Food in Thailand

[bluezephyr]

Before i went to Thailand i had never eaten any dishes other than good old English food, I didnt even like rice. Ever tried Indian or Chinese takeaways

Now i'd rather have a bowl of rice and garlic pork rather than any English meal, Khao pad Gung/Kai/Moo or Talay ' i could probably eat everyday and not get bored of it.
Im just wondering what weird food/ Dish people might reccomend that is actually quite tasty but not really aesthetically pleasing.

I cant eat spicy food though, After a dodgy night eating too many hot things i try and keep away from chillies, I had a taste of some Somtam near the bars and it was like firewater.
Ive tried Horseshoe crab, Wasnt quite the dish i was expecting to see deshelled!.
Ive tried a roasted Larve on the canal road market, One was enough but my friend was wolfing em down like popcorn at the cinema.
I like the balls of meat and fish from the street vendors, Even having a crunchy one in Samui hasnt put me off! (but what was that crunching?? )
I tried a chickens foot, Ive noticed Thais can fiddle with their food, Unfortunately im not that patient knawing on a waste of time!.
Driving up north lots of people sell Rats on the side of the road, I presume theyre cooked and ready for takeaway, Would it be a good idea to even think about eating rats? On the drive back from up north i half wanted my friends Thai wife to stop and buy one just to try a bit.

Whats your suggestion?

My Friends Thai wife had never tried black pudding until she came to England, Said she'd still prefer the chicken blood soup she used to buy from the market

[margaretcarnes]

My landlady used to fetch sticky rice from down South - they would only buy it there. Packed into green bamboo shoots or something similar - you just peeled back the green stuff and scooped out lumps of rice. Lovely!
The blown eggs can be good. Pierced, raw egg blown out and mixed up with seasoning (not spicey) replaced in the shell and baked.
I also love the quails eggs fried in little crispy pastry parcels. Skewers full sold by the roadside vendors. They don't look strange - but taste good.
Omelettes filled with minced pork in the night market, pad thai, the list is endless and non of it spicey. Just stay clear of the soups!
BTW good to hear from someone who is keen to try stuff. So many people just won't

[BaaBaa.]

My landlady used to fetch sticky rice from down South - they would only buy it there. Packed into green bamboo shoots or something similar - you just peeled back the green stuff and scooped out lumps of rice. Lovely!

My GFs mate picked up some of that from a roadside place on the way back from Pattaya once, I didnt know what the hell it was the 1st time I saw it.

[BaaBaa.]

Its a tricky question BZ because they stick Chilli in most things.

My two old faithfuls (if I cant be arsed to choose from the menu) are Penang gai and Grapow Moo.

Matsaman is always a good one and Gairng Garee (Yellow curry) although thats not as widely available down here with it being a Northern dish.

[Chas]

Probably in the minority here, but I just don't like Thai food. It is usually too spicy and/or heavily flavored with fish sauce or other strange (to me) ingredients like blood, etc. ( or that hairy pork stuff)

Of course, I have learned what to order in a restaurant or I would have starved to death long ago!

While not "weird looking". . .Isaan sausage with sticky rice is a favorite of mine, also the yellow rice with chicken that seems to be a Muslim dish. I would recommend both. ( Also the mango/sticky rice dessert is more delicious than you might expect from the look or the description.)

The various fried rice dishes are also OK but I hate the slimy thing they do with vegetables.

Cashew chicken is good but is this even a Thai dish?
Never came across the blown eggs Margaret. Have to look for them. (Not very adventurous when it comes to food.)

And sorry, but I dont see the point of those chewy fish or meat balls, or calamari for that matter as they seem to be just a bland excuse to eat a lot of chilli. They are tasteless without it.

I do like Italian food and Indian food very much and lest you berate me for not just moving to Italy or India, I will add that I am here in Thailand for more important reasons than the local food.

[IHF]

The yellow curry is a southern dishes mostly from malaysia, not hot , with lime juice that makes it sour.

some of the local markets here do sell the yellow curry paste, great if you like a milder curry.

you need to buy massaman from a muslim stall, other restaurants do not know how to get the correct taste.

as some bad recipes, it NEVER has fish sauce or onions in it.

beef or chicken lots of ginger ,potatoes. nice and thick, with a peanut crunch.

[bubbly]

Hoi tod is a favorite of mine. Mussels and sort of beansprouty omlet thingy with a few sauces. Theres a couple of places i know sell it on the night market. 25baht and delicious.
(be careful on asking a lady in Thailand about eating hoi!. It could be taken for something completely different)

[dtaai-maai]

Hoi tod is a favorite of mine. Mussels and sort of beansprouty omlet thingy with a few sauces. Theres a couple of places i know sell it on the night market. 25baht and delicious.
(be careful on asking a lady in Thailand about eating hoi!. It could be taken for something completely different)

We've done that joke before, bubbly, but I do agree with you, it is delicious.

[Randy Cornhole]

I love 'guideo' No not a gay Italian waiter but noodles in a black water with dried pig skin, fish things and green bits floating in it. Its as hot as hades but really tasty. I get it on the street, sold by a lady who sells it to me on request accompanied with money...

[BaaBaa.]

Hoi tod is a favorite of mine. Mussels and sort of beansprouty omlet thingy with a few sauces. Theres a couple of places i know sell it on the night market. 25baht and delicious.
(be careful on asking a lady in Thailand about eating hoi!. It could be taken for something completely different)

We've done that joke before, bubbly, but I do agree with you, it is delicious.

Which one?

[dtaai-maai]

I love 'guideo' No not a gay Italian waiter but noodles in a black water with dried pig skin, fish things and green bits floating in it. Its as hot as hades but really tasty.

Eeee, there's nowt so queer as folk!

[dtaai-maai]

Which one?

The mussels and sort of beansprouty omlet thingy, of course!

[Randy Cornhole]

I think there is one thing wer'e all agreed on, and that is you cant beat a tasty bit of thingy...

[STEVE G]

Hoi tod is a favorite of mine. Mussels and sort of beansprouty omlet thingy with a few sauces. Theres a couple of places i know sell it on the night market. 25baht and delicious.
(be careful on asking a lady in Thailand about eating hoi!. It could be taken for something completely different)

That’s a favourite of mine as well, at night there is a stall selling a good one outside the Chinese supermarket at the junction of Petchakasem and soi 56.

[margaretcarnes]

Thanks guys for the good Hoi Tod guide!
Strange though how opinons on Thai food differ so much. I don't think that much of it is too spicey at all. In fact often quite bland, but with the little bowl of chilli sauce on the side to add to your own taste. Maybe just the more farang used eateries do it this way? I've certainly had problems getting food served hot enough (spice wise that is, we all expect it to be served cold temp wise don't we!)
Chas - maybe the 'strange taste' is in fact fish sauce. It's quite pungent. As is okra, although thats used more in Indian meals.
IHF - would be interested to hear your version of an authentic Massaman curry. I used to use the Lobo mix, with meat, potato and sometimes tomato added. Never onion as you say. But like to add some fresh chilli. Its very difficult to find in England, although we can get the Penang curry mix.