Standards for the Thai kitchen

[webfact]

Standards for the Thai kitchen
PARINYAPORN PAJEE
THE NATION



The National Innovation Agency launches an initiative to make sure Pad Thai tastes the same no matter where it's served

BANGKOK: -- Eating Thai food overseas can be something of an adventure for Thais, not least when the everyday dishes we order arrive on the table as something else entirely. Most of us have experienced our kang khiaw wan (green curry) looking suspiciously like tom kha kai (chicken soup in coconut milk) or the requested pad kraphao moo (stir-fried pork with sweet basil) arriving as pad prik phao moo (stir-fried pork with chilli paste).

This lack of standardisation in Thai cuisine, one of the most popular choices in the world, is being taken seriously by the Thai food police, with the National Innovation Agency introducing a "Thai Delicious" campaign that aims to ensure authentic taste, aroma and presentation whether you're eating in Bangkok, Paris, New York or Johannesburg.

The project is creating standardised recipes for Thai dishes to add value to the national cuisine through a combination of home economics with science, food technology and tasting sensors.

Well-known Thai chefs and restaurant owners have been drafted in to work with food scientists and food institutions across the country to set the characteristics of authentic Thai dishes.

"Our job is to come up with the preferred tastes of our most famous dishes and these are then endorsed by government for both local and international consumption, and particularly for the estimated 20,000 Thai restaurants operating overseas," says Supachai Lorlohakarn, NIA's assistant director.

"One of Thai cuisine strong points is the variations in its taste and cooking methodologies but before we go to that level, we should know and ensure the world also recognises the genuine Thai taste," adds Iron Chef Choompon Jangprai, a member of the Thai Delicious committee.

"We know from firsthand experience that the tastes of our dishes deviate widely and that there's sometimes no difference between a bowl of tom yum goong and tom kha kai. If we do nothing, then the confusion will be more widespread and we will lose our character. We are officially setting the authentic character of each dish though it's not a totally rigid policy. Our aim is that non-Thais should understand and appreciate the authentic taste of our most famous dishes," Supachai says,

Work on the project began two years ago and 11 approved recipes have already finalised. Bt23.5 million has been invested in everything from a standard taste measuring machine to formulating recipes, the preparation of ready-to-use ingredients for popular Thai food and the purchase of two sensory machines whose job it is to taste the dishes.

Named E-delicious and ESenS, the machines can measure the quantity of various taste-giving compounds such as acidity, sweetness, salinity, spiciness and other variables. They also measure smells and pick out the chemical compounds used to increase the appetite. The machines have electronic sensors that work like the taste buds of a human being and process the information through a computer system with artificial intelligence and neural networks.

Food is prepared in soluble form for the machine, which then identifies standard markers of physical value such as colour and viscosity, the chemical values of the glutamic acid content, sugar, salt and acidity and comes up with a flavour profile.

E-delicious machine's electronic nose is kept busy, sniffing out differences through its16 gas sensors while its electronic tongue tests for sourness, sweetness, spiciness and umami, the Japanese savoury taste that's similar to monosodium glutamate. The machine costs around Bt1.5 million.

ESensS also has an e-nose, e-tongue and e-eye and detects odours, taste and the colour detection. It comes in cheaper at Bt500,000.

Though these the machines can be programmed to measure the "standard" of popular Thai dishes, the NIA prefers to use real people, specifically the members Thai Delicious committee who work closely with food institutions, chefs and sampling group.

The first 11 Thai dishes represents each region of Thailand and include tom yum goong in clear and creamy versions, nam prik aong (northern Thai chilli paste), pad thai, massaman curry and kaeng lueng (southern Thai sour curry). For the northern dishes, the research was undertaken by the Sensory Evaluation and Consumer Testing Unit at Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Agro-Industry while the southern dishes headed to the Nutraceutical and Functional Food Research and Development Centre, Prince of Songkhla University.

Each recipe has its chemical make-up recorded in a database to compare with other versions. Choompon's task is to find the original recipe and identify the proper formula.

