Anthony Bourdain drinking raw pigs blood soup and other guts of animals

[jaideeguy]

I have always admired Anthony Bourdain and his 'I'll try anything once' attitude, but this weeks episode with him eating Northern style food was an eye opener.

I have always been a try anything once kind of guy, but I do draw the line at uncooked [and even cooked] blood, brains, and unidentifiable 'parts' of animals.

How many of you guys have eaten the raw blood soup??

[worgeordie]

Hope he has worming tablets,as he going to need them

regards Worgeordie

[Costas2008]

I have tried, kuai-tiao mu nam tok, noodles, with pig blood soup, cooked by the MIL.

Tasted good.....till they told me what I was eating.

No worming tablets required Mr.Worgeordie.

[PiPiFFS]

I like this guys shows out of all the celebrity chefs. He doesn't have his head stuffed up his own bottom as most of the others and just comes across as a nice guy that loves food, travel and meeting people.

[Chicog]

I have tried, kuai-tiao mu nam tok, noodles, with pig blood soup, cooked by the MIL.

Tasted good.....till they told me what I was eating.

No worming tablets required Mr.Worgeordie.

If you're consuming raw pigs blood, you should probably start with penicillin and a pint of DDT I would think.

[PostmanPat]

The programme was in interesting take on what most of us have done at some time in Chiang Mai, ie get wasted then eat almost anything. Some of the stuff presented to Monsieur Bourdain which he appeared to tuck into was churning my stomach through the TV screen, but of course, dont forget, these shows are severely and cleverly edited, and in some cases perhaps the "tasty morsels" got as far as his lips and no further before the director called "cut" !!!!!!!

The pork place at Chang Puak Gate (lady in cowboy hat) looked delicious, though, must call by there one evening!

[Chicog]

I did have Crispy Fish Bowel at the Monkey Club pissed one night, and for the rest of the week I was like a Walmart Blender.

[Sparkles]

Doing what some would call "bizarre acts" is all about TV ratings...especially for mostly American audiences.

[zeichen]

I met him here in 2002 while he was eating the nastiest Sai Uah I have ever seen. I don't know who his guides were but they took him to the crappiest markets and stalls.

I have eaten Kanom Jeen with blood, but it isn't one of my favorites. I also like the flavor of laab dip but cannot eat it because my stomache isn't tough enough.

[richard_smith237]

Same-same but nid-noy different: I remember watching Andrew Zimmerman eating his way through Thailand on the Discovery Travel and Living channel.

I was highly entertained by what he was ate....

Dancing shrimp (the live ones with lime added and then he ate them while still raw).

Dung Beatles (yes, he was there with the old ladies plucking the dung beatles out of the poop before flying them up and eating them)

Tor-Diaow An-Diaow (I'm sure there's a huge transliteration error there - it directly translates as one animal one part - yep, the penis !)

Fermented something (pork I think - at this stage insurance stepped in, he wasn't allowed to eat the fermented pork lest he void his medical insurance)

---

On recalling the entertaining evenings viewing to some good Thai friends in a bar a few days later we all had laughs - many hadn't tried any of those dishes.

Upon returning to the same bar a few days later I was met with minor fanfare - 20 mins later a bowl was presented to me...

Yes, they had gone out and purchased some 'Tor-Diaow An-Diaow'... I was forced to eat penis with a smile on my face...

The smile was ok because I knew as soon as I'd tried it, I was going to force them to try it too... I pretty much force fed Penis to about 20 people, friends and friends of friends...

Half of them had no idea what I'd put in front of them... at the time I was the trusted foreigner... now I am better known, not to be trusted, never to be believed....

[junglechef]

There's another topic called "Anthony Bourdain in Chiang Mai" (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/693480-anthony-bourdain-in-chiang-mai/). Below is a copy of the post I made there yesterday which I think is appropriate to repeat here:

The Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown (season 3, episode 7) filmed in Chiang Mai will air here this Friday night on CNN International (10 pm according to: http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/) which can be lived streamed at http://www.hulkusaa.com/cnn-international-live-stream/.

I've also heard it's being aired on True Channel 566 at 8 pm this Friday.

Also up on pirates bay, oneclickwatch.org and I'm sure many more as it was originally aired in the States on Sunday.

Here's a preview http://edition.cnn.c...son-3/thailand/ from the post above.

