I’m going to visit Thailand

Yes…. I’m going to visit Thailand this spring to visit my friends, family, show off my baby and of course eat Thai food and Thai fruit. This time I plan to visit this season, because it’s fruit season and all of the delicious fruit like Durian, mango street, Thai mango, rambutant and a lot more line up for me to eat. Also it is Thai new year called Song Kran. Song Kran is a big festival in Thailand that we celebrate on April 13 thru April 15. In the past Song Kran has been celebrated only on April 13. That is the day Thai people will go to the temple to make merit for the family that already has passed away and after the ceremony all of the young people will throw water on each other but nobody can get mad because it is a traditional. The reason for throwing water is for cooling down the temperature of summer, also in the past they used this day for the guy to check out the girl to date too. Because boys and girls usually didn’t meet each other that easy back then, so this time will be the perfect time to get to see and get to know people. In the present day the government made Song Kran into a festival by adding April 14 to be Family day and April 15 to be old people day making Song Kran become a national festival giving everyone 3 days off. So this is the biggest time of the year that people come back to their homes and family (Just like Christmas plus Thanksgiving in the USA), but my favorite part is to throw the water. It is so much fun that you can throw water on anyone and they cannot get mad at you(but please be nice). The area I recommend to go to celebrate Song Kran is called Ta Noon Khaw Sann or Khaw sann road meaning (rice road). This place is a famous spot for all foreign people and young Thai people. I went there a lot of times when I was a teenager and it is guaranteed fun. Another one is Chang mai which is in the northern Thailand province. They have a parade and a big celebration that is very neat and beautiful full of northern tradition. I also went there after my graduation. I had so much fun. Another one is in Chonburi which is a province that my family comes from. They have the tradition called “Lai” which is always a couple days after Song kran. In the past the tradition of “Lai” is when the guy will carry the girl they like and throw her into the ocean (That is how my dad met my mom!!!), but I’ve never been to “Lai” before so I don’t know how it is now, but my mom always says it is so much fun (of course it was her romantic time ha ha). Anyway I also come back to Thailand in order to get more food recipes and inspiration from Thailand to write a blog for you to know about Thailand, so stay tuned and I will tell you about my journey to Thailand. PS : it might be about a couple week I’ll see you again after I settle down with my baby in Thailand. I’ll See you in a couple week!!!

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Spicy grilled steak or beef salad.

       

Num tok

 Num Tok is a northeastern Thailand food.  It means waterfall.  The name came from the juice of meat when it grills it drips onto charcoal hence like a waterfall.

Actually Spicy grilled steak or beef salad when we translate in Thai can mean two different dishes.  One in Thai is called yum-nuea which is grilled beef spicy salad with Thai eggplant and use fresh chili(I’ll tell you the recipe later), but the one I talking about Num Tok has one special ingredient that makes the dish different.  It is a rice powder.  The rice powder is very easy to make, just toast the rice and pound it to make it fine like powder.  I use the mortar for this.  If you don’t have one use a Ziplog bag and pound it until it is fine or use a blender for coffee that works also. 

Toasted rice

Pounding rice powderrice powder

Thai Herb

In Thailand we use a lot of herb to season our food.  Because everything that we use are everything we can find around our house (just like my house in Thailand I have almost everything in my back yard).  Here’s the list of the basic Thai herbs and how to storage them.

1. Thai Basil – “Bai-Ho-Ra-Pa”.  It tastes peppery and a little bit spicier than sweet basil.  Thai basil has a purple branch.  Thai basil is used mostly in Curry, cook with mussel in Thailand and in America a lot of time used in Thai basil stir fried or Thai basil roll.  Store in paper towel in a  refrigerator.  For me I use the leaf part of the plant and I leave the stem planted in the ground all summer, so I can have Thai basil to use for the whole summer and fall from the same plant. 
   

   Thai Basil

2. Holy Basil- “Bai-Ka-Prow”.  It tastes more peppery and spicier than Thai Basil.  Most use in Thai Basil stir fried and wild curry in Thailand.  In the USA most of us find it in the summer (In GA rare to find it).  So for me if I don’t have holy basil, I use Thai basil instead.  Storage is the same as Thai Basil.
3. Lemongrass-“Ta-Khrai”. It’s the big grass with a lemony aroma, but no taste itself.  Most use it in spicy Thai soup, some spicy salad and to make curry paste.  Also some Thai folk drink as tea. Storage in freezer lasts for 3 months.
   

   Lemongrass

4. Kaffir lime-“Bai-Ma-Krood”.  It’s in the citrus family.  In Thailand we use the leaf for curry and spicy Thai soup.  With the peeled skin of the fruit we use it to make curry paste.  Also used for juice or shampoo.  For me I have never seen the fruit in GA.  I found just the leaves, so when I make paste I use lime peel with the leaf which works well.  Storage in freezer lasts for 2-3 years.
   

   Kaffir lime leave

5. Galangal-“Khar”.  It’s a root of galangal.  Looks almost like ginger, but a little bit white, the young one pinker then the old one.  Use in Thai spicy soup, curry paste and more.  In the USA (specially GA) I did not see it fresh, so when I use the frozen one its work just fine.  Storage in the freezer lasts for 2-3 years.
   

   Galangal

6. Mint :”Bai-Sa-Ra-Nhea”.  It’s a mint.  Mostly used in Thai spicy salad and also in garnish.  Store in a paper towel in the refrigerator.
   

   mint

7. Dill : “Pak Chee Loas”.  Its used in northeastern foods. Store in a paper towel and leave in the refrigerator.
8. Coriander or cilantro: “Pak chee”.  It is used for garnish, marinades, Thai spicy salad and more. Also use seed for some curry pastes.  Store in a paper towel in the refrigerator.
   

   cilantro

9. Fresh Thai Chili: “Prick”.  Actually in Thailand we have a lot of kinds of chili “ Prick Yhouk”,”Prick Chee fha” they all are big in size but not that spicy (for Thai folk), so when the recipe calls for those big sized chili’s.  I always use jalapenos instead (for me I think it tastes similar).  But one chili that cannot be substituted is Thai chili or sometimes called bird chili “Prick Kee Nu” The reason is the smell.  This chili is about 5 times spicier than a jalapeno (That’s my estimate).  We use this category of chili for anything that’s spicy.  Storage: my friend told me that it can be put in a freezer and it’s come out ok, but the best is fresh (of course).
   

   Thai Chili

That a lot for this time next blog I will talk about spices.

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