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Kasma’s Intermediate Thai Cooking Class #2

May 15th, 2013 by Michael Babcock

Kasma Loha-unchit’s 4-session Intermediate Thai Cooking Series takes up where her Beginning Thai Cooking Series leaves off. It’s a chance to learn new ingredients, techniques and Thai recipes. This blog is about the second Intermediate Cooking Class.

Roasted Rice Flour

Roasted Rice Flour

I’ve already blogged on the first class in the series:

(Click images to see larger version.)

As always, the class begins with a snack and with an explanation of the recipes.

Although most of the main ingredients were previously introduced in the 4-session Beginning Series, there are more to come in the intermediate classes. In this second class, students learn about roasted rice powder, kaffir lime peels (they’ve already been introduced to the leaves), and shrimp paste (kapi or gkabpi).

New ingredients are covered extensively. When introducing toasted rice powder, kasma shows the students a couple of locally available packages and talks about where to buy them. In the picture above, the package shown to the left is an imported Vietnamese brand; that on the right is a more coarsely ground roasted rice powder that is made locally at a Cambodian market. The products are passed around so that students can taste them. She also goes into how to make the powder, should you be unable to find it or should you want to do so. (You can read how in her article on Roasted Rice Flour – Kao Kua.)

Soaking Red Chillies

Soaking dried red chillies

Roasting Chillies

Roasting dried Thai chillies

In this class, dried chili peppers are an important ingredient in three of the recipes. Kasma explains the two types that will be used this evening and explains how to prepare them: by seeding and soaking in one instance, and by roasting stove-top in another.

Pounding Ingredients

Student using a mortar & pestle

Chilli Paste

Chilli paste in a mortar (with pestle)

Students use the mortar and pestle extensively in this series. Three of the recipes in this class, involve intensive pounding so Kasma goes into the basics of how to go about it. The mortar and pestle are essential tools in Thai cooking: they crush the fibers of herbs and release the essential oils, giving a greater breadth and depth of flavor than can be obtained by using a food processor. You can read Kasma’s blog on The Mortar and Pestle.

After the recipes are explained, students volunteer (or are assigned) to one of the recipes and break into teams to do the preparation. Kasma supervises making sure everything is done correctly.

Cutting & Chopping

Students cutting & chopping

Cutting Lemongrass

Cutting lemongrass

Roasting Galanga

Roasting dried galanga

In this class, dried galanga is used in the Northeastern Chicken salad, after being roasted stovetop in a cast iron pan.

Once the ingredients are prepped, Kasma demonstrates new techniques. For instance, for the Fried Shrimp Cake recipe, there’s a certain way of forming the shrimp cakes and dropping them gently into the oil: although it may feel safer to drop them from a distance, because your hand is further away from the oil, doing that may cause a splash of hot oil whereas sliding the shrimp cake in from just above the oil is actually the safer method. (See slide show, below.)

Observing

Students observing

Of course, there’s the feast at the end of the class.

And after the feast, everyone helps to clean up.

One thing I appreciate about Kasma’s classes is that you learn how to prepare the food in a manner similar to how you cook in your own kitchen. Many cooking classes in Thailand assign a cooking station to each student and have them cook their own individual portion from already prepared ingredients. In Kasma’s class, students do every aspect of the meal preparation, from chopping, roasting and pounding to cooking, eating and clean-up, just as you will at home. Everyone gets to watch the final assembly of every dish, learning how to prepare every dish in the class, rather than just the single dish they’ve worked on.


Menu – Intermediate Thai Cooking Class Series #2

Spicy Thai-Style Shrimp Cakes with Kaffir Lime Leaves and Green Beans (Tod Mon Goong)

Shrimp Cakes

Spicy Thai-Style Shrimp Cakes

I recently read in a cookbook by a famous Thai chef that said “Thais appear to remain ambivalent about [deep-fried foods].” They certainly have a strange way of showing this: you find fried foods everywhere in many forms – fried fish, chicken, duck, pork leg, bananas, other desserts and, of course, Tod Mon – fried fish (or shrimp) cakes. Thais even deep-fry herbs such as Thai basil (as in this dish). Certainly Fried Fish Cakes (Tod Mon) are among the most common and beloved of Thai snacks and appetizers: you see them frying in open-air markets and sidewalks everywhere in the country; they are also found in many restaurants as an appetizer. This class showcases Kasma’s version of Tod Mon; her recipe is really a Tod Mon Pla (Fish Cake) recipe that is made, instead, with shrimp (goong).

Cucumber Relish

Cucumber Relish

It’s a recipe with lots of prep work (see the slide show at the bottom of the page) that produces a bouncy, tasty treat. It is served with:

Sweet-and-Sour Cucumber Relish

This is a relish that accompanies the Fried Shrimp Cakes and is sweet, sour and salty. It has a refreshing taste that forms a nice contrast to the fried cakes.

Be sure to see our slideshow on Tod Mon Goong below.

Sour Tamarind Curry with Fish and Vegetable (Kaeng Som Pla)

Fish Curry

Sour Tamarind Curry

You may be confused as to why this dish, without coconut milk, is called a “curry.” Actually, there are probably more Thai “curries” without coconut milk than with; for the Thais, the classification of what we translate as curry – kaeng - is really a broader classification. Read Kasma’s blog Thai Curries – Kaeng (or Gkaeng or Gaeng).

This is one of the classic Thai dishes, here in the central Thai version. Kasma’s version is thick from vegetables and broiled, flaked fish in the broth.

Kaeng Som is made in a different version in Southern Thailand and is often called Kaeng Leuang there: you have to get through to Kasma’s Advanced Set G to learn how to make her Southern version, delicious and spicy hot.

You may enjoy the Bangkok Post article ‘Kaeng Som’ A Thai culinary classic by Suthon Sukphisit.

Northeastern-Style Spicy Minced Chicken Salad with Mint and Toasted Rice (Laab Gai or Larb Kai)

Chicken Salad

Northeastern-Style Minced Chicken Salad

Balancing Flavors

Balancing Flavors

Larb (often transliterated as laab and pronounced “lahb”) is one of the two main types of Thai “salads” prevalent in the West. (The other would be yum.) They typically involve chopped (or ground) meat flavored with fish sauce, limes, a bit of sugar (to balance flavors, mainly to bring out the sour of the limes), lots of ground, roasted chillies and roasted rice powder. It’s served with a vegetable platter: you eat the salad with the vegetables to cut the heat.

