Authentic Thai Food

Many years ago I spent a few weeks in Thailand for work.  One weekend Nitia, an engineer from the company I was working with, took me outside of Bangkok to do some sight seeing with her two daughters.  Our first stop was a school that taught native crafts and was supported by the Queen.  At the school there was a pier that went out over a slow moving river 20 or 30 feet below.  Underneath the pier there were vendors on a few small boats next to a platform selling food.  Nitia pointed out the boats and asked me if I would like to try some of the food they were selling.  She added "It's authentic Thai food." 
I told her "No, I'm not hungry."  
A few minutes later she asked again "They're selling traditional Thai food, don't you want to try it?"  
I assured her that I wasn't hungry but in a few minutes she asked again "Are you sure you don't want something to eat?  It is authentic Thai food."  
It finally hit me.  I'm a stupid guy and I wasn't getting the hint.  She must want to eat some of the food from the boats.  So I said "I am not really hungry now but if you want to go and get something to eat, I'll go with you."  
She looked at me with disgust and said "I'm not eating that food.  They wash the dishes in the river!"  

This photo was not taken in Thailand and really has nothing to do with the story (except that the river was used as an outhouse).
I have a photograph of the boats selling food somewhere but I was too lazy to find it and scan it.  

I'm sure it's not a good an especially good photo anyways.  So I am posting this one instead.

臭豆腐 Stinky Tofu

My second favorite place to eat in China

I have recently found a number of travel blogs that I really enjoy.  There seem to be so many that have great photos and wonderful stories.  I really admire these bloggers not only for their writing and their photos but also their lifestyle (traveling, photography and writing).  Many have quit their jobs and taken off alone or with a companion to travel the world and blog.  I may someday quit my job to travel and take pictures but blogging looks like hard work.  I have a lot to learn, which is part of the reason I started this blog.  This post has been inspired by a couple of posts I have read this week.  First I saw a video of Beer Fish being cooked in Yangshuo by Runaway Juno.  I have had beer fish in Yangshuo with a group of Chinese women from Guangdong who let me tag along with them around Xingping and the Li Jiang river.  Then I read about unbrave girl eating stinky tofu (chou duofu) at the Shihlin night market in Taipei.  Stinky tofu or "chou duofu" in Chinese, is my favorite food period.  It is the only food I dream about (while sleeping).  I have many stinky tofu stories and pictures but I will only share a few on this post.  And I will post my first video.  I like to show this photo to picky eaters and tell them this is my second favorite place to eat in China.  While working in Dongguan I kept asking everyone if they knew where I could get some stinky tofu.  All the manager types told they didn't think there was any place around that sold it.  A driver at the company overheard me asking someone and he told us that he knew of a place near his house that sold it.  Every night after that I when to this place to eat usually as a snack before dinner or for dessert afterwards.  There was always a group that went with me from the company but no one else would try it.  Too bad it was delicious!  

One weekend while in Dongguan I went to Zhaoqing with a few Chinese coworkers.  Walking around in the evening I was happy to find a stinky tofu vendor and ordered some.  A small crowd soon began to gather probably to see the foreigner but many were asking what the vendor was selling.  They didn't know what it was.  After a few had asked, I announced to the crowd that I would buy stinky tofu for everyone who wanted to try it.  Only these four girls took me up on this but they were there to get some anyways.  I ordered two helpings for myself.  I paid the vendor for mine and the four servings for these girls and I gave her a 100% tip (tipping is not customary in China and she tried to refuse the tip but I insisted telling her this stinky tofu was  some of the best I had ever had).  It cost me a total of $1.47 USD.  This is my favorite place to eat in China.  The next afternoon I went back the to corner where this vendor was just before catching the bus back to Dongguan.  I was so happy to see her with her cart selling stinky tofu, I thought it would be too early.  I took this video of her preparing my favorite dish.  It was the first time I had it served with minced garlic piled on top. Some kind of hot sauce is standard everywhere.  On the bus ride back my Chinese friends were laughing at me for eating the stinky tofu.  They told me I didn't know what was in it and if I did I wouldn't eat it.  I asked them to tell me what was in it that was so bad.  They asked me if I knew what that black stuff on it was.  I replied "It's mold."  Their jaws dropped in amazement.  "You knew that and still ate it?"  Yep!  


Sorry about the poor quality of the video.  It was taken in 2004 with a point and shoot camera.  It was something simple that I could use to post my first video on my blog.  

Almond Cookies

I first bought almond cookies at this shop in Macau.  I bought them mainly because this man let me take a few pictures of him making them.  I didn't eat the cookies until the next day when I was in Guangdong, China.  They were very dry and crumbly but I loved them.  I wished I had bought more than I did but it was too late.  Since then I have often bought them at a local Chinese grocery store.  I always get the ones made in Macau because that reminds me of this shop where I first bought them.  I have made a tradition of buying some to take into work to share for Chinese New Year.  This year the local Chinese store does not have any made in Macau.  The only kind they have are made in China.  They are cheaper than the ones made in Macau.  I am sure they will taste every bit as good and I will still think of this little shop in Macau but I would still pay more just to have some made in Macau.  

