Which Thai foods not aleady popular in your home country could be?

[gaysexbyproxy]

I grew up in a college town in the eastern U.S. (Chapel Hill, NC) with about 70,000 people but three or four Thai restaurants. I used to think they were great--recent research has proven otherwise 555--but the variety of popular foods at those Thai places was limited.

Phad Thai, done innumerable ways. Tom yum, the same. Weak versions of standard curries. Fried rice, sometimes with omelettes. Unimaginative noodle soups. Stir fries that now I know weren't authentic at all, just with Thai names. Fried and unfried springrolls. Satay. Mango sticky rice for dessert. Singha beer. That's about all I can remember. There weren't many ethnic Thais in the area, but people were generally open to Asian cuisine dumbed-down to local tastes.

Got me thinking, which Thai foods do I know now that might be a hit back home if they were promoted the right way? For example, I'd never tried som tum before in my life until I came to TH, just didn't know about it and 'papaya salad' always sounded like fruit salad to me, not high on my agenda those times I noticed it.

My list:

-Khao soi ...people love curry, soup, and crunchy foods, and very customizable

-Som tum Thai ...perhaps done with cucumber 'tum daeng' and light on the chilies

-Phad gaeng kiawan ...never saw curries and fried rice dishes combined, also yelow curry with seafood like soft-shelled crab

-Nam tok moo ...think this could be popular by itself or as a fusion crossover food, imagine nam tok moo or larb moo tacos

-Phad se u ...phad Thai minus the tamarind and peanuts with a soy sauce flavor and different style of noodles people would probably like

sorry about the poor tranliterations... What do you think?

[SpicyMartin]

The thing is, most conservative eaters who've never been to Thailand will miss out on a huge variety of wonderful dishes purely because of the reputation Thai food has of being "too spicy" (meaning, to said conservative eaters, too hot).

I remember coming back to London in the early '90's with my first Thai future ex wife.... she promptly got a job in one of the better Thai restaurants in the West End and always commented on the absolute waste of good food by customers.

This was at a time when there were only 2 flights per week of fresh imported fruit and veg by Thai International: a time when a single Thai pineapple cost 15 quid and vegetables like "maccheua" (Thai eggplant that goes in gaeng khiew waan and the smaller one that goes in gaeng penang) were incredibly expensive. And people would just leave it all on the side of the plate because they didn't know what it was!

So in answer to the OP: ALL of them would and should be more popular in your home country, providing the restaurant does a responsible job of explaining that "Thai food" or "curry" doesn't have always have to be synonymous with "hot."

[somtamslap]

I always thought larb in pitta bread would go down nicely after pub closing, as well as hearty trays of pad kaprow moo gob.

[9999]

laab for sure, I've made laab pizza. Also Kapow pork / beef - it doesn't need to be spicy to be tasty.

[SpicyMartin]

I always thought larb in pitta bread would go down nicely after pub closing, as well as hearty trays of pad kaprow moo gob.

One of my fave breakfasts we used to do at the cafe was called "Ranch-hands Breakfast: fried egg, baked beans, mashed potato...... and a whole pile of moo sam chan grob! Aroi mak mak!

[Loy Toy]

I reckon a mild spicey Somtum polomide (fruit) which is the conventional Somtum Pok Pok mixed with fresh prawns and sliced apples and other fruits of your choice.

They serve it at Preechar's Restaurant on Bang Saray beach and it is really delicious.

[aging one]

Isaan food, barbecued chicken, Grilled pork, kor mu yang, somtom, nham toke, and lahb, I all think would go over very well served with real quality sticky rice, and that great sauce nam chin jeow. Really never been seen much back in the west. College kids would be the target. Out of a truck the old style way that is coming back. No hoity toity stuff for me.

[somtamslap]

Aroi mak mak!

Sounds it! That would hit the spot right about now.

I'd also introduce sticky rice to the menu and encourage people to mop up the left over residue with it. Be nice and novel back home.

[somtamslap]

Problem with somtam is that papayas in the west are too expensive. Fiver (sterling) a pop, so I heard.

[buriramboy]

Problem with somtam is that papayas in the west are too expensive. Fiver (sterling) a pop, so I heard.

That's about right obviously depends on weight and only ever seen them in a few Asian shops and even at that price they don't last long when they arrive, maybe i should look into importing them and get them into Tesco's etc!!!!!

