Sometimes it’s yang (ย่าง) other times it’s bing (ปิ้ง), what is the difference?

It seems the words are synonymous, but once I asked for mu bing (หมู ปิ้ง) I was told they only had mu yang (หมู ย่าง).

A thai told me that “yang” means that it’s on a stick, but that is not consistent with what I have seen. Another thai was unable to explain the difference to me, but did confirm it’s not the same.

My own best guess would be that “yang” is used for smaller pieces of meat (which would often be on a stick, but not always).

It's a question of time. yâaŋ is cooked for longer than pîŋ, so yâaŋ will typically be used for larger pieces of meat, and pîŋ for smaller pieces of meat and for bread (toast) which cook faster.

It's a question of time. yâaŋ is cooked for longer than pîŋ, so yâaŋ will typically be used for larger pieces of meat, and pîŋ for smaller pieces of meat and for bread (toast) which cook faster.

I assume that rare, medium, and well done does not play into this (since you mention toast and the size of the meat)?

Although it seems that chicken and fish are always yang, so if I were to ask for “bpla bing”, would I effectively be asking for an undercooked fish?

It's a question of time. yâaŋ is cooked for longer than pîŋ, so yâaŋ will typically be used for larger pieces of meat, and pîŋ for smaller pieces of meat and for bread (toast) which cook faster.

I assume that rare, medium, and well done does not play into this (since you mention toast and the size of the meat)?

Although it seems that chicken and fish are always yang, so if I were to ask for bpla bing, would I effectively be asking for an undercooked fish?

Broadly speaking, Thai cuisine doesn't distinguish between degrees of cookedness. Meat is pretty much invariably well done (see caveat below). Most central and southern Thai people find pinkness in meat repulsive, and are revolted by bloody meat. Fish if deep fried is ridiculously overcooked by western standards - dry, tough and crispy on the outside.

Asking for plaa pîŋ really doesn't make any sense. The terms refer to the style of cooking, not the doneness of the finished product.

Caveat: in the North East (Isaan), there's historically been a shortage of fuel for cooking, so there's a taste for raw and seriously undercooked meat. The consequence of that has been a lot of illness and death caused by parasites.

Asking for plaa pîŋ really doesn't make any sense. The terms refer to the style of cooking, not the doneness of the finished product.

Sorry to be daft, but can you elaborate on style of cooking? Above you said it was a question of time.

Are there other variables than time?

Or asked another way, what is the steps to yang a piece of meat versus bing the same piece of meat?

Take a larger piece of meat, grill it slowly till it's cooked through. It'll be described as yâaŋ. Think of pork neck, chicken legs.

Take a smaller piece of meat, grill it faster till it's cooked through. It'll be described as pîŋ. Think of pork skewers, toast.

(If you grill the larger piece quickly it will burn on the outside before the middle is cooked; if you slow cook the smaller piece of meat it will become dry and unpalatable. So, a single piece of meat won't usually be described as cooked both ways.)

AyG: I learned something new. Thanks.