Deadly dish: the dinner that can give you cancer

[frank0424]

Well we are told cigarettes cause cancer and people still smoke.

So they will still keep eating that dish.

[hutchings1963]

I will stick to sausage and mash much better.

[Mr Big]

Talking to a Japanese Sushi Chef the other day, I asked him about the dangers of eating raw fish. The reply was not to ever eat raw fresh water fish, because of the parasites.

Parasites of salt water fish in general cannot survive in our bodies. The explanation makes sense as I have not heard about high liver cancer risk factors in Japan.

Wether the red ants are to blame is another question, I hope not. They become a pest in certain areas and should be eaten, if possible...

Save the fish, eat more beef!

[Jip99]

They would not take any advice anyway

Well someone's scared the bejazuz out of them as certain of my Isaan friends absolutely refuse to eat any raw fish. Including oysters, which come from the sea

My friend's wife cooks smoked salmon but eats bplah rah.

I don't think the education thing is working.

[samuibeachcomber]

Nothing to do with drinking a couple of bottles of Lao khao everyday, then?

They drink that to kill the bugs they eat.I know Isaan is poor and over centuries they have scrambled to find food to eat,and i have tried pretty much all they have to offer.Now when i go i take my own food,no disrepect to isaan people out there,but i just cant eat the stuff anymore.

[Derek M]

And that is the only cancerous dish in Thailand? There I was thinking any dish, home cooked or street food laced with MSG was cancerous..silly me!

[coulson]

this dish is som tam / pok pok , right ? wife loves it .

Yeah, they also add it to som tam for an extra zing

[toonsai]

Well we are told cigarettes cause cancer and people still smoke.

So they will still keep eating that dish.

Indeed. But we are told that Thailand has lovely, tasteful and cheap food; which is (another) bug lie. I am convinced that most of Thai food are at least as dangerous for health as cigarettes. Mango, pineapples, fish, meat, just name it.

There is no law or control of usage of pesticides and chemicals in Thailand. Most of chemicals and pesticides used in Thailand are banned for decades in EU/US... You know how innocent and/or greedy people are... Enjoy your THB 10 fruits you buy in the streets, enjoy your cheap and tasty Tom Yam Kung...

Food safety is a major concern all over the World; but in Thailand it is a major threat and cause of cancer, simply because of the usual corruption + no control + no transparency + mai pen rai attitude.

[HenryB]

Up to you if you want eat go ahead no one important will miss you

[laubau]

Well there is no way on earth i will be eating that rubbish, so I suppose thats a little bit of good news to start the day lol !

A selfish and disrespectful comment. Giving farangs a bad name again. Do Thailand a favour and zip it.

What a fool! I sure did not see it as you did and I imagine most agree with me. Maybe you should zip it!!

[fredKroket]

Apparently they like to eat it whilst drinking Lao Kao, double whammy for liver cancer.

[perdido]

Not only liver cancer unfortunately. These small fishes are all heavily infected by all the highly dangerous chemicals and pesticides used to grow rice, I would like to remind here that in Thailand, there is NO law (and even less enforcement) about usage of dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Most of the chemicals and pesticides used here are banned for decades in EU/US... And this is also valid for fruits, vegetables, shrimps.

Simple question: why there is a local and an export quality for all products. Most of the local quality products would pass any health and safety check in EU/US. Enjoy the cheap mango and pineapple you buy in the street... Look no further if you want to understand why cases of cancer sky rocket in Thailand.

Not only cigarettes kill...

...your post does not make sense!!!

[AlphMichaels]

The dish is VERY spicy but enjoyable with sticky rice if you like this kind of thing. Not a daily dish by any means for me ever but I've had it a few times. Not terribly concerned for my cancer risk but it's bad in quantity as the reports spanning years have stated.

I still consume "Benda" (Mebandasol) 2-3 times a year.

As for the red ant (Mot Dang), eaten the world over. And I love my Gang Het (mushroom soup) with Red Ant eggs. (Kai Mot Dang).

Googling Oncologists Thailand.

