Thai Food is Tough

Thai people are often characterised as being soft, sweet, smiley and a little bit shy. All these adjectives must be abandoned when explaining Thai cuisine. Thai food is a viciously divine attack of the senses. Green curry is like the incredible hulk. Papaya salad is perhaps less showy, but don’t underestimate its fierceness. Chilli and coriander are their trusty weapons and lime never fails in seducing taste buds.

I came to this masculine analysis of Thai cuisine when I was camping by a river somewhere in Surin, a province in the East of Thailand. My company (aside from the mosquitoes) were some kindhearted, local mahouts who started their day with home brew whiskey. After sufficient lazing by the fire, and gorging on mango sticky rice, the morning quickly rolled on into the afternoon. Hunger interrupted our sluggish contentment and manic preparations for a feast began. On this day we were making Tom Yum.

We prepared the spices, fresh fish from the river and field mushrooms to create a steaming sweet and sour soup. When it was ready, the head mahout sipped the searing hot concoction to taste it. He paused. Everyone was silent. Next thing I know he runs into the bush and comes running with something in his hands.

“It’s missing lime so this will do”

Into the pot, he threw in a nest of writhing fire ants and served a bowl. With a cheeky smile and sense of urgency he explained how tom yum tastes better when the ants are a little bit alive. I was reluctant at first but I swallowed it down. What I experienced was an inexplicable explosion of flavour. Something that can only be described as the perfect harmonising of sweet and sour, complemented by raw, freshness.

Getting away from the banana pancake trail was an important part of my Thai culinary education. Thai food, like Thai culture is not always timid, gentle and soft. It shouldn’t always be exoticised and personified in feminine. Just like Muay Thai boxing, it is potent and powerful in the very best way.