favorite. Even Bangkokians have a hard time adjusting to the chili usage down here and I will say in some dishes it's almost deemed necessary but with others I wonder if it's really that much needed.

If you are heading down here then I suggest geang boo (crab curry), which is a local favorite and quite tasty I might add.

[Galong]

- Response to H90's post

I used to live in E-san and thought these people were nuts with their excessive chili usage until I came to Nakhon Si Thammarat. H90 is right and the people here are proud of their curry, especially geang som, which happens to not be my favorite. Even Bangkokians have a hard time adjusting to the chili usage down here and I will say in some dishes it's almost deemed necessary but with others I wonder if it's really that much needed.

If you are heading down here then I suggest geang boo (crab curry), which is a local favorite and quite tasty I might add.

I've been here for almost twenty years and I'm just now coming around to liking geang som. The quality of the fish sort of put me off, but I've found some restaurants that don't use barbs and carp in their soup. I love the gradual burning effect.

[maxme]

- Response to H90's post

I used to live in E-san and thought these people were nuts with their excessive chili usage until I came to Nakhon Si Thammarat. H90 is right and the people here are proud of their curry, especially geang som, which happens to not be my favorite. Even Bangkokians have a hard time adjusting to the chili usage down here and I will say in some dishes it's almost deemed necessary but with others I wonder if it's really that much needed.

If you are heading down here then I suggest geang boo (crab curry), which is a local favorite and quite tasty I might add.

I've been here for almost twenty years and I'm just now coming around to liking geang som. The quality of the fish sort of put me off, but I've found some restaurants that don't use barbs and carp in their soup. I love the gradual burning effect.

We all fall in love with our favorites. Mine is Pad Kra Pao Pla Meuk.

I'm not saying I don't like curry as there is a huge variety of it but yellow curry doesn't taste right according to me AND in the long run , curry dishes ain't that healthy as some southerners wanna claim. Think it has something to do with coconut-milk. But I have to say, they do have some nice fish dishes down here. Nakhon and Surat are all about seafood.

[Galong]

- Response to H90's post

I used to live in E-san and thought these people were nuts with their excessive chili usage until I came to Nakhon Si Thammarat. H90 is right and the people here are proud of their curry, especially geang som, which happens to not be my favorite. Even Bangkokians have a hard time adjusting to the chili usage down here and I will say in some dishes it's almost deemed necessary but with others I wonder if it's really that much needed.

If you are heading down here then I suggest geang boo (crab curry), which is a local favorite and quite tasty I might add.

I've been here for almost twenty years and I'm just now coming around to liking geang som. The quality of the fish sort of put me off, but I've found some restaurants that don't use barbs and carp in their soup. I love the gradual burning effect.

We all fall in love with our favorites. Mine is Pad Kra Pao Pla Meuk.

I'm not saying I don't like curry as there is a huge variety of it but yellow curry doesn't taste right according to me AND in the long run , curry dishes ain't that healthy as some southerners wanna claim. Think it has something to do with coconut-milk. But I have to say, they do have some nice fish dishes down here. Nakhon and Surat are all about seafood.

Yep, if the coconut milk was actually coconut milk and not mostly sugar it would be better. I made some curry for my family in the States this summer. I found a can of Thai coconut milk and actually tasted it instead of just pouring it in. My goodness, it was nausiatingly sweet.

[maxme]

- Response to H90's post

I used to live in E-san and thought these people were nuts with their excessive chili usage until I came to Nakhon Si Thammarat. H90 is right and the people here are proud of their curry, especially geang som, which happens to not be my favorite. Even Bangkokians have a hard time adjusting to the chili usage down here and I will say in some dishes it's almost deemed necessary but with others I wonder if it's really that much needed.

If you are heading down here then I suggest geang boo (crab curry), which is a local favorite and quite tasty I might add.

I've been here for almost twenty years and I'm just now coming around to liking geang som. The quality of the fish sort of put me off, but I've found some restaurants that don't use barbs and carp in their soup. I love the gradual burning effect.

We all fall in love with our favorites. Mine is Pad Kra Pao Pla Meuk.