In Kasma’s classes you learn all about balancing flavors to create authentic Thai tastes. Ingredients such as fish sauce or limes (for instance) can vary brand to brand or batch to batch, so Kasma’s tasting exercises teach you how to work with different ingredients to get the correct Thai harmony of flavors.

You can try out Kasma’s recipe for Northeastern-Style Spicy Minced Chicken Salad (Laab Gai).

Stir-fried Eggplant with Chillies and Thai Basil (Makeua Yao Pad Prik Horapa)

Stir-Fried Eggplant

Stir-Fried Eggplant

I find Asian vegetables so very much more interesting that American vegetables. Thais do wonderful things with eggplants and I love this stir-fried dish. It’s a simple dish, flavored with oyster sauce and fish sauce with just a bit of vinegar added to the end to provide a bit of sour. It’s a wonderful dish and relatively easy to prepare.


Slideshow

Click on “Play” below to begin a slideshow.

Clicking on a slide will take you to the next image.

Kaffir Lime Leaves
Long Beans
Processing Shrimp 1
Processing Shrimp 3
Ready to Pound
Students Pounding
Pounding Ingredients 1
Pounding Ingredients 2
Mixing Everything
Making Cucumber Relish
Cucumber Relish
Frying Basil
Fried Holy Basil
Fried Holy Basil
Frying Shrimp Cakes 2
Frying Shrimp Cakes 3
Frying Shrimp Cakes 4
Frying Shrimp Cakes 5
Frying Shrimp Cakes 6
Removed Shrimp Cake
Shrimp Cakes 1
Shrimp Cakes 2
Shrimp Cakes 3

Slivered kaffir lime leaves for the Tod Mon Goong

Long beans, cut in thin rounds, provide texture

Processing shrimp in a food processor

Shrimp reduced to a smooth, sticky, gray paste.

The shrimp will be mixed with a paste in a mortar & pestle

Two students using the mortar & pestle

Starting to combine the ground shrimp and the chilli paste

Making a well-blended paste in the mortar & pestle

Finally, all the ingredients are combined in a bowl

Adjusting flavors for the accompanying Cucumber Relish

Cucumber Relish, ready to serve with the Tod Mon Goong

Holy basil (bai kaprao) is fried crispy in a wok

The crispy fried bai kaprao (holy basil) is removed from the wok

Kasma holding a shrimp cake above the wok

Kasma, about to drop a shrimp cake in the hot oil

Shrimp cake successfully dropped into the oil

Three shrimp cakes, puffed up and frying

Turning a shrimp cake over in the hot oil using long chopsticks

A wok full of frying shrimp cakes

Shrimp cakes are placed on a wired implement to drain

Savory Fried Shrimp Cakes (Tod Mon Goong) with Cucumber Relish

Serving of Tod Mon Goong with crispy-fried holy basil

Individual serving of Tod Mon Goong with Cucumber Relish

Kaffir Lime Leaves thumbnail
Long Beans thumbnail
Processing Shrimp 1 thumbnail
Processing Shrimp 3 thumbnail
Ready to Pound thumbnail
Students Pounding thumbnail
Pounding Ingredients 1 thumbnail
Pounding Ingredients 2 thumbnail
Mixing Everything thumbnail
Making Cucumber Relish thumbnail
Cucumber Relish thumbnail
Frying Basil thumbnail
Fried Holy Basil  thumbnail
Frying Shrimp Cakes 1 thumbnail
Frying Shrimp Cakes 2 thumbnail
Frying Shrimp Cakes 3 thumbnail
Frying Shrimp Cakes 4 thumbnail
Frying Shrimp Cakes 5 thumbnail
Frying Shrimp Cakes 6 thumbnail
Removed Shrimp Cake thumbnail
Shrimp Cakes 1 thumbnail
Shrimp Cakes 2 thumbnail
Shrimp Cakes 3 thumbnail

Don’t miss:

I’ve already blogged on Kasma’s Beginning Thai Cooking Series:

You can find out all the necessary details about class times, dates and policies on our website.


Written by Michael Babcock, May 2013

Kasma’s Intermediate Thai Cooking Class #1

May 1st, 2013 by Michael Babcock

Kasma’s Intermediate Thai Cooking Class, an evening series of 4 classes, continues on from where her 4-session Beginning Thai Cooking Series leaves off. Once she’s introduced students to the basics (including how to harmonize flavors to create Thai tastes), it’s time to learn more Thai cooking techniques, ingredients and recipes.

Explaining Recipes

Kasma going over recipes

I repeated the Beginning Thai Cooking Series in October of 2011 and was surprised at how much new information I gleaned from repeating the class. I also remembered just how much fun the classes are. This April, I repeated Kasma’s Intermediate Thai Cooking Class. This is my blog on class #1.

(Click images to see larger version.)

As with the Beginning series, class starts with Kasma going over the recipes. Much less time is needed for this in the Intermediate Series because so many of the main ingredients were covered in the Beginning Series. In the Intermediate Class there are still new ingredients, which need to be covered more extensively, and there are new cooking techniques to be introduced as well. For instance, when introducing an ingredient such as mussels, Kasma talks about the various kinds available and which are the best ones to use for a particular recipe, such as this evening’s Spicy Mussel Salad

Mussels

Mussels for the salad

The classes are filled with tips that make recipes come out better. For instance, Many recipes for Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Ka Gai) have you dump all the coconut milk in a pan and bring it to a boil; Kasma explains that when boiled, coconut milk has a tendency to curdle, so she begins the recipe using water or mild chicken broth and adds the coconut milk towards the end, right before she balances all the flavors.

Kasma imparted more inside knowledge when talking about the preparing the noodles for frying for the Mee Krob (Glazed Crispy Noodles). Rather than soaking the noodles, which would leave them soggy, she has the students rinse the noodles in cold tap water, drain in a colander and set aside for 30 to 60 minutes. This allows the noodles to absorb some water and soften while then allowing the surface to dry out so that you won’t get splattering when you put the noodles in the hot oil to fry. She explains that if you fry the noodles dry, they puff up more, which is undesirable in this recipe. As always, she shows the students the best brand available locally to use.