The dish is VERY spicy but enjoyable with sticky rice if you like this kind of thing. Not a daily dish by any means for me ever but I've had it a few times. Not terribly concerned for my cancer risk but it's bad in quantity as the reports spanning years have stated.

I still consume "Benda" (Mebendasol) 2-3 times a year as a precaution against the parasites.

As for the red ant (Mot Dang)..., eaten the world over. And I love my Gang Het (mushroom soup) with Red Ant eggs (Kai Mot Dang).

Googling Oncologists Thailand.

Edited June 14, 2015 by AlphMichaels

[alanrchase]

Hasn't everything been proved to cause cancer if taken in excess?

[KKJohn]

I agree that the raw fish, and meat eaten in Issarn is deadly, and that many of the bugs found in the market at night are killed with DDT or other insecticide. However, I eat Kai Mot Dang any time I get a chance as the eggs and and ants are full of vitamins, etc. The Lao farmers have a limited source of protein and fish and bugs are the chief supply. And yes, on the golf course I have hit my ball into a nest of red ants and thought I was being eaten alive. However, when I was first in Thailand 30 plus years ago, I went on a picnic with other teachers up in Sakhon Nakorn area of the Northeast. They were overjoyed when they found an ant's nest full of juicy ant's eggs and red ants running around ready to get their chompers into the nearest human. I said "thanks but no thanks", but finally they persuaded me to have some with sticky rice. Of course I was frightened to death that the little b...gers would eat my gullet on the way down. But guess what? for some reason they did not and so started my love affair with Thailand, Issarn and Kai mot dang! Most of what you get in the night markets have the ants taken out, but if you ever get out into the villages and get a chance, don't be a wimp, and try one of the real delicacies of village life. The replies here show another instance of the ignorance of many foreigners about many aspects of rural life in Thailand. But certainly, raw fish, raw meat do pose a real danger to the health of the farmers, who are almost as ignorant as foreigners in the ways food can be a health hazard. And unfortunately, I have tried to convince people in my wife's village about the dangers of using insecticide on their rice fields, but to no avail. But they still have their complement of 70 year olds out working in the fields at planting and harvest time, so something must contribute to their longevity. I would posit it is eating bugs, chilies, and fresh "weeds" which they find in the fields, etc.

[coulson]

Hasn't everything been proved to cause cancer if taken in excess?

I don't think so.......

[alanrchase]

Hasn't everything been proved to cause cancer if taken in excess?

I don't think so.......

I will accept that. During my lifetime certain foods have been subject to health warnings and several years later have been recommended as healthy. Possibly worrying about your diet causes cancer?

[SunsetT]

I am told the red ants add sourness wih a bite.

Id be more worried about why folksseem to hate putting stuff they cooked in the fridge even when they have a perfectly good one

No noib the festy cabinet it goes and deep fried the next day eww

Thats what they did before they had fridges and old habits die hard!

[coulson]

Hasn't everything been proved to cause cancer if taken in excess?

I don't think so.......

I will accept that. During my lifetime certain foods have been subject to health warnings and several years later have been recommended as healthy. Possibly worrying about your diet causes cancer?

True....worrying cannot possibly help but I have never come across an article claiming kale, garlic or bananas(to name a few), to have anything other than the opposite effect. Unless of course they are contaminated during their life cycle, and that's what is being reported here.

It's not dangerous to eat pla lek in moderation, preferably cooked, unless the eco system is shared by those who take their morning dump in the river, that changes everything for me.

You are what you eat.

[alanrchase]

Hasn't everything been proved to cause cancer if taken in excess?

I don't think so.......

I will accept that. During my lifetime certain foods have been subject to health warnings and several years later have been recommended as healthy. Possibly worrying about your diet causes cancer?

True....worrying cannot possibly help but I have never come across an article claiming kale, garlic or bananas(to name a few), to have anything other than the opposite effect. Unless of course they are contaminated during their life cycle, and that's what is being reported here.

It's not dangerous to eat pla lek in moderation, preferably cooked, unless the eco system is shared by those who take their morning dump in the river, that changes everything for me.

You are what you eat.