He runs around with Andy Ricker of Pok Pok (and his other restaurants in America) fame and is up to his usual antic, amusing tv, but don't be fooled as lots of it is set-up like reality tv is, but never the less fun and has food and local spots to enjoy watching. They go to Him Tang, Larb Gum Chum Cha, Kha Moo Chang Puack and Pa Deng Gin Dok among other places to eat.

So now it's time to make my own adventure out of it and go search out each place and try it just like I did when Andy Ricker wrote about CM food in the NYT (http://www.nytimes.c...wanted=all&_r=0)

Anybody brave enough to make a night out of it and join me? I'll drive

Though I don't know either of the guys personally I did go to the same culinary school as Anthony B. and have shared many of the same experiences separately, if you know what I mean. I've seen his shows and read his books and am a fan, especially of his show "The Layover". So purely as conjecture I feel we most likely feel similarly on many food subjects and I believe though it's obviously a staged tv show the food is real and he does enjoy the adventure of eating it (so yes I think he swallows). I rather like raw blood soup including the one pictured below which was still warm from being freshly drawn and was a bit sweet with spic from chilis and having an herby finish. Often I have come upon raw buffalo larb with blood while Mt Biking around Mae On and other outer villages and lust for the immediate protein rush I get so I can keep going for a few more hours of riding. As for brains the place they ate at they called Aunt Deng's Pounded Meat is actually called Pa Deng Gin Dok and is pretty close to my house in San Sai and is always good for a late banana leaf pouch of brains or whatever one is lucky enough to find on that particular evening. The blood in Kanom Jeen is coagulated pigs or chicken blood and is full of good stuff like iron (and low fat for you watching your waistlines). The dancing shrimp, served alive so much so one has to hurry the spoon into ones mouth before they jump off, is especially good at Huay Tung Tao as they keep them right in the lake. If one want some other suggestions for good eats around town try Uncle Rat's near the airport (pic. #2 with pots of red curry lizard, ox placenta soup and pig tendons) where they offer stir-fried bee row, deep fried wasp and of course another nice brain dish, this time marinated. The hot and sour cobra (pic. #3) there is also a wonderful choice. I don't call myself junglechef for nothing!

Edited June 4, 2014 by junglechef

[harrry]

I have tried, kuai-tiao mu nam tok, noodles, with pig blood soup, cooked by the MIL.

Tasted good.....till they told me what I was eating.

No worming tablets required Mr.Worgeordie.

If you're consuming raw pigs blood, you should probably start with penicillin and a pint of DDT I would think.

Enough penicillin in the pigs I think.

[Chicog]

Might interest some of you...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vrwj8

Dr Michael Mosley explores the bizarre and fascinating world of parasites by turning his body into a living laboratory and deliberately infesting himself with them. He travels to Kenya to give himself tapeworm - a parasite that can grow to many metres inside the human gut. He also encounters lice, leeches and the deadly malaria parasite, before swallowing a pill-camera to reveal what's growing within him. By the end of his infestation Michael learns a new-found respect for these extraordinary creatures, which can live off and even take control of their hosts for their own survival

[junglechef]

That's so cool, for some reason I can't open the full article but look forward to reading it. His final ironic revenge should be to remove the tape worm and parasite and eat them. From now on whenever I ask someone "what's eating you?" I'll preface it with not literally.

Edited June 4, 2014 by junglechef

[Johpa]

I've had the pig's blood soup a few times, called laap lue or laap luat. It seems to be one of those dishes usually reserved for when guys get together for some serious drinking. Unless you live in a village where someone has just slaughtered a pig, it requires very local knowledge to know where to find it being served. Of course I have eaten laap dip, minced raw pork with raw blood and some herbs countless times. Most of the time the blood from a newly slaughtered pig is used for laap dip and other dishes and not often served as laap lue. Now laap dip is one of the signature dished of the Khon Muang (and Lao) and was noted as being abhorrent by none less than Marco Polo. Both raw dishes are quite tasty although clearly raw dishes do contain additional health risks. I really enjoy eating laap dip but I recognize that half the time i eat it that I will suffer minor tummy problems the next day. But the same is true whenever I eat at any hotel buffet when in the city.

[Diplomatico]

This show is being re-broadcast tonight in the U.S. at 9:00 p.m. EDT/PDT. Should be entertaining, missed it last Sunday.