He works closely with food scientists not just on taste but also with regard to how the food is prepared in a restaurant kitchen. His input allows the academics to blend their theoretical formulas with practical considerations.

Professor Pavinee Chinachoti, the director of the Nutraceutical centre, says they are working with chefs in the South well as the committee to find the proper recipes. The dish is then cooked up in the label and tested on 250 consumers. The centre also adapts the standard recipe for further testing on European and Asian visitors.

For its part, the Thai delicious committee has completed the sauces for all 11 dishes for easier cooking.

Pavinee says her centre will soon start working on such other famous southern dishes as kang tai pla (fish kidney thick spicy soup) and nam bhudu (southern-style fish sauce) and that the next batch of recipes with include more Isaan dishes.

Supachai adds after setting the Thai standard flavours, the committee and its cohorts will work on adapting the recipes to match local tastes. "We'll start with Sweden and Japan as people from both of these countries are familiar with Thai food," he says.

"Another idea is to have Thai Delicious become the institution for Thai cuisine so that it works on roughly the same basis as Michelin stars."

A pilot Thai bistro-style restaurant called Kati recently opened on Sukhumvit Soi 49 and draws all its ingredients and recipes from the Thai Delicious project. The plan is to expand the business into a franchise with Kati outlets opening in Japan, South Korea and Sweden in the near future.

On the Web: www.NIA.or.th/thaidelicious

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Standards-for-the-Thai-kitchen-30244895.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-07

[noitom]

Can you imagine how boring and dull the culinary profession would be if all national dishes, Feijoada, Stinco, Eggs Benedict..etc. all had the same exact "standards" and procedures? Thais are crazy to suggest this bonehead idea and take away the creativity of Thai cooking by every chef and cook in the world by its mere suggestion.

[clockman]

Thainess, Farang never understand.

[eeeya]

Wow what a strange idea.

I shall apply the same idea to hamburgers.

Hamburgers will now be standardized by the way I enjoy it, the world over.

My perfect hamburger which contains cheese, egg, bacon, beetroot, pineapple, lettuce and tomato and sauté onion. Sauce must be barbeque only, bun lightly buttered an toasted. The burger apon completion shall be at least 5 inch diameter and 5 inch thick to a minimum and wrapped in paper which shall fall apart at the mere hint of burger juice.

The burger has been mashed up and checked for approval by the burgertron2000 machine (rrp 1million US dollars).

All other burger establishments will cease using unapproved ingredients such as but not limited to, swiss cheese, blue cheese or any other non processed variety, guacamole, sauteed mushrooms, pickles and any other ingredient deemed as "fancy'

[Songhua]

Coming next: 'Thai restaurant owner from Long Island to be extradited for omitting ingredients from fish cakes.'

[meatboy]

maybe they should ensure all food establishments displayed a food hygeine certificate[first].

[fatfather]

And what's about "steaks" in Thailand? No standard required?

Fatfather

[needforspeed]

The Thai cuisine in other countries isnt the same as here all to do with supply and emvironment as eating food is also a emotion and i wouldnt worried about this overseas restaurants as a waste off time.

As a previous poster mention i would focus on the local hygiene at restaurants and food stores and HACCP for all suppliers.

All who selling or prducing food need to have a Food hygiene certificate

and yes not the one you buy at Khosan road.

And producers, chemical (pesticides) use, animal wellbeing ect ect.

[cloudhopper]

Just when you thought things could not possibly get any more stupid - The National Innovation Agency is campaigning against innovation.

[AyG]

Are "standards" really much more important than the diner's enjoyment of the food?

Large quantities of fish sauce, shrimp paste, fermented fish innards are all acquired tastes - and not everybody wants to go through process of acquiring them.

12 chillies in a portion of somtam may seem about right to someone brought up on the stuff, but would make the dish inedible for most casual diners of Thai food.

[zaphod reborn]

America already came up with the solution for this, it's called McDonalds.