I'm not saying I don't like curry as there is a huge variety of it but yellow curry doesn't taste right according to me AND in the long run , curry dishes ain't that healthy as some southerners wanna claim. Think it has something to do with coconut-milk. But I have to say, they do have some nice fish dishes down here. Nakhon and Surat are all about seafood.

Yep, if the coconut milk was actually coconut milk and not mostly sugar it would be better. I made some curry for my family in the States this summer. I found a can of Thai coconut milk and actually tasted it instead of just pouring it in. My goodness, it was nausiatingly sweet.

A lot of things are sweet even if you don't notice it at first hand. I think it's also like a sort of balance that they try to bring forth. If you look at some dishes here they are rich with herbs and veggies and quite light and then you have the pastries and cakes which are quite sweet.

Just out of curiosity... you've been here for twenty years and only now that you started to like it? Tell me did it take that long for your wife with her strong persuasions to convince you

My wife hate curries and yet she was born here. Me I like to go eat at khao geang but she says it has almost no taste. Me think my wife sometimes is a snob

[JSixpack]

There is something to the idea that massive chiles change your palate so that it is harder to appreciate subtle foods.

And--I assure you--there is something to the idea that massive chiles [sic] cause stomach upset and diarrhea so that thereafter it is easier to appreciate subtle foods

[transam]

My favourite is Lobster, as it is but steamed. Can't believe what they do to this delicate tasting food to make it taste like a <deleted> chili.

[maxme]

My favourite is Lobster, as it is but steamed. Can't believe what they do to this delicate tasting food to make it taste like a <deleted> chili.

Certain things just don't go well together. I had reindeer in the south, now their idea of eating reindeer was with red curry which totally destroyed the taste so I will say that some things are better left alone. The ones who can make better use of it are the Chinese who has a variety of reindeer dishes

[Chittychangchang]

look how many different dishes are in France, Italy, Austria or Germany......I guess there are more varieties of breads in Germany than different Thai dishes.

mmm not sure but the fact that after 4 years I can still not see much difference between pad kee mao, pad chaah and some pad pets I guess there are some that are doubled up due to region.Good link but not much on the history

Most Thai people don't know the difference, which is why they make it the way you describe it.

It's sad. Thai food (for Thais as much as anyone else) has deteriorated remarkably during the past 15 years.

Not in my neck of the woods.

It all depends on the Thai chef and their access to ingrediants, imagination and flair.

My Thai partner only ate som tam and noodles in Thailand! When she came to farangland.... wow did her skills improove! No formal catering qualifications in LOS! Her variety of dishes and skills improoved better than the restaurants to the point were we set up a catering business which grew on word of mouth advertising only and she charged accordingly.

A true success story.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Chittychangchang

[sanook2me]

What does do my head in, is the American breakfast advertised on menus...a couple of small hot dog sausages, a sunny egg and 2 square/round pieces of plastic meat... it is disgusting never had a good one..

My brain tricks me into ordering it thinking it will be like a proper English breakfast fry up....... dam_n tricked again when it arrives...moron...

My link to the OP title is ..do the plastic meat and sausages left over from the uneatable American breakfast get turned into the (Khao pat) American rice dish?

[Galong]

My favourite is Lobster, as it is but steamed. Can't believe what they do to this delicate tasting food to make it taste like a <deleted> chili.

Um, I have NEVER seen anyone, including fans of spicy food, ruin a lobster with chilies.

[Galong]

There is something to the idea that massive chiles change your palate so that it is harder to appreciate subtle foods.

And--I assure you--there is something to the idea that massive chiles [sic] cause stomach upset and diarrhea so that thereafter it is easier to appreciate subtle foods

And I doubly assure you that this doesn't apply to everyone. I don't get any side effects from eating really hot food. It does not affect my stomach and I don't have problems with the exit.

For some science instead of opinions on what chilies do to the stomach lining, see http://www.baileyfarmsinc.com/Facts/Damage.html and http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/healthy-eating/why-spicy-food-is-good-for-you

Case dismissed.