Don’t Forget the Sticky Rice
March 30th, 2009
Som Tom (Papaya Salad) & Muu Yang (Grilled Pork)
Bangkok, Thailand – At this very moment, I am lying down with a distended belly and a buzzing headache. No, I don’t have the vapors and I don’t need to be sent out of Bangkok for some fresh air.
I’m planning to head to Isaan, the northeastern part of Thailand known for its fiery food and rural landscapes. While hanging around the Nang Lichi dinner market (more on that later), I saw slabs of muu yang (marinated grilled pork) roasting on a charcoal grill. Although I meant to try some other things this evening, the juicy, browned pork looked irresistible so I settled in for a plate of muu yang served with a roasted chili dipping sauce and an order of som tom phet phet (really spicy). With a few days to go, I figured I needed to start upping my spice tolerance, since I’ve heard Isaan is in another chili stratosphere compared to Bangkok. This meal proved to be quite a jump and since I forgot to order khao nieu (sticky rice), I found myself with a bit of a chili high and a painfully burning stomach and little else to do other than chew some long beans, basil and cabbage off the raw vegetables plate and resist the urge to drink water. As an aside, rice, milk, soda and beer are the best ways to combat chili heat, water just spreads the chili oil around your palate, making a bad situation worse.
Though I felt past the point of getting that sticky rice, I needed some kind of starch to soften the chilies punching around my insides so I jumped at the khanom cart and bought a palm sugar cake. After settling my bill with the amused som tom vendors (phet phet?), I headed over to the roti cart and got two rotis (flaky, crispy fried dough) with just a little evaporated milk and sugar and hopped on a bus homeward bound.
So, here I am, back at the apartment lying on the couch and waiting for the chili buzz to subside with a bag of oiled, empty roti papers on the floor and a palm sugar cake in my bag. I’ll remember to order that khao nieu in Isaan.
Muu Yang (Marinated, Grilled Pork)
Roti Vendor
Khanom Cart
A Look Inside the Khanom Cart
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