I mean really. Deal with the inconsistency in your own country first. Order pad thai from a street vendor and it compare it to pad thai from Black Canyon. It's not the same, and never will be. Nor, should it be.

Most countries pride themselves on diversity. Not Thailand. Take 3 steps backwards. Everyone must make pad krapaw moo with 6 thai bird chilies. If you use 4, it's not authentic. pfft!

[daoyai]

If they get the Thai restos in the U.S. to not put kethcup in the pad thai then I would approve.... and what about the common US-Thai dish called "evil jungle prince" where did that originate?

[AyG]

 

and what about the common US-Thai dish called "evil jungle prince" where did that originate?

It's from Hawaii. It was invented and named by Keo Sananikone - a chef and cookery book writer. He's actually from Laos, not Thailand.

[Prbkk]

Ok. Waiter does that dish come with snot and other assorted dna? If not, it's not authentic Thai food.

[daoyai]

 

and what about the common US-Thai dish called "evil jungle prince" where did that originate?

It's from Hawaii. It was invented and named by Keo Sananikone - a chef and cookery book writer. He's actually from Laos, not Thailand.

Never been to Keo's but he is pretty famous, I saw a picture of his clever sate scures made from palm leaf ribs.... didn't know he was Lao.

[Eliot Rosewater]

sigh....they just don't get it.......

[jonclark]

This puts last nights speech by the PM into some context --when he stated that in order to improve exports of rice (we) need to encourage the world to eat more rice and eat less bread.

Now we need to make sure that all Thai food tastes the same. - Thai food often tastes different within Thailand due to regional differences in ingredients and preparation - That's what makes all food fun, the range and variety of tastes

UK Thai food restaurants produce food for UK pallets, not Thai. So perhaps Thailand should stop telling UK chefs how to cook Thai food for UK people, as Thailand clearly knows very little about the customer base the food is aimed for!

[sensei]

Half a million baht for that machine?
There is free one that I know - the human tongue.

What they should look at is the standards of cleanliness in restaurants.

I once ordered a takeaway of chicken macaroni from one of the restaurants here and this is what I got. Halfway through it, I found half a cockroach in it. I looked but I couldn't find the other half.



I went back to the restaurant and demanded for the other half.

[ratcatcher]

"The idea came from Thailand's Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, as she became interested in fighting against bad Thai food in Thailand and elsewhere across the world."

http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/29/thailand-e-delicious-authentic-food/

So,now we know. Her jet setting was for a good cause after all. Standardizing Thai cuisine for the masses.

As an afterthought, the look on the chef's face says it all. I doubt he could prepare a Pad Thai for less than B300.

Edited October 7, 2014 by ratcatcher

[trainman34014]

Yeah; and another thing....KFC doesn't taste the same in Thailand as it does in the West even though the Colonel says it should be 'finger lickin' good ' and to the same recipe (secret) everywhere. It's all <deleted>.

[Always18]

................and I understand that they actually pay these people to come up with such harebrained schemes!

[catweazle]

Is it April 1st again?

"Bt23.5 million has been invested in everything from a standard taste measuring machine to formulating recipes, t..."

What better could have been done with that money? A school, a clinic, inquiry into the education system, etc... but what do they do? Come up with a machine and regulations to standardise the taste of food? In Thailand????? The country where the food served, even if it is a simple noodle stand on the side of the road is probably the best in the world???? Give me a break will ya?

[Krataiboy]

"The Thai food police"? Is some BiB going to ask me to pay a 300 baht fine because the plat of tom yam gung I'm scoffing isn't "the real thing"?

I swear this country is going potty at an ever faster rate. Fun though.

[laolover88]

This nonsense puts last nights speech by the PM into some context --when he stated that in order to improve exports of rice (we) need to encourage the world to eat more rice and eat less bread.

Well white Jasmine rice is not a complete source of nutrition.In the first place, having had much of its nutritional value removed by milling it has to be enhanced with Vitamins.