South Indian Rice Meal

Today I had meetings up until 8 pm.  As soon as they were over I took the subway to Little India.  I was hoping to find some vegetarian curry with tofu.  As I walked through the market area all I could find was carnivore curry, mainly with mutton.  After looking around, I came to the conclusion that tofu is not a traditional Indian food.  Actually I knew this but hoped, being in Singapore, they would have broken with tradition a bit and thrown some tofu in their curry. 

For some reason I was being a bit more cautious than normal about the cleanliness of the restaurants in this place.  I had just about decided to go to China Town to eat when I saw a restaurant that looked acceptable.  They did not have the curry that I was hoping for but it was indoors and was moderately clean.  

There were many people eating at this place, a good sign.  As I walked in I noticed everyone’s left arm was resting on their left leg with their hand dangling as if it were paralyzed.  No one used utensils.  Everyone was using the fingers of their right hand to squeeze a bit of rice and what ever else was on their plate together then, shove it in their mouths.  A few of the patrons looked awkward trying to tear flat bread with one hand.  

This place served South Indian rice meals.  I went to the back of the restaurant where the cooks were and where it appeared the ordering took place.  A man asked me if he could help me.  I asked if they had vegetarian dishes.  He said yes and asked me if I wanted a vegetarian meal.  It was too late to turn back.  I said yes.  He then asked if I wanted a few other things and although I had no idea what he asked me, I said sure.  I did manage to order some fresh lime juice to go with what ever else it was I ordered.  

I found an empty seat and sat down to wait for my order.  I used this time to make observations to try to figure out the proper etiquette for eating.  Basically the left hand was not to be used for anything (at least not in the dinning room).  Whatever else you needed to do must be done with the right hand alone, no help from utensils and certainly no cheating with the left hand.  To manage my fears, I kept telling myself that it is just part of the Indian culture to not use their left hand to eat, a tradition.  There couldn’t be any justified, logical, necessary reason they couldn’t use their left hand.  But then I realized if they have not abandoned the tradition of not using their left hands to eat, what makes me think they have abandoned the tradition of whatever they do use their left hands for?  

Oh well, my meal was served.  In front of me was a big pile of white rice with six piles of various vegetable dishes, seven small bowls of different sauces, and a very thin crispy round piece of bread.  Now I don’t like getting my hands dirty and I really don’t like getting food all over me.  I have had a number of people mention that they have never seen anyone eat nachos with a fork like I do (just so I don’t have to touch it with my hands), and I have avoided eating oranges my whole life because they are too messy to peel (until my son showed me how to peel them with a spoon to avoid most of the mess).  I poured the sauces on the rice then grabbed some of one of the vegetable piles (they were not just vegetables they had sauces and unrecognizable stuff in them kind of like a small stir fry of some sorts), mixed the vegetables with the rice and sauces with my fingers (right hand), then squeezed the mix into a somewhat solid clump and shoved it in my mouth.  Wow, it was fantastic!  I kept mixing and squeezing and shoving as fast as I could.   They later brought me more sauces and some much thicker fried bread.  I watched others break the thin crispy bread on top of the rice pile and just mix the pieces in with the rest of the stuff, so I did the same.  I notice everyone was having trouble tearing the thick fried bread with one hand so it didn’t worry me when I struggled too.  I ate until I couldn’t eat any more.  My stomach was bloated and simmered with Indian spices.  

My only worry now was how to open my wallet with my right hand when it was covered with sauces and rice.  I did try to wipe my hand with a small napkin, but I did not have good technique for cleaning one hand with itself.  As I got up from the table a man motioned for me to go to the back of the restaurant.  I didn’t think that was where I wanted to go but he seemed as if I would be breaking tradition if I did not go, so I did.  I then noticed the big sign that said “Wash Hands” or was it “Wash Hand.”  I don’t remember.  I did have trouble washing one hand with itself but when I was alone at the washing station I cheated and used both hands, and washed the sauce off my face too.  

It was the best meal I have had in Singapore and certainly one of my most memorable meals ever.  Although in the back of my mind a little voice is telling me I should start taking my Flagyl and Cipro right now (it can’t be easy cooking with one hand, I’ll bet they cheat when no one is looking).  

Footnote: I wrote this July 21, 2004 plus or minus a day.  This was an email that I sent to some friends.  Half of them felt obligated to explain to me why no one used their left hand in the restaurant (I already knew) and the other half had no idea why no one used their left hand.  By the way, I didn't get sick at all.  The photo was taken at the same restaurant on my next trip to Singapore later in 2004.  I took it before I got my hands all messy.