Frying Noodles

Frying noodles

The first intermediate class introduces two ingredients that are new to the students. Pickled garlic is used in the Crispy Fried Noodles and crispy fried shallots are used in the Spicy Mussel Salad. Kasma talks about what to look for when buying these ingredients, what brand of the fried shallots (often labelled “Fried Onions”) are best (see Kasma’s Favorite Brands) and how to make your own crispy shallots, should you be so inclined.

This class introduces methods for deep frying, both for the Mee Krob - Glazed Crispy Noodles – and for the Pla Rad Prik – Crispy Fried Whole Fish Topped with Chilli-Tamarind Sauce. I have long been an admirer of the way that Thais fry things: the fried foods in Thailand seldom taste greasy at all and their fried fish is always fried to a delightfully crispy and crunchy state that is both fun to eat and allows you to eat most of the fish. This class also has deep-fried noodles, also well-fried and not very greasy.

Making Noodles

Making Mee Krob

So I was somewhat startled to read in a cookbook by a famous Thai chef that “. . .Thais are not particularly good at deep-frying, opting to cook any piece of meat as much as possible – even fish.” He claims this comes from fear of worms from fresh-water fish. All the Thai people I know love crispy-fried fish: they cook it that way because they like it that way – they like the texture, it is non-greasy, it  tastes good and eats well.  I guess he’s never been to the North or the Northeast where they like to eat raw meat salads – odd behavior if they’re afraid of parasites.

Kasma fries her fish in her trusty 16-inch round-bottomed spun-steel wok: it’s the perfect piece of cookware for deep-frying. This is a great class for students who are afraid to fry – Kasma shows how to do it easily and safely.

Chopping

Students prepping ingredients

As with all classes, Kasma tells the students which local markets typically carry any specialty ingredients, such as fresh, whole fish (not readily available in most western supermarkets) or garlic chives (used in the Crispy Fried Noodles. She goes into which recipes can be prepared ahead of time and which parts of recipes can be done in advance to make the final assembly easier without losing and freshness or flavor.

In this class Kasma also goes over how to pick out a fresh, whole fish; it is something that many students have never done or even considered doing before. She gives 5 pointers (such as looking at the over-all luster of the fish and how the eyes and gills should appear) that will help even the novice choose a fresh fish. You can read Kasma’s article Selecting a Fresh Fish, excerpted from her Dancing Shrimp cookbook.

Mixing Ingredients

Mixing Ingredients

Making Sauce

Student making Mee Krob sauce

After the recipes are explained, the students divide up into groups: Kasma assigns a certain number of people for each recipe. Once the ingredients are prepped, all the students watch the members of the team do the cooking. When appropriate, as in frying a whole fish, Kasma starts the cooking process so that she can show how a particular technique is done: after that, the team members do the cooking. Kasma also oversees the final balancing process for the recipes: one of the great strengths of her classes is learning how the various ingredients interact to create a harmony of Thai flavors.

Of course, the best part of the evening is sitting down to eat a Thai feast at the end of class.

Eating Dinner

Eating dinner, the best part of class!

After dinner, everyone helps clean up before going home.


Menu – Intermediate Thai Cooking Class Series #1

Mee Krob (Glazed Crispy Noodles)

Noodles

Mee Krob Noodles

This is a noodle dish that is almost always too sweet at the local Thai restaurants. Kasma’s version is crispy, not greasy at all (despite the deep-fried noodles) and flavorful, with just a hint of sweetness. It could almost be called a fried salad, served as it is with bean sprouts and garlic chives. It’s a dish that must be eaten within an hour of cooking, otherwise it will turn somewhat soggy and uninteresting.

Chicken Coconut Soup with Galanga (Tom Ka Gai)

Soup

Chicken Coconut Soup

This is one of two soups that is found at virtually every Thai restaurant outside of Thailand. (The other is Hot & Sour Prawn Soup – Tom Yum Goong.) This, also, is a dish that I’ve been disappointed in when ordering out in the U.S. – too sweet, too rich: Kasma’s version is somewhat lighter with a bit of sour flavor. I once read a Westerner who claimed that this soup was just “Tom Yum Soup with Coconut.” This is absolutely not true. The main herbal flavor in a Tom Ka soup is galanga, with lemon grass in the supporting capacity: with Tom Yum soups, it’s just the opposite – the galanga supports the lemongrass.

You can try out Kasma’s variation on this recipe: Coconut Seafood Soup with Galanga (Tom Ka Talay)

Crispy Fried Whole Fish Topped with Chilli-Tamarind Sauce (Pla Rad Prik)

Fried Fish

Crispy Fried Whole Fish

(See slideshow below.)

This is a recipe that is very common in Thailand: on Kasma’s trips we’ll usually eat it at least a couple of times. I was so excited the first time I made this dish by myself (after I first took the Intermediate Series in 1992) – it looked just like the dishes in Thailand! However, in Thailand I often find it too sweet for my taste: in Kasma’s version the sauce is equally sour and salty with the sweetness (from palm sugar) in the background.

The best parts to eat of the fish are the crispy-crunchy parts. My personal favorite is the head: it’s full of interesting crunchy bits interspersed with softer textures. Before I met Kasma I would never have eaten a fish head: now I usually join this class at meal time because often no one in class knows how to eat the head – I like to help out.

Fish and seafood are an integral and important part of the Thai diet. See Kasma’s article The Thai Fish-Eating Tradition.

Spicy Mussel Salad with Aromatic Herbs and Crisped Shallots and Garlic (Yum Hoi Malaeng Poo)

Mussel Salad

Spicy Mussel Salad

Yum salads are a group of salads that are found all over Thailand and found all too seldom here in the U.S. They are sour and spicy-hot with some saltiness and sweetness: the level of sweetness will vary from one salad to the next, depending on the main ingredient, so it’s not really possible to give a generic yum dressing/sauce (although many cookbook authors do). Kasma’s dressing for this salad is interesting in that it uses three different ingredients for sour flavors – white vinegar, lime juice and tamarind juice: each provides a different layer of flavor. Sugar is used here to balance the flavors and to intensify the sourness: Kasma shows you how to do this without adding too much sweetness. (Check out Kasma’s Exercise in Balancing Flavors.)

