Fidel Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 I love Thai food, and I can and do eat almost anything that's put in front of me over here but there is one snack that I can't believe any human being could find stomachable. The snack is known as Kanom Khem/Wan : salty/sweet. It generally comes in the form of a pyramid wrapped in banana leaf. Avoid this food at all costs... Jesus that stuff is evil. The snack consists of a greyish coloured jelly outer skin which is sweet but when you bite into it the filling is as salty and garlicy as f**k and just tastes ... wrong... horrible, I have actually wretched and almost thrown up on tasting it. The worst thing is that the snack was given to me by a friend who proudly told me that her mother had made it... and there I am gagging on it and wretching and running away.... I guess that ay have been taken as an insult to her Mum's cooking. Has anyone else tried this stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 Takes a bit of getting used to that one, but not all triangular banana leaf wrapped packages are the same. Some have duck eggs, pork and shrimp in them, for example. Me I like them all... But the one you mention does take a little getting used to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 I'm also a big fan of these things, but now and then you do get a surprise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2002 Report Share Posted September 10, 2002 you should try 'bpalah' (the fish they put in som-tam) ..... wretched. or even 'gapee', military strength shrimp paste thats often used as industrial adhesive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 13, 2002 Report Share Posted September 13, 2002 You may be thinking of "pla rah," a fermented-fish dish popular in Isan. Truly, truly wretched, but I don't think I've seen it in "somtam." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted September 14, 2002 Report Share Posted September 14, 2002 No, that is because you are farang! They automatically assume you wouldn`t want it. Nor the Poo Dorng by the way, the pickled crabs. Especially in Isarn it is very difficult to get som tham without this stuff. Even when you order som tham without this obnoxious stuff you`ll have to add the magic words: Laang Coke gone na khrap. "Wash the mortar first" or you will have the dubious pleasure of still being able to enjoy the "ripe" taste of aforementioned substances. Or just order Tham Thai. It is more or less the same just without the Pla Rah and Poo Dorng and instead with peanuts and dried shrimps. By the way Pla Rah is not a fermented-fish dish popular in Isan. It is an ingredient used in a number of different dishes both in Isarn and in other regions as well. Although it particularly in the south is replaced by the equally unpleasant Kapi, fermented shrimp paste. Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 All I can say is that I ate what I was told was Pla Ra in the Central Region, it WAS fermented fish (thus the "pla," which is Thai for "fish") and, since I was a newbie at the time, the 1980's, more than one Thai colleague warned me against eating it again when they heard what I'd done. They did not have to tell me twice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Oh, yes, and I've tried the somtam with crab. Not to my liking, either. Will stick with the peanut version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2002 Report Share Posted September 17, 2002 Ah! Here is a recipe. It IS a fermented fish, and I do see refernce to it being in somtam. Still, when they had me try it, it wasn't in somtam: Fermented Fish Dipping 3 small fermented fish (known as "Pla Ra") 12 dry small chillies 1 ring galingale (optional) 7 shallots 2 garlic 1 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. lime or lemon juice Wrap fish in aluminium foil or banana leave. Roast fish together with chillies, galingale, shallots and garlic at 200 ÃF for 5 minutes. Take the chillies out and continue roasting for another 3 minutes. Chop fish finely. Grind or chop chillies, galingale, shallots and garlic. Mix all ingredients together. Serve with boiled vegetables top with coconut cream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted September 18, 2002 Report Share Posted September 18, 2002 Right. The peanut version - the Tham Thai - is actually great. And ANY dish with Pla Rah, Pla Daek or Pla Dip in it (this substance has many names) is definitely not to my liking. And probably not to the majority of farangs either, although I have met some who actually like the stuff believe it or not. Hua Nguu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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