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Goong Dten (Dancing Shrimp)

Kaeng Khut Khun, Thailand – 5 km north of Chiang Khan is the Khut Khun rapids, a relaxing scenic area where the local specialty is goong dten or dancing shrimp.  The day I got into Chiang Khan I biked over to the rapids, picked a table and, forgetting the full name of the dish, told the vendor “goong” and then made a little dancing motion with my right hand in a cupping left hand.  “Ah,” she said and rushed off.  She came back, but without the dish.  So, I waited and waited and waited.  Finally a young girl brought a plate with a smaller plate over it and the popping sound of tiny shrimps hitting the top of their enclosure.  I removed the top plate to see a pool of small, translucent, insect-like shrimp jumping around in a dressing of fish sauce, chilies, mint and lemongrass.  As I mixed them in the sauce, half of the shrimp laid still while the other half  were flying everywhere – on the table, in the smaller plate, on my lap.  That was all fine, though I didn’t particularly like them jumping back off the table into my plate.  It’s in or out, little fellows.  No table flavor for me, thanks.  I crunched down on the little crustaceans spiking my tongue on their little bodies and sucking in the super spicy dressing.  It was what a polite guest might call an interesting meal.  Though I had more to learn.  The next day when lunching with a group of Thai NGO workers I observed them shaking the shrimp between the two plate before removing the top one.  When they removed the top plate, the shrimp stayed put.  I explained my mishap with the dish the day before.  “Ohhhh, they should be slowly dancing,” they told me laughing.  “Ah,” I said.

Fisherman Casting Nets at Kaeng Khut Khu

Kaeng Khut Khu

Stiller Shrimp: Goong Toht (Fried Shrimp Crackers)