Salad Ingredients

Mixing Mussel Salad

This dish is also an opportunity for Kasma to discuss the use of chillies in recipes. At the time of the year of this class (April), many of the chillies we get here in the San Francisco Bay Area come from South or Central America; because of the climate, they tend to be very hot. As chillies grown in California become available, the number of chillies may need to be adjusted: initially, the local chillies will be much milder. This is the sort of information that you get in Kasma’s classes: you’ll not commonly find it in Thai cookbooks, which usually give a specific number of chillies in a dish without going into how you may need to modify that number to get the level of heat the dish (or your tastebuds) require.


Slideshow – Crispy Fried Whole Fish

Click on “Play” below to begin a slideshow.

Clicking on a slide will take you to the next image.

Scoring Fish
Resting Fishes
Coating Fish
Coated Fish
Holding Fish
Sliding Fish
Fish in Oil
Ladling Oil
Student Cooking
Turning Fish
Frying Paste
Fried Fish
Ladling Sauce
Fried Whole Fish
Fish Close-up

Scoring the whole fish

Bringing the whole fish to room temperature

Coating the fish with tapioca flour prior to frying

This fish, coated with tapioca flour, is ready to fry

Kasma is just about to slide the fish into the hot oil

Sliding the fish into the hot oil in the wok

The fish's fin is waving from the hot oil

Hot oil is ladled over the fish so it will fry evenly

One of the students takes over ladling the hot oil over the fish

Kasma demonstrates how to turn the fish over in the wok

Frying the chilli-tamarind sauce for the fish

This crispy-fried fish is ready for the chilli-tamarind sauce

Ladling the chilli-tamarind sauce over the fish

Crispy Fried Whole Fish Topped with Chilli-Tamarind Sauce (Pla Rad Prik) - ready to eat

Close-up of Crispy Fried Whole Fish Topped with Chilli-Tamarind Sauce (Pla Rad Prik)

Scoring Fish thumbnail
Resting Fishes thumbnail
Coating Fish thumbnail
Coated Fish thumbnail
Holding Fish thumbnail
Sliding Fish thumbnail
Fish in Oil thumbnail
Ladling Oil thumbnail
Student Cooking thumbnail
Turning Fish thumbnail
Frying Paste thumbnail
Fried Fish thumbnail
Ladling Sauce thumbnail
Fried Whole Fish thumbnail
Fish Close-up thumbnail

I’ve already blogged on Kasma’s Beginning Thai Cooking Series:


You can find out all the necessary details about class times, dates and policies on our website.


Written by Michael Babcock, May 2013

Coffee in Thailand, Part 2

April 15th, 2013 by Michael Babcock

Over the past few years there has been a proliferation of places selling fresh-brewed coffee in Thailand. This blog follows part 1 in looking at some of the places where this phenomena is taking place and in looking at at what to expect when ordering coffee in Thailand.

This is a continuation of Coffee in Thailand, Part 1.

(Click images to see larger version.)

Restaurants & Gas Stations

You don’t see a lot of fresh brewed coffee in local restaurants. You’re more likely to see them at a food shop that serves mainly breakfast and lunch, such as our favorite breakfast place in Mae Hong Son. (See my blog, Mae Hong Son Breakfast.) This restaurant makes a very rich, good coffee, served, as they do in many places, with a Chinese tea chaser.  They do have a cart outside their restaurant (below left) with a picture of coffee and the magic words กาแฟสด – kafae sot – meaning “fresh coffee.”

Coffee Sign

Mae Hong Son Restaurant

Coffee & Tea

Coffee with tea chaser

Many restaurants, particularly noodle shops (or roti restaurants) serve the more traditionally available kafae yen (see below).

Gas Station Coffee Stand

Gas station coffee stand

One place where you can increasingly find coffee stands is at gas stations. Often they will be a chain, such as Amazon (as to the left), but on other occasions, just a one-off shop. There are two gas stations in Samut Prakan near our townhouse: both have a “coffee hut” attached to them.

Some of these outlets are very efficient: a tour bus will roll up and they’ll turn out the drinks. Some other outlets are not so efficient: they seem flustered when they have more than a couple of customers. Presumably, the large tour operators have figured out where to stop.

Starting Out – Kafae Yen

When I started coming to Thailand in 1992 there were very few places to get a good cup of coffee. Mostly what you could find was the Thai กาแฟเย็น (kafae yen) – iced coffee served with both evaporated and condensed milk (sometimes just condensed) and very sweet; kafae yen is almost like a dessert. It is made from coffee mixed with corn and soy beans, called by one brand “Oliang Powder Mixed.”

Coffee Stand 2

Stand offering traditional Thai coffee

Making Coffee 2

Making traditional Thai iced-coffee

You’d find this mainly at street stalls and some noodle shops; they also invariably offered Thai iced tea – ชาเย็น (cha yen). The coffee is made by putting the grounds in a coffee “sock” and seeping it in water, much like making tea; sweetened condensed and evaporated milk are then added. (Kasma’s instructions for making Thai Iced Tea) can easily be adapted for kafae yen.) It was, and is – it’s still widely available in markets – easy to find such stalls by looking for the characteristic metal pots with the coffee socks in them used to brew the coffee (see above right) and also by the stacks of condensed milk at the front of the stall.

Coffee Stand 2

Traditional Thai coffee stand

Coffee Sign

Sign for traditional Thai coffee

There are still many stalls and noodle shops that serve kafae yen and cha yen, such as the one above in an Ayuthaya market. The main heading on the sign to the above right is กาแฟโบราณ – kafae boran; boran literally means “ancient” so the sign is advertising “Coffee in the old-style.” If you click on the picture you’ll get a larger version where the text is easier to see. The first two items on the lower left are กาแฟเย็น (kafae yen) – Thai Iced Coffee – and ชาเย็น (cha yen) – Thai Iced Tea. The other items on the sign include tea with lime, Nescafe (instant coffee), black tea, cocoa and oliang, which is iced coffee without the added condensed or evaporated milk. These items are sold at pretty much all similar stands; many also offer Ovaltine.

The first western-style coffee I remember seeing was with a chain – Black Canyon – that is fairly widespread, particularly in malls and at the airports; there are a number of different chains in Thailand (more later on this). Then, a few years ago, as early as 2004, individual coffee stands started to appear. We would see these both at stand-alone locations and also connected to gas stations. The quality was always a bit iffy at these stands.

