Can you tell in Thailand the difference between a beef or pork hamburger?

[Ulysses G.]

Both the same shit in Thailand, as the pizzas and Italian food. Thais have no idea how to prepare western food, even in most restaurants with farang owners, because the owners are not able to teach the Thai staff. I love Italian food, but in in Thailand I not even think about it, they are even not able to prepare a good spaghetti or pizza.

Try Piccolo Roma's in Chiang Mai. Hand rolled pasta, sauce from scratch. No need to say you can't get Italian food in CM.

There are LOTS of good Italian restaurants in Chiang Mai. Although they were better in San Francisco - other than for pizza - I don't miss them at all. Mexican is a different story.

The best hamburger I've ever had in South East Asia - by far - is at the White Plate in Chiang Mai, but they are not cheap.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[Ridercnx808]

In this area you would certainly know. Many of the Thais do not eat beef for religious reasons, so all beef dishes are clearly identified.

There is no Buddhist reason not to eat beef. And Moslems are very much in favour of it.

Many Buddhists avoid large pieces of meat such as steaks or chicken breasts, but are fine when the meat is cut small.

The real reason many Thai people avoid beef is partly lack of familiarity, partly the strong smell, and partly the cost.

Pretty much the only Thai people with a genuine religious reason not to eat beef are Thai Hindus/Brahmins. They are very few in number.

There is a chinese diety named Jao Ma Kuan Imm many females worship and it is forbidden to eat beef.

[Ridercnx808]

Both the same shit in Thailand, as the pizzas and Italian food. Thais have no idea how to prepare western food, even in most restaurants with farang owners, because the owners are not able to teach the Thai staff. I love Italian food, but in in Thailand I not even think about it, they are even not able to prepare a good spaghetti or pizza.

This is valid for almost all Western food.

• Thais don't know, how the Western food should taste, (except it contains rice, fish sauce (nam plaa) and chili. )
• It's almost impossible to teach Thais, to cook Western food, since they don't like it (mostly) and don't want/like to taste it. (except it contains rice....)
• The time factor: How long does it take to teach a Thai, to prepare just halfway decent Western food?
• Thais usually don't bother if the (Western) food is too salty, hot, cold, spicy, whatever...mai pen rai.

  Most Thais don't even care for their own Thai food: If it's somehow edible and enough, ok. They will never complain...

Sure, there are always exceptions, but without a competent Western "supervisor" they are eventually lost.

That's the reason, why I rarely eat outside and have started to learn cooking a few years ago.

Thais are well capable of cooking western food upon sufficient instruction.

The problem is farangs are picky little critics, that are never satisfied and eager to criticize anything that does not agree with their logic, personal taste, or memoirs from upbringing.

You can have the best restaurant and you will never be able to satisfy 100% of the farang population because of the extremely large demograph from such a vast sprinkling of farangs all over the world.

[quidnunc]

Both the same shit in Thailand, as the pizzas and Italian food. Thais have no idea how to prepare western food, even in most restaurants with farang owners, because the owners are not able to teach the Thai staff. I love Italian food, but in in Thailand I not even think about it, they are even not able to prepare a good spaghetti or pizza.

This is valid for almost all Western food.

• Thais don't know, how the Western food should taste, (except it contains rice, fish sauce (nam plaa) and chili. )
• It's almost impossible to teach Thais, to cook Western food, since they don't like it (mostly) and don't want/like to taste it. (except it contains rice....)
• The time factor: How long does it take to teach a Thai, to prepare just halfway decent Western food?
• Thais usually don't bother if the (Western) food is too salty, hot, cold, spicy, whatever...mai pen rai.

  Most Thais don't even care for their own Thai food: If it's somehow edible and enough, ok. They will never complain...

Sure, there are always exceptions, but without a competent Western "supervisor" they are eventually lost.

That's the reason, why I rarely eat outside and have started to learn cooking a few years ago.

Thais are well capable of cooking western food upon sufficient instruction.

The problem is farangs are picky little critics, that are never satisfied and eager to criticize anything that does not agree with their logic, personal taste, or memoirs from upbringing.

You can have the best restaurant and you will never be able to satisfy 100% of the farang population because of the extremely large demograph from such a vast sprinkling of farangs all over the world.

So, you think that Thais are less fussy about Thai food than farangs are about farang food? You can't have spent much time around Thai people if you think extreme fussiness about food is a trait peculiar to farangs,

Edited August 20, 2014 by quidnunc

[retoocs01]

Thais are well capable of cooking western food upon sufficient instruction.

Well, maybe if everything is prepared in advance by a "real" chef, or you are really undemanding.

But how long will it take to teach the average Thai to cook Western food, which is more complicated than the usual fast food like hamburger or spaghetti bolognese?

Let's say a full European meal, including preparation etc.p.p, like a German "Schweinebraten with Klösse and Rotkohl"?...correct it will take ages and even than....

The problem is farangs are picky little critics, that are never satisfied and eager to criticize anything that does not agree with their logic, personal taste, or memoirs from upbringing.

Nope, thats just a prejudice

I can only speak for myself, but if I visit a German restaurant, I expect that the meals are tasting like they did in Germany (no special location), but not like some kind of "Thai freestyle creations".

I also know (from own cooking experience), that you have to compromise somehow, cause we are in the tropics.

But it's definitely possible that your meals can taste like in your home country.

