Ya Dong - Medicinal Local Whiskey

[Loaded]

Does anyone know where I can buy in Chiang Mai Ya Dong or the herbs to infuse rice whiskey (lao khao) to turn the mix in to Ya Dong?

I bought from the jungle market just before Lampang on the superhighway a few years ago but want to avoid the long drive to there again.

[Nienke]

I bought it years ago in tablet form at a local pharmacy. Mixed it with the local kao lao. Couldn't even get 1 tablespoon in. Mega-yuk!

Ah well. You could try the pharmacies.

[daoyai]

The special stuff comes from wizened old granpas in the hills, or you can get some lau kao and add a packet of 15 tigers herboal mix, available everywhere.

[Loaded]

The special stuff comes from wizened old granpas in the hills, or you can get some lau kao and add a packet of 15 tigers herboal mix, available everywhere.

The missus has bought some 15 tigers mix. I would prefer actual local herbs if possible. I had a great kick of mule mix before.

[jaideeguy]

I've been a 'user' of yaa dong for a few years and have picked up various herbal mixes from Issan, Chonburry, Phrao, India and even Chiang Mai. They can be found in the Chinese Herbal shops in the old Wararot market as ready mix or make your own concoction. Also available in the Indian herbal vendor. I have had it made with the local 'white lightening' cheap rotgut lao keaw, but that can do more damage to your liver than any alcohol you can find, so I switched to a locally bottled decent rum called 'Uncle Tom's' that is quite decent on it's own.

1 shot a night helps me sleep.

Good luck and avoid the cheap alcohol.

[anonymouse]

When I first came to Chiang Mai there used to be lots of medicinal whiskey stalls scattered around town, Each whiskey had a number and cured or helped a specific ailment. the most popular was the whiskey that improved your libido, didn't need it at the time but after 11 years of marriage I could probably do with a tot of that stuff now and again!

[FarmerJoe]

I drink it after dinner every night. The wife picks up the herbs at any pharmacy on her errands and mixes it with hong thong whiskey. They got that right about not mixing it with Lao kow. She puts in honey and a whole lot of different frozen fruit and let's it sit a few days. Later, when the whiskeys gone you can eat the very potent fruit. I have several bottles I age for later use. Yum.

[NotEinstein]

It's actually 11 tigers - 15 baht a pack at the chemist/drug store that the locals swear by, but then they mix it with lao kao, so maybe they are not so wise......

[cardholder]

My missus uses 'real' herbs and honey rather than 11 tigers - although she uses 40 degree blue/red label lao khao. When we lived near Pattaya she would always get the "best herb" from Naklua market on the Sukhumvit road.

I quite enjoyed it in the past - a nice kick to it. I am convinced that it will kill your brain cells so I avoid it now - but, I like the sound of using Hong Thong as the base drink, maybe even better with vodka.

Perhaps we can start a recipes section......

Libido enhancers and strength boosters: A beginner's guide to ya dong

Despite many forms of the popular Thai
moonshine being illegal, Bangkok's ya dong stalls are thriving. Proceed
with caution

By Dwight Turner

25 October, 2010

Try not to think about what's been mixed into these large jars of ya dong if you're brave enough to throw back a shot.

A
common sight on the streets of Bangkok, ya dong stalls are easily
recognized by what appear to be rows of cookie jars, illuminated by
poorly rigged fluorescent lights. Under their airtight lids is a dark
brown concoction, made by mixing rice whiskey with traditionally healthy
herbs, sometimes honey and god knows what else.

Despite many
medicinal forms of this moonshine being outlawed, Bangkok is filled with
ya dong stands, most set up only a few feet away from street food
vendors. When night falls they turn into popular watering holes.

There
is quite a bit of folklore surrounding ya dong, with people who don't
drink it warning you'll go blind and those who love it promising you'll
be transformed into a stallion in bed.

Here are a few of the
most common flavors to get you started. Just remember, ya dong shots are
almost always consumed with a bitter snack and a fragrant chaser to cut
the strength.

A man enjoys a shot of ya dong at a small stall on Sukhumvit Road. Naree lom peung

“Naree”
can best be described as that girl your mom warned you about.
"Lovestruck Naree" is the best ya dong flavor to start with if you've
never tried it before as it's not as strong as the others.

There
are other Naree flavors you can progress to like “Naree gives CPR” or
“Naree falls out of the bed” but they all generally go down a little
easier than the other flavors.

Doh mai roo lom

Mention this flavor, which is well known as an aphrodisiac, and watch grown Thai men blush.

The
best way to translate the meaning of doh mai roo lom (never flacid) to
your foreign friends? Ask them to imagine the result of a viagra
overdose. Anything lasting longer than three hours, please consult a
physician...

Mah gratueb rong

This one is also an alleged
aphrodisiac, but it promises to cure a list of other ailments. Get your
strength back with a shot of "horses trampling the stables" but make
sure you don't run over any of your loved ones with your new found
stamina.

These are just a few flavors to get you started. Ask
around if you need buffalo-carrying superpowers or have specific aches
and pains.

Ya dong stalls can be found all over the city, with plenty in the tiny sois on the lower end of Sukhumvit Road.

If you love the ya dong tradition but want a posher setting, try Tease Bar and Gallery’s Bar Lam Yong (4th floor of J Avenue on Thonglor Tel: +66 (0)89 688 0302),
though the price per shot increases dramatically to 50 baht. (Lam Yong
refers to a character in an old Thai soap opera who was known for her
alcoholism.)