Coffee Stand 3

Coffee stand in 2004

Coffee Sign

Mis-spelled "French Roasted"

At many stands, it was clear that the workers weren’t really coffee drinkers. You’d get misspelled signs, such as this “Frend Roasted” (for French Roasted). At one stand Kasma asked to have a caffe latte made with “Blue Mountain” beans and was told: “Oh no. You can’t make a latte with Blue Mountain beans.” Kasma asked her what kind of beans you did use, she was told: “Latte beans.” Sure enough, there was a container of roasted coffee beans labeled “latte.”

Caffe Nero

Caffe Nero at Suvarnabhumi Airport

The Chains

There are a number of coffee chains in Thailand. The first was probably Black Canyon and they also have a spin-off chain associated with them called Caffé Nero. I see them mainly in shopping malls and airports. Then there’s Amazon – perhaps a little more widespread: I see them in some shopping malls and also at a number of gas stations.

Amazon Coffee

Amazon Coffee at Imperial World

Then there’s the biggie – Starbucks. You find Starbucks in malls, in many stand-alone shops across Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other cities (such as Hua Hin), particularly where there are westerners.

Another chain is Rabika. There’s Coffee World, founded in Bangkok, that has locations in 9 countries. There are others whose names I don’t know.

The only chain where I’ve bought coffee recently has been Amazon. The prices there are at least competitive and reasonable; the other chains seem to like to charge much more.

Amazon Baristas

Baristas at Amazon Coffee

Amazon Prices

Amazon Prices

Thong Lo Prices

Thong Lo Prices

Coffee in Thailand – Prices

The prices depend on where you get the coffee. At most of the stands, the price for a latte seems to be anywhere from 30 to 45 baht for a hot latte with 35 or 40 pretty standard: figure on an extra 5 to 10 baht for an iced latte.

Mae Hong Son Prices

Prices at Before Sunset Cafe, Mae Hong Son

Most lattes seem to be about 10 ounces, not as large as some of the ones in the U.S.
The chains are generally higher. Amazon seems the most reasonable with a latte costing about 50 baht (hot) or 60 baht (cold). The Black Canyon I checked out was 95 for a hot latte and 110 for an iced. At the Starbucks in Hua Hin, the prices were 85 and 100, respectively. It’s possible that these drinks are larger: I’ve not tried them.

An “espresso” (so plain coffee) or an Americano (made by adding hot water to an espresso) are somewhat cheaper. (Click on the pictures to see the prices more clearly.)

Starbucks Prices

Prices at Starbucks, Hua Han

Black Canyon Prices

Black Canyon prices, Bangkok Aiprot

At Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, we avoid the chains (Cafe Nero, Starbucks) on the 3rd floor, where you pay 90 to 100 baht for a latte. Close to the domestic arrivals on the second floor, there’s a stand called “The Miracle” that has a latte for 40 baht. Quite good.

Coffee Stand 3

The Miracle, coffee at Bangkok airport

Miracle Prices

Prices at The Miracle

Coffee in Thailand – What you Get

Iced Coffee

Iced Blue Mountain Coffee

What you get in Thailand is not always what you expect based on your experience elsewhere. I suggest that you order what you think you want and enjoy what you get: it’s sometimes difficult to convey what you do or don’t want and the barista is probably used to making it a certain way. It’s a good chance to practice being flexible.

One thing you won’t get is decaffeinated coffee: I’ve never seen it anywhere. As far as I know, they didn’t even have it at the Starbucks in Hua Han.

At many places, particularly (in my experience) the smaller, street-side stands, a latte includes condensed milk. At the stand in Thong Lo (talked about in Coffee in Thailand, Part 1) the latte was made by adding espresso to a cup with some condensed milk and some heated milk – no steamed milk at all. In some of the indoor stands I’ve gotten a latte that had some condensed milk added. It adds a sweetness and it sure isn’t a latte as I think of it from my experience elsewhere.

It’s possible that you get more consistency at the chains, though I can’t verify this with Starbucks or Black Canyon. I have had a number of drinks at different Amazon outlets and they can vary quite a bit.

Caffe Mocha

A Caffe Mocha

Many other places do steam the milk and make a latte in the traditional fashion – steamed milk added to the coffee and a certain amount of foam and volume to the milk. My favorite place in Samut Prakan does it this way and makes a wonderful version.

The iced drinks are a little more standard: condensed, sweetened milk is just part of the deal, along with the ice and coffee. Many Thais seem to prefer the iced drinks; That’s often what Kasma usually orders – an iced latte or a mocha. Given how hot the climate can be in Thailand, that does make a certain amount of sense. The iced drinks are fairly similar to a kafae yen though usually not as sweet. One recent trip member said one mocha she ordered was very much like a Starbucks Frappé.

Mochas can very quite widely, from very chocolaty to not very chocolaty at all. Often cocoa powder is used. The sweetness can vary quite a bit, as well.

If you want just plain coffee, it’s sold as “coffee,” “espresso” or “Americano.”

Mae Hong Son Barista

Barista in Mae Hong Son

Patience

You usually need to have some patience when buying coffee in Thailand. Often each cup has to be ground to order and carefully made by hand so you usually can’t just pop in and out.

There are, of course, exceptions, such as the coffee hut at a gas station where we stop on the way down south that is used to dealing with busloads of tourists. However, at another gas station, it can take an inordinate amount of time to get a cup of coffee.

It’s best to never go into a stand expecting instantaneous, speedy service.

Krabi Coffee

Krabi coffee stand

Origin of the Beans

Most places where I asked the origin of the beans, I was mostly told that they were just ordered from their supplier.

At least some, possibly a great deal, of the coffee is grown right in Thailand. The Akha hill tribes in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are growing coffee. (See the article Fair-Trade Coffee Improves Thai Village Life.) Throughout Krabi province you’ll find stands advertising “Krabi Coffee” and it is coffee that is grown in Krabi.

I spoke to a Thai man who said he was opening a series of coffee shops throughout Thailand (I did not get the name) and that his coffee was coming from Malaysia.

