Jack Sprat: fishy Thai and Vietnamese
[2008-7-18]
Tag : dried carrot
Travelling in Thailand and Vietnam last month I started eating fivemeals a day. Greedy, yes, but it was also good manners. East Asianslike to eat every three or so hours. And that's not snacking: atypical on-the-road lunch was a salad of green papaya, cashews anddried shrimp; some greens stewed in garlic and oyster sauce; a fishboiled whole at the table in a stew of herbs, onion and bittergourd. All with rice, of course.
As ever in Asia, everything arrived from the kitchen when it wasready, straight into the middle of the table for our group to digin. It was relaxed and friendly. All that starter, entrée,your order, my order palaver when Westerners dine out seems sostiff by comparison. And, although they seem to eat an awful lot,there's no question that the South-East Asian way is healthier.Well, you don't see many fat Thais. The other key ingredient that they use is fish sauce. Most Britsview it rather as our grandparents did garlic - foreign and smelly.How we miss out. Fish sauce is unbeatable for giving depth offlavour to so much that's otherwise bland. If you're poor in Asia,“fish water” and chilli may be the only way of addingsome excitement to the rice or cassava you depend on for yournutrition. It's pretty good on chips too.
The essence of fermented fish may be the world's most ancientcondiment. The Romans knew it as garum, and the poet Martial writesof how delicious it is if made from the blood of still-livingmackerel. He also cautions against kissing girls just after somefish sauce has been eaten. The nearest British equivalent is Lea& Perrins Worcestershire sauce. You need to take a magnifyingglass to the label to find out that its key ingredient is anchovy.In any case, it's too horrid to use for anything except BloodyMarys.
One of the problems is that the imported fish sauce in our shopswas never very good. Pseudo-Oriental labels have been pumping outbland, sweet and madly overpriced fish sauces for years: few cooksbother unless the recipe demands it. There are better productsaround now: the Thai Squid Brand (though that's not what it's madefrom) is a pretty good basic.
Travelling in Thailand and Vietnam last month I started eating fivemeals a day. Greedy, yes, but it was also good manners. East Asianslike to eat every three or so hours. And that's not snacking: atypical on-the-road lunch was a salad of green papaya, cashews anddried shrimp; some greens stewed in garlic and oyster sauce; a fishboiled whole at the table in a stew of herbs, onion and bittergourd. All with rice, of course.
As ever in Asia, everything arrived from the kitchen when it wasready, straight into the middle of the table for our group to digin. It was relaxed and friendly. All that starter, entrée,your order, my order palaver when Westerners dine out seems sostiff by comparison. And, although they seem to eat an awful lot,there's no question that the South-East Asian way is healthier.Well, you don't see many fat Thais. The other key ingredient that they use is fish sauce. Most Britsview it rather as our grandparents did garlic - foreign and smelly.How we miss out. Fish sauce is unbeatable for giving depth offlavour to so much that's otherwise bland. If you're poor in Asia,“fish water” and chilli may be the only way of addingsome excitement to the rice or cassava you depend on for yournutrition. It's pretty good on chips too.
The essence of fermented fish may be the world's most ancientcondiment. The Romans knew it as garum, and the poet Martial writesof how delicious it is if made from the blood of still-livingmackerel. He also cautions against kissing girls just after somefish sauce has been eaten. The nearest British equivalent is Lea& Perrins Worcestershire sauce. You need to take a magnifyingglass to the label to find out that its key ingredient is anchovy.In any case, it's too horrid to use for anything except BloodyMarys.
One of the problems is that the imported fish sauce in our shopswas never very good. Pseudo-Oriental labels have been pumping outbland, sweet and madly overpriced fish sauces for years: few cooksbother unless the recipe demands it. There are better productsaround now: the Thai Squid Brand (though that's not what it's madefrom) is a pretty good basic.
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