Wild Tomatillos grow in Central Thailand!

[kikoman]

Over the new years holiday, we had a party and a great many of my wife's family came as they were looking over my garden, they noticed the Milpero Tomatillo's and asked why I grew them, I told them it was an ingredients for Mexican food and that the seeds came from the states. They insisted that the tomatillos grow wild in the local fields, mostly in the corn fields.

I did not give it much thought until I was talking to my wife this morning, and she told me how they ate tomatillo's as a child after the husk turned yellow. I told her I wanted her to show me the plant she was talking about, she left and returned 10 minutes later with some tomatillo bulbs, and they were tomatillos, she went and dug up the plant and transplanted it to our yard! I have attached the pictures, the first two are my tomatillo plants and the second two are the transplanted ones, they do look very wilted, but look at the leaves and the little yellow (Tomato like flowers)They definitely are tomattillos.

Has anyone else notice them growing in the wild, or is it only locally?

Cheers

Sorry almost forgot, Thai name -Tong Tang.

[GinBoy2]

Sure look right. Asked the wife if she recognized them, she didn't, didn't even recognize the name, but maybe thats a transliteration thingy.

[kikoman]

I will go out in the next few days to see if I can find a plant with the tomatillos on it, if I do i will post it.

GinBoy 2, how did your corn tortillas come out, good I hope, let me know!

Cheers

[GinBoy2]

I will go out in the next few days to see if I can find a plant with the tomatillos on it, if I do i will post it.

GinBoy 2, how did your corn tortillas come out, good I hope, let me know!

Cheers

Tortillas came out great. Got the bpoon daeng, and yep you were right worked a treat. Bit of work, but worth it. Forgotten how much I missed corn tortillas

[kikoman]

I will go out in the next few days to see if I can find a plant with the tomatillos on it, if I do i will post it.

GinBoy 2, how did your corn tortillas come out, good I hope, let me know!

Cheers

Tortillas came out great. Got the bpoon daeng, and yep you were right worked a treat. Bit of work, but worth it. Forgotten how much I missed corn tortillas

Making your own corn tortillas from scratch, involves a lot of work, but well worth it, eating fresh homemade corn tortillas is a treat and well worth all the extra work. We have been eating more corn tortillas this year a great improvement over the store brought Thai ones and when you consider the 49-60 baht a package in the stores, we spend less money in 2013 on corn tortillas.

Cheers

[kikoman]

Went out this morning to find a wild tomatillo plant did not take very long maybe 8 minutes, I have been without the use of tomatillo for the best part of 13 years and after I imported the seeds and grew my own I find out they grow wild in central Thailand.

All those wasted years of doing without them, there seems not to be an interest with expats concerning the availability of wild tomatillos, but I will place the info on file for any future poster that may be interested

There are WILD tomatillo's in central Thailand!

They are (Milpero) tomatillo's, see my other post of my garden tomatillos.

Cheers

.

[riceyummm]

This is amazing. I was chugging down a local lane recently when I saw what looked like tomatillos growing on a vine like plant on the side of the road. I turned around to look and said "If this wasn't Thailand I'd swear those are tomatillos". I forgot what the wife called them but she said when they were kids playing in the fields they would eat them (sound familiar?). I wonder what it is about kids and tomatillos? Since they are edible I'm surprised they are not usual fare on Thai tables. I will try to get some next week to plant at home. That with the local pork should make a fine chile verde.

For geographical purposes I live in T. Bua Yai, A. Nahm Pawng, C. Khon Kaen, 40140.

[kikoman]

I included the first two pictures are of that limp tomatillo plant above , it is a wild tomatillo we dug up and transplanted to our yard, it is growing well, most of the potted tomatillo plants I have are starting to die off do not know why.

Also wanted to add my tomato plants are starting to form tomatoes, I have 30 plants and 20 of them have tomatoes just wanted to show a couple off, not as good as some posted on the farm forum, but great for me.

Khon Kaen added to the list!

Thanks for the response!

Cheers

[StJoesy]

Do you think It is possible to make salsa verde from tong teng?

If anyone have clue the next question can make from green or only when kind of yellow!?

Thank you for answer.

[soidogs]

Just wondering if the wild plants are gooseberries which are in the same family as tomatillos ?

I can see kids eating wild gooseberries.

[opporna]

Does anyone have any idea what tomatillos are called in Thai and how it is written in Thai script? I see they are called 'tang tong' or 'tong tang' but I don't know how to write that. Thanks in advance for any help.

[riceyummm]

Toeng taeng (โทงเทง), also a euphemism for pendulous swaying breasts when repeated a few times. Say that when such breasts are in sight and Thai people within hearing will think you are a cunning linguist, or you'll get smacked by a large woman.