[quidnunc]

I've had the pig's blood soup a few times, called laap lue or laap luat. It seems to be one of those dishes usually reserved for when guys get together for some serious drinking. Unless you live in a village where someone has just slaughtered a pig, it requires very local knowledge to know where to find it being served. Of course I have eaten laap dip, minced raw pork with raw blood and some herbs countless times. Most of the time the blood from a newly slaughtered pig is used for laap dip and other dishes and not often served as laap lue. Now laap dip is one of the signature dished of the Khon Muang (and Lao) and was noted as being abhorrent by none less than Marco Polo. Both raw dishes are quite tasty although clearly raw dishes do contain additional health risks. I really enjoy eating laap dip but I recognize that half the time i eat it that I will suffer minor tummy problems the next day. But the same is true whenever I eat at any hotel buffet when in the city.

The thing about raw pork is that it can carry a deadly bacteria called staphylococcus sus. It kills Thais every year. So it's not just a matter of "minor tummy problems."

[tango]

I'm surprised he didn't take a trip on the wild side to Isaan especially Kohn Kaen to witness their love of uncooked fish paste, despite exposure to the carcinogenic liver fluke. Mind you, simply adding field crab to one's somtam anywhere might also prove deadly over time.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/696787-liver-cancer-liver-fluke/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/world/asia/26iht-thailand.html?_r=0

Oh well, may be next time.

[Oscar2]

I'm surprised he didn't take a trip on the wild side to Isaan especially Kohn Kaen to witness their love of uncooked fish paste, despite exposure to the carcinogenic liver fluke. Mind you, simply adding field crab to one's somtam anywhere might also prove deadly over time.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/696787-liver-cancer-liver-fluke/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/world/asia/26iht-thailand.html?_r=0

Oh well, may be next time.

many people in Thailand die each year from field crab served in somtam.

[Oscar2]

I'm surprised he didn't take a trip on the wild side to Isaan especially Kohn Kaen to witness their love of uncooked fish paste, despite exposure to the carcinogenic liver fluke. Mind you, simply adding field crab to one's somtam anywhere might also prove deadly over time.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/696787-liver-cancer-liver-fluke/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/world/asia/26iht-thailand.html?_r=0

Oh well, may be next time.

interesting TV link above. did you read the diet of one member in the thread? "I eat som-tam with home-made Palaa (raw fermented fish paste) and Poo Na Khem (raw salted fermented small black rice paddy crabs) probably 3-4 times per week. I also eat raw buffalo meat, cooked in lime juice. On special occasions I eat Roooo, that's fresh raw uncooked pig's blood in a stew of boiled pig's head (no pig's brain it's been removed). They add the blood at the last minute just before eating it."

that is frightening!

[Johpa]

I've had the pig's blood soup a few times, called laap lue or laap luat. It seems to be one of those dishes usually reserved for when guys get together for some serious drinking. Unless you live in a village where someone has just slaughtered a pig, it requires very local knowledge to know where to find it being served. Of course I have eaten laap dip, minced raw pork with raw blood and some herbs countless times. Most of the time the blood from a newly slaughtered pig is used for laap dip and other dishes and not often served as laap lue. Now laap dip is one of the signature dished of the Khon Muang (and Lao) and was noted as being abhorrent by none less than Marco Polo. Both raw dishes are quite tasty although clearly raw dishes do contain additional health risks. I really enjoy eating laap dip but I recognize that half the time i eat it that I will suffer minor tummy problems the next day. But the same is true whenever I eat at any hotel buffet when in the city.

The thing about raw pork is that it can carry a deadly bacteria called staphylococcus sus. It kills Thais every year. So it's not just a matter of "minor tummy problems."

Yes, but E. Coli can also kill. You can't mitigate against all risks. I choose to eat laap dip fully aware there are health risks because (1) I like the stuff and (2) by eating this most signature Lanna dish it facilitates my being accepted by my Khon Muang and Karen neighbors. If you live in rural Chiang Mai as I do when I am in-country, one of the quickest methods of integration is to eat sticky rice, laap dip, and then wash it down with lao khao.

[worgeordie]

I prefer my pigs blood congealed,add spices,pieces of fat added,

fried with eggs ,bacon,its called Black Pudding,and its bloody(pun)

delicious.

regards Worgeordie

[quidnunc]

I've had the pig's blood soup a few times, called laap lue or laap luat. It seems to be one of those dishes usually reserved for when guys get together for some serious drinking. Unless you live in a village where someone has just slaughtered a pig, it requires very local knowledge to know where to find it being served. Of course I have eaten laap dip, minced raw pork with raw blood and some herbs countless times. Most of the time the blood from a newly slaughtered pig is used for laap dip and other dishes and not often served as laap lue. Now laap dip is one of the signature dished of the Khon Muang (and Lao) and was noted as being abhorrent by none less than Marco Polo. Both raw dishes are quite tasty although clearly raw dishes do contain additional health risks. I really enjoy eating laap dip but I recognize that half the time i eat it that I will suffer minor tummy problems the next day. But the same is true whenever I eat at any hotel buffet when in the city.