Drinking Coffee

The author enjoys a cup


Do read Part 1 of this blog:


Written by Michael Babcock, April 2013

Coffee in Thailand, Part 1

April 1st, 2013 by Michael Babcock

Over the past few years there has been a proliferation of places selling fresh-brewed coffee in Thailand. This blog looks at some of the places where this phenomena is taking place.

For the most part, the coffee is pressed coffee (as with “espresso”), made to order. More often than not, you’ll see the whole beans and the grinding mechanism in the same place – at many of the smaller places, the coffee is ground to order.

Espresso Machine

Thai coffee making machine

Coffee

Cup of coffee

Most of the coffee is dark-roasted; sometimes overly so. There is a lighter roast called “Blue Mountain” that is available at some places – I tend to order that when it’s available and find it much to my liking.

Sign Close-up

กาแฟสด (kafae sot) sign

(Click images to see larger version.)

If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll want to memorize two words of Thai in the Thai script (spelled without an intervening space): กาแฟสด, pronounced kafae sot. กาแฟ (kafae) means “coffee” and สด (sot) means “fresh” – so “fresh coffee.” It’s probably not strictly necessary because the stands and cafes selling coffee are also recognizable by the espresso machines and the coffee beans they usually display; in addition, the signs often include a cup of coffee (as to the left). In some places, there’s a sign in English. On other occasions, knowing the script has helped me find a place I might have overlooked.

Local Stands & Coffee Houses

I’m now finding these “fresh coffee” stands all over Thailand. In Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other larger towns, you’ll find them on the streets and in markets, often just a simple cart with the coffee grinder and a small espresso machine. The picture below shows a coffee stand found on Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lo – pronounced “tawng law”). It’s a fairly typical example.

Coffee Stand

Thong Lo coffee stand

Making Coffee

Thong Lo barista at work

The pictures below show another coffee stand, this one found at Worarat Market in Chiang Mai. The barista makes a very good cup of coffee.

Coffee Sign

Sonnen Cafe in Worarat Market

Thai Barista

Barista at Sonnen Cafe


Coffee Stand

Sukhothai coffee stand

Stand Close-up

Close-up of stand

I am seeing more places where you can purchase a coffee and sit down. We visit a the Sathorn Golden Textile Museum in Sri Satchanalai (in Sukhothai province) that has this coffee stand; they have excellent “blue Mountain” coffee. This stand is found indoors amongst a number of other shops.

Coffee Beans

Coffee beans in Sukhothai stand

Sukhothai Coffee

Blue Mountain Coffee


Coffee House

Before Sunset Coffee

Barista 2

Mae Hong Son barista

I’m also finding more places that we would think of as a proper café – some place to buy a coffee and to sit and enjoy it. This is “Before Sunset Coffee” and is perched right on the edge of a beautiful view in the parking lot at Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu in Mae Hong Son. (More pictures here at Before Sunset Coffee @ 1095.)

Coffee To Go

Caffe Latte at Before Sunset Coffee


Sign

Sign to Samut Prakan Cafe

Coffee Stand 2

Stand in Imperial World

I’m guessing that much of the increase in popularity of coffee initially was driven by Western tourists who wanted their morning fix. Now more and more Thai people seem to be embracing the drink. “Coffee houses” are making their appearances in the neighborhoods as well. Kasma owns a townhouse out in the Samrong district of Samut Prakan, which is immediately adjacent to the SE corner of Bangkok. It’s a very Thai neighborhood: usually I’m the only westerner I see on the streets, in the markets, or even in the Imperial World shopping center across the way; Imperial world has at least 7 or 8  non-chain coffee shops in addition to Amazon, (one of the chains). With so few westerners to be seen, Thais must be buying coffee. Even in the local fresh market there (Talat Samrong), there’s a fresh coffee stand. I do know that over the past couple of years our driver, Sun, is drinking more coffee.

Sign Close-up

กาแฟสด (kafae sot) sign

My favorite place to get coffee is a no-name coffee house on Sukhumvit Road in Samrong. This cafe is found on the odd-soi side of the Sukhumvit between soi 111 and 113, marked only by a กาแฟสด (kafae sot) sign. They make a rich coffee made with foam, a real caffe latte. (The second picture in this blog, at the top of the page, is a caffe latte from this cafe.) Thais must be it’s primary customers: there just are not enough of us fahrangs (the Thai word for westerner).

Cafe

Samut Prakan Coffee House

This shop is owned by a young lady who says it is her “hobby.” She also has a regular job. I’ve only seen her there once; the other times there’s been the same young woman employee, friendly and competent. I don’t think the cafe has free wi-fi, like so many coffee houses in the United States,; I imagine it’s only a matter of time before this is commonly offered. I have seen it advertised at coffee houses in the touristed areas, particularly in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Many Internet cafés also sell coffee; I frequent one in Chiang Mai.


Do check out Coffee in Thailand, Part 2. It completes our survey of places to get fresh-brewed coffee and talks about what to expect when you order coffee in Thailand (price, quality, etc.).


Written by Michael Babcock, April 2013

Melt Me Chocolate, Revisited

March 15th, 2013 by Michael Babcock

Melt Me Chocolate in Bangkok makes some of my favorite chocolate anywhere. Although I don’t really associate Thailand with chocolate, I do always manage to find my way to Melt Me at least a couple times when I’m in Thailand to get the two items there that I enjoy the most.

Chocolate Squares

Hokkaido Dark Chocolate

Melt Me says that their chocolate is “Hokkaido Chocolate.” I’ve been unable to track down anything specific about such chocolate but a Japanese friend tells me that Hokkaido is known for its rich butter, milk and cream, so you would expect Hokkaido Chocolate to be rich and creamy. Melt Me chocolate is.

(Click images to see larger version.)

Perhaps my favorite item there is the “Hokkaido Dark.” It’s made with 70% chocolate. As I said in a previous blog: “The dark chocolate is rich, creamy and bittersweet, almost like a truffle in its consistency; it does, literally, melt in your mouth. It’s a luxurious confection: rich and tasty.” These are very rich; usually one is enough to satisfy me. Which is good! They cost 270 baht for a box of 15 – currently about $9.00 U.S., so about 60 cents each. You can also get 30 for 480 baht (about 53 cents, each).

