The Hot, Wild, and Wonderful Cuisine of Isaan

Isaan, the northeastern part of Thailand has some of the most flavorful food of the whole Kingdom. Much of the food has an explosive taste of including, hotter than hell chilies, raw garlic and shallots, fermented fish paste, fish sauce, mint leaves and other fresh herbs, etc. Sometimes the ingredients can be very exotic. The culture itself is very diverse including influences from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. I love Isaan food and it’s hard for me to write about these pictures, when ALL I can think of is, “When can I have some more?” We happily spent a lot of time in Issan when we worked on this book, and the local food was a real treat. Many would-be photos are missing, as sometimes we couldn’t wait to start eating. Let’s start out with breakfast in Ubon Ratchathani.

อีสานหรือภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือของประเทศไทยเป็นภูมิภาคที่มีอาหารรสแซ่บและหลากหลายที่สุด ด้วยวัฒนธรรมและกลุ่มชนทั้งญวน, ลาว, เขมร, ส่วย, ย้อ, ผู้ไท และอื่นๆ หลังจากได้เดินทางไปในภาคอีสานและลิ้มลองอาหารหลายหลากมากมีเพื่อถ่ายทำหนังสือ THAILAND 180º จึงอยากนำเสนอภาพส่วนหนึ่ง (อีกส่วนหนึ่งหมดก่อนถ่ายภาพ) โดยเริ่มจากอาหารเช้าที่อุบลราชธานี

Pan Fried Eggs (Khai Katha), a bun and upside-down coffee (Image from the 180books.org Photo Collection by George Edward Giunca)

The photo above show an Isaan breakfast, called Khai Katha, that comes cooked in it’s own small pan and it composed of egg, Chinese sausage, ham, pork sausage, ground pork, spring onion, and a generous sprinkle of ground white pepper. Of course the upside down cup of coffee, is due to it’s placement and a wonderful effect of the fisheye lens.

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Fried insect vendor in Loei, Thailand (Image from the 180books.org Photo Collection by George Edward Giunca)

Now that we’ve had breakfast, why not stop for a snack of crunchy fried insects? I really like the bamboo worms and the silkworm pupae. The grasshoppers, once the legs and head are removed taste like dried shrimp to me. Some Thais love to eat or flavor food with Giant Diving Beetles, and the taste, rather like you’d expect from a bug, is growing on me. I once tried the Mole Crickets, but there was a pocket of fluid inside that popped when I bit into it, and that made me wish I hadn’t. Like many fried foods, fried insects taste best when they’re warm. Don’t try to reheat them in the microwave though, especially the silkworm pupae. Don’t ask—just don’t try it.

ตามด้วยอาหารว่าง-แมลงทอดกรุบกรอบ โดยส่วนตัวแล้วช่างภาพชอบรดด่วนและตัวไหม ส่วนตั๊กแตน (เด็ดหัวและขาออก) รสชาติคล้ายๆกุ้งแห้ง แมงดาก็รสชาติดีนะแต่แมงกระชอนนี่ลองแล้วไม่เอาดีกว่า แนะนำว่าควรทานตอนเพิ่งปรุงสุกมาใหม่ๆ และไม่ควรนำไปอุ่นไมโครเวฟโดยเฉพาะเจ้าตัวไหม — คงไม่ต้องบรรยายว่ามันจะเป็นยังไง

Grilled Chicken & Fish in Ubon Ratchathani – ไก่ย่าง และ ปลาเผา (George Edward Giunca for 180books.org Image from the 180books.org Photo Collection by George Edward Giunca)

Thais like to snack often and with so much good food all around, I quickly assimilated. It really makes sense, given the hot climate, to eat small amounts throughout the day. I’ve always loved almost anything cooked over charcoal, especially if its marinated and/or stuffed with herbs. Whenever my wife and I got lost or separated at a festival, we could usually find one another by looking for the smoke of a meat-on-a-stick vendor. The stick is usually a partially split piece of bamboo, and a small piece of wire turns it into a clamp. Almost every part of a chicken including hearts, livers and gizzards can be found at these stands, as well as pork and sometimes a whole fish, such as Catfish or Talapia. Almost every restaurant has a barbecue in front and a display case, like the image above. This stand in Ubon Ratchathani, has everything I described above. Can you find them all?