The thing about raw pork is that it can carry a deadly bacteria called staphylococcus sus. It kills Thais every year. So it's not just a matter of "minor tummy problems."

Yes, but E. Coli can also kill. You can't mitigate against all risks. I choose to eat laap dip fully aware there are health risks because (1) I like the stuff and (2) by eating this most signature Lanna dish it facilitates my being accepted by my Khon Muang and Karen neighbors. If you live in rural Chiang Mai as I do when I am in-country, one of the quickest methods of integration is to eat sticky rice, laap dip, and then wash it down with lao khao.

I wasn't quarreling with the poster's eating raw pork. Just his misconception that he was just running the risk of having an upset stomach. And staphyloccus sus is a lot more dangerous than e coli. But if eating raw pork or eating raw pla ra and running the risk of getting liver cancer is worth it to someone, that's fine. Just think they should know what risk they're incurring. If someone was playing Russian roulette and thought his chances of getting shot were one in a million, I would think you would point out to him that his calculations were a bit off.

[Johpa]

Yes, but E. Coli can also kill. You can't mitigate against all risks. I choose to eat laap dip fully aware there are health risks because (1) I like the stuff and (2) by eating this most signature Lanna dish it facilitates my being accepted by my Khon Muang and Karen neighbors. If you live in rural Chiang Mai as I do when I am in-country, one of the quickest methods of integration is to eat sticky rice, laap dip, and then wash it down with lao khao.

I wasn't quarreling with the poster's eating raw pork. Just his misconception that he was just running the risk of having an upset stomach. And staphyloccus sus is a lot more dangerous than e coli. But if eating raw pork or eating raw pla ra and running the risk of getting liver cancer is worth it to someone, that's fine. Just think they should know what risk they're incurring. If someone was playing Russian roulette and thought his chances of getting shot were one in a million, I would think you would point out to him that his calculations were a bit off.

A ridiculous comparison even if I could find any reference to "staphyloccus sus"; although we know that eating raw pork can lead to trichinosis, of which there are approximately 200 cases per year within Thailand. Given a population of 12 million people up north and not even counting the northeast, let's be conservative and say only 10% eat laap dip. And let's be conservative and assume they eat the dish only three times a year and then that gives us 3.6 million instances of eating laap dip. So odds of dieing from any one instance of eating said raw meat dish are probably much closer to one in a million that 1 in 6.

[anonymouse]

Anybody brave enough to make a night out of it and join me? I'll drive

As for brains the place they ate at they called Aunt Deng's Pounded Meat is actually called Pa Deng Gin Dok and is pretty close to my house in San Sai and is always good for a late banana leaf pouch of brains or whatever one is lucky enough to find on that particular evening. The blood in Kanom Jeen is coagulated pigs or chicken blood and is full of good stuff like iron (and low fat for you watching your waistlines). The dancing shrimp, served alive so much so one has to hurry the spoon into ones mouth before they jump off, is especially good at Huay Tung Tao as they keep them right in the lake. If one want some other suggestions for good eats around town try Uncle Rat's near the airport (pic. #2 with pots of red curry lizard, ox placenta soup and pig tendons) where they offer stir-fried bee row, deep fried wasp and of course another nice brain dish, this time marinated. The hot and sour cobra (pic. #3) there is also a wonderful choice. I don't call myself junglechef for nothing!

I'm not back in CM until the end of the month but I'd be up for it ..can you give us directions to Pa Deng Gin Dok and Uncle Rat's both seem interesting

[quidnunc]

Yes, but E. Coli can also kill. You can't mitigate against all risks. I choose to eat laap dip fully aware there are health risks because (1) I like the stuff and (2) by eating this most signature Lanna dish it facilitates my being accepted by my Khon Muang and Karen neighbors. If you live in rural Chiang Mai as I do when I am in-country, one of the quickest methods of integration is to eat sticky rice, laap dip, and then wash it down with lao khao.