The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietaryfiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be enriched with vitamins B1, B3 and iron.

There is little standardisation of rice!

Most bread is nutritionally more beneficial than rice.

Trying to apply the Police state to food seems a bizarre idea. Maybe they are thinking a chain of government Phad Thairestaurants?

Anyway if the staple ingredients of Phad Thai might include:

ผัดไทย, Soaked dried rice noodles, stir-fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp,garlic or shallots, red chili pepper and palm sugar, served with lime wedges and often chopped roast peanuts.Also possibly other vegetables like bean sprouts, garlic chives, coriander leaves, pickled radishes or turnips, raw banana flowers; and perhaps, fresh shrimp, crab, chicken or another protein. Vegetarian versions may substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce and omit the shrimp.

How on earth could you standardise that. And what is the point? You go to a shop that serves the mix you like; and it will be different in Chiang Mai and Hat Yai

It continually amazes me that the Thai passion for order, uniforms, conformity, control has allowed any creativity to well up in the Kingdom

23.5 million B? Good grief

[Fab5BKK]

It starts to be:

How we have to think, how we have to dress, how we have to eat...

What's next?

[Thai at Heart]

Is this Notthenation ???

They are seriously worried about this? Can I complain about American fried rice?

Isn't Pad Thai a Vietnamese dish? Can I sue in the local market if she uses the wrong ingredients?

[BirdsandBooze]

This puts last nights speech by the PM into some context --when he stated that in order to improve exports of rice (we) need to encourage the world to eat more rice and eat less bread.

Now we need to make sure that all Thai food tastes the same. - Thai food often tastes different within Thailand due to regional differences in ingredients and preparation - That's what makes all food fun, the range and variety of tastes

UK Thai food restaurants produce food for UK pallets, not Thai. So perhaps Thailand should stop telling UK chefs how to cook Thai food for UK people, as Thailand clearly knows very little about the customer base the food is aimed for!

The General stands no chance of replacing bread consumption with that of rice. Bread is to Westerners what rice is to Asians. Cheese and pickle on a bed of rice doesn't work.

[FangFerang]

"the Thai food police"?

Dear friend asks, "Where is your wife?"

(tears here) "She's in jail for violating sticky rice ordinance 234-poB, and didn't use phenol sugar...she substituted palm sugar."

Dear friend responds "I thought it was supposed to be palm sugar?"

Thai Food Police "What's this, what's this, what's this?"

Dear friend, as he is dragged away, "I heard it was true...it was just a rumor!!"

Thai food police, "None of that now. Did you hear it from a Burmese?...Things will go easier for you during interrogation."

[FangFerang]

This puts last nights speech by the PM into some context --when he stated that in order to improve exports of rice (we) need to encourage the world to eat more rice and eat less bread.

Now we need to make sure that all Thai food tastes the same. - Thai food often tastes different within Thailand due to regional differences in ingredients and preparation - That's what makes all food fun, the range and variety of tastes

UK Thai food restaurants produce food for UK pallets, not Thai. So perhaps Thailand should stop telling UK chefs how to cook Thai food for UK people, as Thailand clearly knows very little about the customer base the food is aimed for!

The General stands no chance of replacing bread consumption with that of rice. Bread is to Westerners what rice is to Asians. Cheese and pickle on a bed of rice doesn't work.

Not true, Poindexter! In Laos and Vietnam, heavily influenced by French culture, they have scads of betards, baguettes and rounds. Bread is accepted alongside rice in those places.

In regards to the original post, I could not agree more. Look at Asian pizzas -- corn, potato and sweet chili and mayo on top. In the Philippines and Thailand, they like spaghetti very sweet -- and McDonalds sells corn pies....even 7/11 tyhe Japanese standard for convenience stores worldwide, sells fried rice in Taiwan, steamed bread here in Thailand, and kimchee in Korea. When in Rome, do as the Romans do...

Edited October 7, 2014 by FangFerang

[meatboy]

aint there enough fat bib.now without them having free-be's to test the food.