[somtamslap]

That's about right

Madness. I've jut picked one of a tree. For free. To throw at a cat.

[Zooheekock]

Problem with somtam is that papayas in the west are too expensive.

You can make it with carrots.

Nam tok moo ...think this could be popular by itself or as a fusion crossover food, imagine nam tok moo or larb moo tacos

I made it a few times for people when I was in England and it was always popular, as were most types of yam/ยำ as long as I cut back on the chillies. The sauce you get with khao man gai/ข้าวมันไก่ is great with grilled mackerel. Naim neuang/แหนมเนือง would be popular (though maybe that's more Vietnamese) and I think khanom jeen/ขนมจีน might be too - it's not too spicy.

[aging one]

Problem with somtam is that papayas in the west are too expensive. Fiver (sterling) a pop, so I heard.

England. A buck a pop in the US at West Coast Asian stores. But not all year round. You see some carrot somtom. yuck,
Sticky rice, great minds and all that.

[somtamslap]

You can make it with carrots.

Or swede, or cucumber, or mango, or turnip, or anything really. But it wouldn't be authentic grub.

[Zooheekock]

You could make it with swede but it'd be inedible. On the other, if you make it with carrots you can (a) eat it and (b) claim it's the same as the ส้มตำแครอท they sell down the road.

[somtamslap]

ส้มตำแครอท

Never seen it - and I although it probably tastes good,I'd assume it would lack in aesthetics unless you add a load of greenery to it.

I'd be happy to dish this little spread up in the west:

[somtamslap]

This would be like a red rag to a bull after 10 pints of Kronenberg:

[Zooheekock]

Pak beung grob/ผักบุ้งกรอบ and pla deuk fuu/ปลาดุกฟู are another two that might do OK. The sweet mango & peanut sauce you get with the pla deuk is great and it's not too spicy and the pak beung is a bit like tempura so people might go for those.

[Dillinger]

Are we targetting people falling out of pubs ?

Do you really think any Tha dish can do battle with this ?


Only 15 ringit tii
Good luck with your Thai peasant food fellas
Burp..

[alitongkat]

i also think, you might get some people to try the thai food, but it will never really get a foot down in the rest of the world...

this rampage in a pan isnt everyones liking... if you see that muslim food, its a bread (something cross as a side dish), then a spicy but tasty sauce which doesnt feel like acid and some rice, potatoes plus usually some grilled meat - thats the basic thing, and all is better more tasty - and especially - there is some more dining or taste "experience" involved (a meal of a variety of things, tastes and textures...)

this all-in-a-pan-fry-with-oil is too boring...

there is a choice of italien, mexican, middle eastern, spanish, indian, african, chinese, japanese and whatever food, including the mixes of europe...

[Zooheekock]

you might get some people to try the thai food, but it will never really get a foot down in the rest of the world...

Do you have a daily target for these kinds of posts?

[alitongkat]

what if there was a thai-fast-food in europe, with typical thai food and its typical preparation.... and the food and its nutritional values would be checked and scrutinized as a mcdonalds...

they might close within 24 hours...?

[somtamslap]

this all-in-a-pan-fry-with-oil is too boring...

No frying for Isaan tucker. At all.

[Marmite the Dog]

There are a few Thai flavours that do well in some western foodstuffs, such as the curry pastes in burgers and laab in a variety of mince based dishes.

As for new Thai dishes becoming popular, I can't see it because apart from a few Royal Thai dishes (curries, stuff in batter/breadcrumbs, etc) Thai food is crap.

[DrAndy]

you might get some people to try the thai food, but it will never really get a foot down in the rest of the world...

you are joking?

the Thai restaurants near my place in London are very popular, even when the dishes are dumbed down for western tastes

quite expensive too

There was a small place opened just a block from me; the wifey was Thai and her mother helped her in the kitchen (or v-v)

they charged very little thinking that those prices were expensive already. The place was very basic, white walls, fluorescent lights etc, formica tables

but great food, authenti ctoo

slowly they improved, tableclothes, softer lighting, menus, knives, spoons and forks made of thick metal etc etc

the prices went up a bit and they were always full

then the wife and husband fell out and it all went to pot, a real shame, then it closed