I wasn't quarreling with the poster's eating raw pork. Just his misconception that he was just running the risk of having an upset stomach. And staphyloccus sus is a lot more dangerous than e coli. But if eating raw pork or eating raw pla ra and running the risk of getting liver cancer is worth it to someone, that's fine. Just think they should know what risk they're incurring. If someone was playing Russian roulette and thought his chances of getting shot were one in a million, I would think you would point out to him that his calculations were a bit off.

A ridiculous comparison even if I could find any reference to "staphyloccus sus"; although we know that eating raw pork can lead to trichinosis, of which there are approximately 200 cases per year within Thailand. Given a population of 12 million people up north and not even counting the northeast, let's be conservative and say only 10% eat laap dip. And let's be conservative and assume they eat the dish only three times a year and then that gives us 3.6 million instances of eating laap dip. So odds of dieing from any one instance of eating said raw meat dish are probably much closer to one in a million that 1 in 6.

You seem obsessed with focusing on an issue not in question. I just think it's better for consumers to know as much as possible about the possible downsides to consuming a food like raw pork. And that includes the information you've posted here. You seem to think that ignorance is bliss, or at least, immaterial.

Edited June 7, 2014 by quidnunc

[junglechef]

Anybody brave enough to make a night out of it and join me? I'll drive

As for brains the place they ate at they called Aunt Deng's Pounded Meat is actually called Pa Deng Gin Dok and is pretty close to my house in San Sai and is always good for a late banana leaf pouch of brains or whatever one is lucky enough to find on that particular evening. The blood in Kanom Jeen is coagulated pigs or chicken blood and is full of good stuff like iron (and low fat for you watching your waistlines). The dancing shrimp, served alive so much so one has to hurry the spoon into ones mouth before they jump off, is especially good at Huay Tung Tao as they keep them right in the lake. If one want some other suggestions for good eats around town try Uncle Rat's near the airport (pic. #2 with pots of red curry lizard, ox placenta soup and pig tendons) where they offer stir-fried bee row, deep fried wasp and of course another nice brain dish, this time marinated. The hot and sour cobra (pic. #3) there is also a wonderful choice. I don't call myself junglechef for nothing!

I'm not back in CM until the end of the month but I'd be up for it ..can you give us directions to Pa Deng Gin Dok and Uncle Rat's both seem interesting

Sure but I'll have to go by them and get some distance etc. as neither is near any well know landmarks. We can alway just include them in the evening of adventure dining. I'll also see if I can find out where some of the other places are that they went to and I haven't been to. Get in touch when you are back and we'll go from there and anybody else out there who up for it are also welcome.

[anonymouse]

Anybody brave enough to make a night out of it and join me? I'll drive

As for brains the place they ate at they called Aunt Deng's Pounded Meat is actually called Pa Deng Gin Dok and is pretty close to my house in San Sai and is always good for a late banana leaf pouch of brains or whatever one is lucky enough to find on that particular evening. The blood in Kanom Jeen is coagulated pigs or chicken blood and is full of good stuff like iron (and low fat for you watching your waistlines). The dancing shrimp, served alive so much so one has to hurry the spoon into ones mouth before they jump off, is especially good at Huay Tung Tao as they keep them right in the lake. If one want some other suggestions for good eats around town try Uncle Rat's near the airport (pic. #2 with pots of red curry lizard, ox placenta soup and pig tendons) where they offer stir-fried bee row, deep fried wasp and of course another nice brain dish, this time marinated. The hot and sour cobra (pic. #3) there is also a wonderful choice. I don't call myself junglechef for nothing!

I'm not back in CM until the end of the month but I'd be up for it ..can you give us directions to Pa Deng Gin Dok and Uncle Rat's both seem interesting

Sure but I'll have to go by them and get some distance etc. as neither is near any well know landmarks. We can alway just include them in the evening of adventure dining. I'll also see if I can find out where some of the other places are that they went to and I haven't been to. Get in touch when you are back and we'll go from there and anybody else out there who up for it are also welcome.

Thanks Jungle Chef, lets include them in the Adventure Dining evening, I'll catch up with you when I get back

[mikey88]

There no protection against idiocy... Program just on back in my country about serious liver disease caused by some raw fish carp meal ..... Mentioned carp particularly from Thailand and Cambodia.....for your info....

[junglechef]

Pa deng gin dok is at the intersection of 121 and 1001 (old section) in a ditch off the side of the road, not sure how it runs but it was closed when I just drove by at 9 pm sat night. Uncle Rats is on the hiway heading away from airport plaza, it's kind of hidden so keep a good eye out for it.

As for an adventurous dining evening get in touch when you get back and if there are any other takers out there your more then welcome too