Like the morning dump reference. Brother in law lived on a raft, toilet was located at the upstream end of raft. When visiting was offered a drink, glass was cleaned by swilling it in the river downstream of the toilet.

[coulson]

Like the morning dump reference. Brother in law lived on a raft, toilet was located at the upstream end of raft. When visiting was offered a drink, glass was cleaned by swilling it in the river downstream of the toilet.

In this instance, it is possibly advisable to pour Lao Khao into that glass!

[alanrchase]

Like the morning dump reference. Brother in law lived on a raft, toilet was located at the upstream end of raft. When visiting was offered a drink, glass was cleaned by swilling it in the river downstream of the toilet.

In this instance, it is possibly advisable to pour Lao Khao into that glass!

It generally was unless I paid for Hong Thong.

[Lopchan]

I am told the red ants add sourness wih a bite.

Id be more worried about why folksseem to hate putting stuff they cooked in the fridge even when they have a perfectly good one

No noib the festy cabinet it goes and deep fried the next day eww

Agreed..and also they believe fridges don't need to be cleaned....even after a spill of bala....ever

Does my head an injury thinking about it

[alanrchase]

I am told the red ants add sourness wih a bite.

Id be more worried about why folksseem to hate putting stuff they cooked in the fridge even when they have a perfectly good one

No noib the festy cabinet it goes and deep fried the next day eww

Agreed..and also they believe fridges don't need to be cleaned....even after a spill of bala....ever

Does my head an injury thinking about it

Don't get me started on fridges. Everything lasts for ever in a fridge, spill some sticky liquid no problem. Sticky stuff pulls the seal off the door, why you angry?

[Colabamumbai]

I live in the area and occasionally used to buy the large barbecued fish in the market, but have not for years, but I have contacted Hep C Genotype 3.

Going to KKUniversity Hospital Srinakarind, Still waiting to see Dr. re blood tests results but liver scan shows fatty liver, I expected to be diagnosed with liver cancer, Dr. says not.

I do not believe anything I am told in Thailand, even coming from a liver doctor.

Dr. keeps pointing to a tatoo on my arm I had done 20 years ago in Canada

Appointments one month apart. Pretty hopeless. 6,610 Baht for blood test.

Doctor said she would call when she has blood tests results, she had them two weeks ago an no call.

Could have been the fish,or the pussy that I ate, since it is communicable.

Next appointment July something.

[toonsai]

Not only liver cancer unfortunately. These small fishes are all heavily infected by all the highly dangerous chemicals and pesticides used to grow rice, I would like to remind here that in Thailand, there is NO law (and even less enforcement) about usage of dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Most of the chemicals and pesticides used here are banned for decades in EU/US... And this is also valid for fruits, vegetables, shrimps.

Simple question: why there is a local and an export quality for all products. Most of the local quality products would pass any health and safety check in EU/US. Enjoy the cheap mango and pineapple you buy in the street... Look no further if you want to understand why cases of cancer sky rocket in Thailand.

Not only cigarettes kill...

...your post does not make sense!!!

Indeed because of a typo that I did not correct on time. Should read: "Most of the local quality products would NOT pass any health and safety check in EU/US"

Any other reason?

[Traveller45]

Chances are that this dish tastes very good (no ants for me, thanks, can't imagine them being a vital component) and that, given proper and clean sourcing of ingredients, it would also be quite healthy. Now, if really crapping in the lakes and rivers is the problem, then taking out this dish from the local menu and leaving all the rest as it is won't make sickness drop so sharply. It is the whole lifestyle that needs to change.

[flyingdoc]

Thank you Saan for an excellent summary!

[Monkeyrobot]

Well there is no way on earth i will be eating that rubbish, so I suppose thats a little bit of good news to start the day lol !

Probably better for you than Pizza Compamy but tastes like sxxx.

[umbanda]

I never had this stuff...and looks like I never will after reading this, but also I always ask not to use crab on my favorite Thai dish, Somtam. In my country, crab is cooked only alive, and trashed after is dead because it is considered toxic. Here is cured with vinegar to use in Somtam...but....