ประเทศไทยมีข้าวปลาอาหารอุดมสมบูรณ์และมีให้ทานกันตลอดทั้งวัน โดยเฉพาะประเภทปิ้งๆ ย่างๆ ที่เราสองคนชอบมาก เกิดคราวไหนไปถ่ายรูปงานเทศกาลที่คนเยอะแล้วพลัดหลงกันก็ตามหากลุ่มควันขาวๆ มีกลิ่นคล้ายไก่ปิ้งหมูปิ้งลอยอยู่ นั่นแหละตามไปเลย ไม่ใครก็ใครยืนอยู่ตรงนั้นแหละ …จากภาพด้านบน เราถ่ายรูปร้านอาหารอีสานร้านหนึ่งซึ่งด้านหน้าร้านมีทั้งไก่ย่าง, หัวใจ-ตับ-กึ๋นย่าง, หมูปิ้ง, ปลานิลเผา, และปลาดุกย่าง

Ant Eggs and Bees, Yum! (Image from the 180books.org Photo Collection by George Edward Giunca)

When it get’s close to dinner, it’s time to head to the market, or talat as they call it, to pick up some special treats for dinner. Most restaurants don’t mind if you bring some ingredients for them to cook, such as ant eggs, or bees. Be nice though, and bring enough to share! The photo above shows ant eggs, which are really larva of the red ants, towards the back, and bees in the front. Personally, I’ve been bitten by these type of mean red ants and stung by bees enough times, that I’m willing to bite back once-in-a-while. The first time I tried the ant eggs they were in an omelette (yes, made from chicken eggs) with ground pork, and I was unaware of the ingredients. The twinkle in my Thai friend’s eyes turned to laughter when I asked for more, but by then I was hooked. Sometimes you’re really better off tasting before asking, in this part of the world.

Clockwise from Left: Spicy Beef Organ Soup (Tom Saap), Spicy Sliced Pork with Mint Leaves (Moo Nam Tok), and Fresh Isaan Sausage Wrapped in Banana Leaves, Shredded Papaya Salad with Fresh Chillies, Fermented Fish Paste, and Land Crab (Som Tom Boo Pla-Ra). (Image from the 180books.org Photo Collection by George Edward Giunca)

I look forward to having a big Isaan meal, like the one above, almost every waking day. The spicy soup has such a great broth, and adding beef or pork ribs, or miscellaneous organs as shown above is outstanding. The spicy sliced pork with mint leaves (Moo Nam Tok) is also great with beef. At gourmet Isaan restaurants, sometimes the meat is a grilled to perfection, New York steak. I’m really not able to comment on the fresh pork sausage, since I forgot to sample it, but the Thai sausage from the north, called Nam, looks the same and is delicious. The shredded papaya salad (Som Tom), always contains surprises. The fermented fish paste (Pla-Ra) and Land Crabs in this dish, really livened it up. I should mention sticky rice (Khao Neo), that’s hiding in the small basket next to the blue bucket of ice is a must have with almost all meals. What is the bucket of ice for? The beer of course! I know it may sound strange, but with spicy food, it takes a lot of beer to wash the chillies away from the tongue and the ice just makes it all the more refreshing. Of course most major cities in Isaan have Western Food, but if you’re like me, you didn’t fly for 14 hours on a plane to eat a “Whopper.”

ปิดท้ายด้วยต้มแซบเนื้อ, หมูน้ำตก, ส้มหมู และส้มตำปูปลาร้าซุปเปอร์แซ่บ พร้อมด้วยเบียร์เย็นๆ ช่างภาพบอกว่า “อยากทานอาหารอีสานทุกวันเลย .. แน่นอน! ที่นี่ก็มีอาหารแบบตะวันตก แต่ผมจะไม่นั่งเครื่องบินมาตั้ง 14 ชั่วโมงเพื่อมาทานวอปเปอร์เบอร์เกอร์หรอกนะ!”

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Blog : Thai by Apisatha Giunca
Blog : English by George Edward Giunca

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In Thailand —>>>http://www.thailand180.com/thaiorder.html

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Not Familiar with Our Book???

This show details the origin of 180 Books, a series of art/travel books illustrated with a circular fisheye lens. By using infographics, pictures from our THAILAND 180º book, and never seen before images from our vault, we’ll demonstrate this unique lens and present our unique books.

Also, because there’s nothing to watch on TV, here’s a trailer about our book, “THAILAND 180”

Above is an interactive map of Thailand. If you click on a marker it reveals a photo from our THAILAND 180º book and a link to our blog article about the photo. Go Ahead~ Start Exploring ~Have Some Fun!

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