Ten Baht Breakfast
February 6th, 2009
Man Eating Thai Omelette Covered in Tomato Chili Sauce
Chiang Mai, Thailand – On Jhaban Road, just north of Ratchamakka, a woman sells thai omelettes (khai jiao) for 10 baht a pop. I have no idea how she makes anything off that price. Not that I’m complaining. They’re really tasty, moist inside and not too greasy. Thai omelettes are eaten anytime of day for breakfast, a snack or part of a larger meal. The simplest of Thai omelettes is just eggs and fish sauce. The ten-baht lady adds a sprinkling of chopped vegetables to hers, garlic and onion are standard. Minced pork is also a popular addition, either mixed throughout or folded into the center as a filling (khiao jiao muu sab), as well as crab (khao jiao puu). It’s usually served over rice along with some tomato chili sauce, which is called sriracha, but is nothing like the U.S. brand Sriracha mind you. It’s more like ketchup with chili flavor and a popular brand here is Heinz. When I got mine, I had her add a layer of krapow muu (minced pork stir fried with basil) in between the rice and the egg because, well, it was the morning and heaven forbid I go 10 hours without eating a pork product. Some versions of the Thai omelette are tall and puffy or really dry, which seem to have less flavor. I like the thin, wet ones that aren’t completely grease-slicked. Now, if you’ve had an omelette before, these don’t taste all that different. While tasting one, a visiting francophile friend commented that it didn’t taste Thai, which is completely understandable since it’s quite a familiar concept and flavor. Still, I think if you sprinkle some fish sauce or vinegar with chilies on top, which isn’t always served alongside, you can brighten up the dish. That or plop it on top of krapow muu (not exactly traditional). I don’t think they do that back in France.
Whipped Eggs into the Wok
Moving the Raw Egg Around
Cooking the Omelette
Flipping the Omelette
No Responses to “Ten Baht Breakfast”