Chocolate Treat

Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts

They also make a Hokkaido Dark 80% (300 baht for 15). I have tried them and, although, they’re quite good, they are (of course) a bit less sweet and they also seemed a bit less creamy to me than the standard Hokkaido Dark. I prefer the Hokkaido dark.

We also love the the Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts; they’re crispy and delicious. We suspect they’ve been roasted crisp and possibly coated with a praline before they are covered over with the bittersweet chocolate. Macadamia nuts are very rich to begin with and with the chocolate these are very rich indeed: a few nuts usually suffice to satisfy. They are not inexpensive: 350 baht (about $12.00 U.S., at this time) for a not so large box. Thankfully, just a couple tastes are enough to satisfy. Like the Hokkaido Dark they are rich enough that I can’t eat that much at one time.

I previously blogged on Melt Me in a March 2011 blog, Great Chocolate; in Thailand! which highlighted the Melt Me Chocolate outlet at Paradise Park Mall. Unfortunately, this outlet is now closed down, so we have had to find other ways to get our Melt Me fix.

Melt Me Sign

Melt Me at Arena 10

Melt Me Counter

Counter at the Melt Me at Arena 10

We now go the main outlet at Arena 10 on Thong Lor (Sukhumvit 55) Soi 10. The picture above left shows the store from the outside; to the right is the main counter inside. The staff is very friendly there. See below for directions.

Sitting Area

Sitting Area at Melt Me Arena 10

The Arena 10 store is set up as a pleasant place to come to eat desserts. To the left is the sitting area, a pleasant place to be while you’re eating your treats. In addition to our favorite items, they have baked desserts (we’ve tried the chocolate cake and Kasma tried the cheese cake one time) and they also sell fresh brewed coffee. It would be a great place to come after a meal to sit and enjoy dessert and coffee. They also sell a number of truffles; these are on our list to try at some point. If I recall correctly, they are open until midnight most days and until 2 or 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. (I’d phone, first, if going late.)

Gelato

Gelato at Melt Me Chocolates

We also get the gelato here. It’s very rich and flavorful. My favorites are the dark chocolate, the hazlenut and the passion fruit sorbet. I also like the green tea gelato: it’s stronger in flavor than many green tea ice creams. Two different flavors in a cup cost 99 baht – over $3.00 U.S. at today’s prices; that’s not a much less than I pay at many places in the U.S.: by Thai standards, it’s a bit pricey. As an occasional treat, though, it’s well worth it to me.

This year we were at the upscale mall Central World to eat at a restaurant there and were pleased to discover a Melt Me outlet (directions below). It was a perfect place to get some gelato after our lunch.

There are a total of 8 Melt Me out branches at this time. You can see them all at the listing on the Melt Me website. I don’t know if all of them serve gelato.

How To Get There

Arena 10

Here’s the full address for the Arena 10 Melt Me:

Arena 10 Thong Lor 10,
225/11 Soi Thong Lor 10 (also given as 225/1 Soi 5, Sukhumvit 63 (Ekamai))z
Sukhumvit Rd., Khlong Tan Nuea,
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel: 090-1975-600

Note. Thong Lor, also spelled Thong Lo, Thonglor or Thonglo (but really pronounced “tawng law”) is the name for Sukhumvit Soi 55. Thong Lo Soi 10 is also Ekamai (Suhkumvit Soi 63) Soi 5. (It’s complicated.)

External Sign

Sign outside Arena 10

Sign Detail

The Melt Me Sign

One option is to take a taxi. You can also take the Skytrain (BTS) to the “Thong Lo” station. From there it’s probably a 20 minute walk; it’s often very hot in Bangkok, though, so you could catch a taxi from there or a motorcycle taxi.

Here’s a Map to Melt Me, Thonglor

Central World

Second Melt Me

Melt Me at Central World

Here’s the address for the Central World Melt Me
Central World 7th Floor, Supermarket Entrance
999/9 Rama 1 Rd.
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel: 090-1975-601

Here’s a Map to Central World

The easiest way is to take the BTS (skytrain) to the Chit Lom station; there’s a covered walkway to Central World.


External Links (open in new windows):

Written by Michael Babcock, March 2013

Don’t Miss Naem Sour Sausage When Visiting Northern Thailand

March 1st, 2013 by Kasma Loha-unchit

Naem (or nem), also known as jin som in the northern Thai dialect (jin = meat, som = sour) is a common way of preserving pork meat in several Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Thailand, it is mainly done in the northern and northeastern parts of the country – the land-locked regions where a lot of pigs are raised and pork features prominently in the local cuisines.

Wrapped Naem

Naem wrapped in banana leaves

(Click images to see larger version.)

In the days before refrigeration, when a pig was slaughtered, there was usually too much meat to cook and eat up fresh in dishes like laab, soups, curries and stir-fries. The remaining meat would be chopped up and preserved with salt. Pork skin, also often too much to eat up by cooking fresh, was added to improve texture.

Now as then, cooked sticky rice or plain steamed rice is used to make the meat develop a sour flavor. Garlic and Thai chillies are added to further improve flavor. In the olden days, pork fat was in the mixture as well, but in more modern times, naem is made mostly of lean pork meat, which gives a better color to the soured meat.

Naem Maw 1

Naem maw (made in a large pot)

The sour flavor imparted to the meat from fermenting rice is distinctive and unique and is unlike the sour from citrus, vinegar, tamarind, or any other tart fruits. It is simply delicious and quite addicting for those of us who like foods with sour flavors.

Originally, the meat was cured by placing the mixture in a pot or a large bowl and covered to make it airtight, thus giving the name naem maw (maw = pot). Market vendors still sell naem in this form – that is, it’s sold bulk in a large bowl, the vendor cutting and scooping up the amount customers want and wrapping it in pieces of banana leaf, secured with a bamboo pick. In city markets nowadays, this form of naem is usually already pre-cut into uniform chunks and wrapped in plastic with a label slapped on.

Naem Maw 2

More naem maw

Naem Maw 3

Naem maw on top of naem taeng

Naem Taeng 2

Banana-leaf wrapped naem taeng

Later, naem began to be made in short, cylindrical bundles tightly wrapped in several layers of banana leaf and tied tightly with bamboo strings. Nowadays they are mostly made in long, sausage-like logs tightly wrapped and sealed in heavy-duty plastic wrap. Both these forms of naem are called naem taeng (taeng = cylinder). Naem is also tightly wrapped in small pyramidal shapes tied with bamboo strings. Often the leaf-wrapped packages are hung in a cool place (in the tropical room temperature) out of direct sun exposure and allowed to cure until the sour flavor develops. The banana leaf helps moderate the temperature of the meat so that the internal temperature does not get too warm. These days, these banana leaf-wrapped packages are often wrapped again in plastic wrap to keep the banana leaf from drying out.