(But this will need a lot of experience and some kind of "talent", which is impossible to teach Thais in an acceptable time frame).

Believe it or not, but there is a huge difference in preparing crappy Thai street food, or real meals!

Edited August 20, 2014 by retoocs01

[quidnunc]

Thais are well capable of cooking western food upon sufficient instruction.

Well, maybe if everything is prepared in advance by a "real" chef, or you are really undemanding.

But how long will it take to teach the average Thai to cook Western food, which is more complicated than the usual fast food like hamburger or spaghetti bolognese?

Let's say a full European meal, including preparation etc.p.p, like a German "Schweinebraten with Klösse and Rotkohl"?...correct it will take ages and even than....

schweinebraten.jpg

The problem is farangs are picky little critics, that are never satisfied and eager to criticize anything that does not agree with their logic, personal taste, or memoirs from upbringing.

Nope, thats just a prejudice

I can only speak for myself, but if I visit a German restaurant, I expect that the meals are tasting like they did in Germany (no special location), but not like some kind of "Thai freestyle creations".

I also know (from own cooking experience), that you have to compromise somehow, cause we are in the tropics.

But it's definitely possible that your meals can taste like in your home country.

(But this will need a lot of experience and some kind of "talent", which is impossible to teach Thais in an acceptable time frame).

Believe it or not, but there is a huge difference in preparing crappy Thai street food, or real meals!

Wow, I thought retoocs01 had a bad case of prejudice and self-righteousness, but you definitely win. Of course if you have an attitude of contempt towards people, as you obviously do towards Thais, the odds are very small that you could teach them to cook Western food properly. But I've had a lot of success teaching Thai people how to cook western food. You just have to understand that they start with some different assumptions and explain to them patiently what they have to do. They can cook western food superbly. You just have to train them to scrupulously follow recipes.

As for your comments about "crappy Thai street food", I have to assume that you mean that all Thai street food is crappy. Otherwise, why distinguish it from other crappy food. If that's your opinion, you will find arrayed against you a host of eminent chefs who know that Thai street food is one of the great street foods of the world. And if you want to shed a bit of your ignorance about the subject, you could do worse than to get yourself a copy of David Thomson's book on the subject. You will see how much preparation and care it takes to make great street food.

Of course, you betray your parochialism by contrasting Thai street food with "real meals". Some people's viewpointss are broadened by travel, others' just get narrower. Enjoy your tunnel vision.

[retoocs01]

......you could do worse than to get yourself a copy of David Thomson's book on the subject. You will see how much preparation and care it takes to make great street food.

.....I have to assume that you mean that all Thai street food is crappy. Otherwise, why distinguish it from other crappy food

What you assume is unimportant for me, but since I live in TH, there is not too much street food from Europe/US available to compare with...

But I couldn't care less about street food, prepared under unhygienic conditions.

There might some "great street food" exist....somewhere....but definitely not at the last few locations which I eat from.

However, comparing street food with "real meals" is more than unnecessary and not worth a discussion

Especially not on your level, full of personal hostilities....

self-righteousness, attitude of contempt, your ignorance, parochialism, tunnel vision

Amen.

Edited August 21, 2014 by retoocs01

[quidnunc]

......you could do worse than to get yourself a copy of David Thomson's book on the subject. You will see how much preparation and care it takes to make great street food.

.....I have to assume that you mean that all Thai street food is crappy. Otherwise, why distinguish it from other crappy food

What you assume is unimportant for me, but since I live in TH, there is not too much street food from Europe/US available to compare with...

But I couldn't care less about street food, prepared under unhygienic conditions.

There might some "great street food" exist....somewhere....but definitely not at the last few locations which I eat from.

However, comparing street food with "real meals" is more than unnecessary and not worth a discussion

Especially not on your level, full of personal hostilities....

self-righteousness, attitude of contempt, your ignorance, parochialism, tunnel vision

Amen.

Interesting how someone who can so casually insult an entire people and a significant part of their culture, can get so huffy when called to account. Though I have to confess that it was a stroke of brilliant self-parody that you chose to compare Thai cuisine invidiously to German cuisine.. Are you sure you're not a fictional character?

Edited August 21, 2014 by quidnunc

[retoocs01]

I don't want to argue about that drivel ^^

But after reading your recent posts around different TV forums, I suspect you visit these forums just to bicker and offend people...

However..I did not wake up, to stickle endlessly with people on such a level.

There's enough to do in my real life, cooking for my guests, for example...

Time to say good bye

'nuff said.

Edited August 21, 2014 by retoocs01

[quidnunc]

I don't want to argue about that drivel ^^

But after reading your recent posts around different TV forums, I suspect you visit these forums just to bicker and offend people...

However..I did not wake up, to stickle endlessly with people on such a level.

There's enough to do in my real life, cooking for my guests, for example...

Time to say good bye

bye_quidnunc.JPG

'nuff said.

You'll find that when I go after someone, it's because they've made bigoted comments. Particularly when they make bigoted comments about the Thais. What's fascinating to me is that somehow you imagine yourself to be the civilized party in this discourse. It's both fascinating and depressing to observe the machinations of the mind of a bigot.

[Eliot Rosewater]

I do like to add a bit of pork fat for moistness, though.

I understand that McDonald's uses cow udders (which are fatty) in their burgers for the same purpose.

Udder nonsense!!