Rich in history and culture Bangkok, is also a culinary haven
BY VICKY RATNANI
I spent 48 extraordinary hours in my favourite city Bangkok, the city which never sleeps and always eats.
Bangkok’s fresh markets have always offered me a very unique experience and insight. If you want to experience authentic Thai food, then a visit to a fresh market in Bangkok is paramount.
Most jaw-dropping delicacies may just be waiting for you if you have the patience to seek out the authentic ingredients.
Life in Thailand revolves around the fresh market. People gather to socialise and, amidst fresh produce stalls and bustling carts loaded with commodities, you will find the neighbourhood’s best restaurants, chefs, home cooks and street food vendors of all shapes, sorts, and sizes.
Such is one of the largest and the most breathtaking market in Bangkok.
Welcome to Khlong Toey canal also known as Nakhon Khions
Toey. This is the largest wet market located at a very busy intersection on Rama IV Road and the Khlong Toey MRT Station.
The market is seemingly endless, and I have explored it for hours. From insects to frogs and more, there is something for everyone here. It’s open just about all day, every day, so venture here whenever you please. The best time to get there is about 4 a.m.
The market is very well organised and divided systematically. I explored the vegetable and fruit section which also houses dry foods and kitchenwares. It doesn’t get fresher than this.
Ok Rong Damnoen: Named after the fruit’s little cleavage, this small-sized beauty packs plenty of sweet flavour when ripe. This mango was designed for mango sticky rice. In Damnoen Saduak district in Ratchaburi province, Ok Rong Damnoen is a variety which is considered the best of the breed, sweeter and more fragrant.
Nam Dok Mai Bang Khla: The fruit named after flower water has a sweet fragrance. The flesh is thick and there is a small seed in the centre. It is best savoured when fully ripe. This fruit originates from Thailand’s biggest growers Bang Khla, Chachoengsao.
Thai tamarind: Tamarind is a very popular souring agent in India as well as in Thai cooking. Another kind of tamarind popular among Thais is the makham wan or sweet tamarind. The fruit grows on a tamarind tree, which can be up to 15-25 metres tall. Both the trees and fruits of tamarind and sweet tamarind look alike. This exotic-looking fruit has a pod-like shape and is often curved.
As the fruit ripens, the brown shell separates from the meat and becomes thin and brittle. When you crack open the shell, you will see sticky brown pulp covering black seeds. It is an excellent snack and also a great laxative much like prunes.
Rose apples: The texture and taste of rose apple is somewhere between a watermelon and an apple. Rose apples can have a slightly bitter after-taste, but this is rarely unpleasant. There are several varieties of rose apples but the most common one in Thailand have light green skin. This variety is available almost year-round while seasonal varieties vary in colour from apple red to almost black.
Rose apples are rich in vitamin A and C and high in dietary fibres. I simply love them. They take me back to the days where I would chomp on a dozen at a time while visiting the Dadar market with my grandfather.
Winged bean: The winged bean plant produces pea-like beans with four-winged edges. Its green pods are best picked when immature so that the pod and beans within can be eaten. The flavour is sweet like many pea varieties, with a clean grassy finish. The leaves have a mild spinach-like flavour and the flower tastes a lot like mushrooms. A very popular salad known as yum tuapu is prepared with beans, boiled eggs and shaved coconut with a spicy coconut dressing.
Heart of coconut palm: Coconut palms are known typically for their coconuts. You can eat and drink the nuts in various stages of development and they are all delicious. But did you know that you can harvest the heart of a coconut palm and eat it as well?
The heart of palm is where the green leaves start to bud from the trunk. Under the woody palm leaf stem is a soft, white centre known as the apical bud. I tried some marinated in coconut milk, lime juice and chillies and had some in an amazing curry with beans and shrimps.
Thai basil: Another unique and enigmatic ingredient of Thai cuisine is the Thai basil. It is much like its European counterpart with a far more forward, aggressive, liquorice taste. It is generally shredded and placed into Thai dishes at the very last moment to preserve its aromatic effect.
Shrimp paste: It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp mixed with salt and then fermented for several weeks. Some versions are in its wet form such as those in Vietnam and other varieties are sun-dried and either cut into rectangular blocks or sold in bulk. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces.
I could spend a lot more time exploring how vegetables like bitter gourd, sponge gourd, pumpkin, beans, cabbage and coriander are used in the Indian kitchen. However, it was time to steer into “not-for-the-faint-hearted section” i.e. meat, fish and poultry. One can find really good cooked food such as seafood curry, pad Thai, fried fish, smoked fish, bokchoy, snow peas, Thai donuts, tom yam soup, grilled meats, fish, squid, sausage and fruits on the grill served with a sweet chilli and lime sauce.
Prawns, parrot fish, snapper and grouper are popular seafood in Thailand. They are great for curries, grilling and all kinds of Thai dishes. My favourite is the deep-fried snapper served with my spicy seafood sauce.
The entire street food affair was a learning experience for me. You realise that these vendors don’t have any refrigeration and have a limited space. They cook in small batches and, so, they have to finish and sell everything before they close.
The operation cycle is less and turnover is within 12 hours. That’s quite a dream!