Naem Taeng 1

Naem taeng (cylinder naem)

In modern times, plastic wrap has become prevalently used in wrapping naem, because it is easy to use and makes it possible for buyers to see the color of the meat. In the tropics where room temperature is fairly warm, it usually takes only 2 to 3 days for the sour flavor to develop, but in temperate climate kitchens such as in the Bay Area, it takes about a week. When juice or moistness can be seen through the plastic wrapping, the naem is usually ready. With the banana leaf-wrapped packages, buyers look for leaf wrappings that are not too freshly green, but not too dried out either.

2 Naem Taeng

Traditional & modern naem taeng

Naem Taeng Unwrapped

Naem Taeng Unwrapped

Grilled Naem Sausages

Grilled naem sausages

Sticky rice was originally used as the souring agent, but later the preference turned to regular cooked rice because it keeps the meat sour for longer after the sour flavor has developed and gives the meat a better pink color. Sticky rice, on the other hand, develops the sour flavor more quickly, but also loses the sour flavor faster, giving the meat a shorter window of opportunity for consumption at its optimal sourness.

Food Platter

Food platter, naem on the left

One reason why many northern Thais still prefer to have some of their naem wrapped in banana leaf is that it can be cooked by roasting in the ashes of their charcoal brazier, burning the outer layers of leaf to give the meat a smoky flavor. Often, naem is eaten raw and the small pyramidal leaf-wrapped packets are pretty and easy to serve individual people in a meal. Raw naem, appearing as those translucent, pinkish slices of meat, is a common part of the northern hors d’oeuvre platter, accompanying slices of spicy sai oa northern sausage, baloney-like moo yaw, crispy fried pork belly with skin (kaep moo), an assortment of steamed or boiled vegetables, and the favorite spicy green chilli dip called nam prik nuum.

Naem Ready To Eat

Naem, ready to eat

Raw naem is frequently made into hot-and-sour yum salads with shallots, pickled garlic, Thai chillies, aromatic herbs and fried nuts, but if you are squeamish about eating raw, cured meat, cook the naem by roasting in banana leaves or by lightly steaming or baking before slicing to make the salad. But if you wish to enjoy the delicate texture of raw meat like Southeast Asians do in a safe manner, you may wish to freeze the sausage for about two weeks to kill off any parasites before consuming.

Naem With Garlic

Sliced Naem with Pickled Garlic and Chillies

Naem Fried Rice

Naem Fried Rice

Other common ways naem is eaten in northern Thailand are: stir-fried with pickled garlic/leeks and chillies; scrambled with eggs and onions; incorporated into fried rice; deep-fried by itself in slices or round balls and eaten with fried peanuts, diced ginger and chillies; added to curries, spicy soups or stir-fries with mucilaginous vegetables like pak bpang (zan choi in Chinese or the “slippery vegetable”) or okra to reduce the mucilaginous property; sliced and tossed with crisp-fried rice, slivered cooked pork skin, fried dried Thai chillies, slivered ginger, fried peanuts and other ingredients to make a crisped rice and sour sausage salad – a delicious street and market food that has now become popular in many restaurants that serve regional cuisines in Bangkok and other major cities throughout the country.


Some More Thai Dishes with Naem Sour Sausage

Fried Naem Maw

Fried Naem Maw

Crispy Fried Naem

Crispy Fried Naem Sour Sausage Balls

The picture to the above left shows naem maw cut into cubes, dipped in egg and deep-fried (naem tawd) at Kaeng Ron Ban Suan in Chiang Mai. On the right is deep-fried, crispy naem sour sausage balls in a crispy taro basket in a Chiang Mai restaurant.

Soup With Naem

Soup with naem

Stir-fried Naem

Naem Stir-fried with Egg and Spinach

To the above left is a soup made with the flowers of pak bpang (zan choi in Chinese) and naem to reduce the mucilaginous property of the vegetable at Come Dara restaurant in Chiang Mai. To the right is naem stir-fried with egg and spinach at Keuy Chiang Mai restaurant.

Naem Salad

Crispy Rice and Naem Sour Sausage Salad

Naem Salad 2

Crispy Rice and Naem Sour Sausage Salad

To the above left is Crispy Rice and Naem Sour Sausage Salad (Naem Kluk Kao Tawd) at Ton Kreuang in Bangkok. To the right is Crispy Rice and Naem Sour Sausage Salad (Yum Naem Kao Tawd) at the Isan restaurant of Vientiane Kitchen in Bangkok.


Naem Slideshow From Kasma’s Classes

Click on “Play” below to begin a slideshow.

Clicking on a slide will take you to the next image.

Rolling Naem
Prepped Naem
Assembling Naem Salad
Naem Salad 3
Fried Naem
Stir-fried Naem
Stir-fried Naem 2

Rolling the naem sausages into a tight cylinder in Kasma's class

The soured naem sausages sliced and ready for cooking in a weeklong intensive class

Assembling the Crispy Rice and Naem Sour Sausage Salad in a weeklong intensive class

Crispy Rice and Sour Sausage Salad made by students in Kasma's Advanced B weeklong intensive class

Fried Naem Slices on Crispy Taro Baskets, in Kasma's Advanced D weeklong intensive class - students made the naem and fermented it for 5 days

Naem Sour Sausage (made by students) Stir-fried with Pickled Leeks and Thai Chillies in Kasma's Advanced D weeklong intensive

Naem Sour Sausage (made by students) Stir-fried with Bitter Melon, Eggs and Thai Chillies in Kasma's Advanced D weeklong intensive

Rolling Naem thumbnail
Prepped Naem thumbnail
Assembling Naem Salad thumbnail
Naem Salad 3 thumbnail
Fried Naem thumbnail
Stir-fried Naem thumbnail
Stir-fried Naem 2 thumbnail

Written by Kasma Loha-unchit, March 2013