Posts Tagged ‘Street Food’

Taking Street Food to Another Level

IDsteve,

Take a walk around any big city, London to New York to Narnia, and you’ll see that street food is all the rage these days. Never mind the fact that people around the world have been eating out of carts for centuries; when white people in places like Austin start to take note of its “charm” and willingly fork over $10 for a taco, you know street food has arrived. Sadly, they can try every one of those $10-a-plate carts in every city in America, and they’ll never find anything as good as what can be had for a tiny fraction of that price on the streets of Bangkok.

Thailand is notorious for street food, as it suits the local culture in so many ways. First, Thai people generally don’t eat three square meals a day, instead preferring to have many more small meals. Second, these are a social people, generally preferring to meet outside rather than staying in the home. And finally, Thais are sticklers for cleanliness—obviously an important factor when eating a few meters away from speeding motorcycles and trucks.

Furthermore, you can find just about anything on the streets here, though there’s a good bet that it will have undertones of fish sauce and red chilies. Given the international nature of Thailand and its cuisines, the mixture of culinary traditions from throughout Asia and even the Middle East leaves room for plenty of creative concoctions.

While small dishes rule the roost, my personal favorites are larger meals, often cooked up on the sidewalks of regular restaurants after they are closed for business for the day. Picture anything you’ve ever ordered at your local Thai restaurant (except for pad thai, which of course seems targeted more towards unsuspecting white people), and it is available here in abundance, with only fresh, local ingredients, for about $2 USD.

Street food here is neither boutique-trendy nor low-quality. It’s just a normal part of the local food culture, and you’re stomach will probably be best suited here if you never set food inside an actual restaurant.

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IDthailand: Doggie Heaven

IDsteve,

If you spend more than $100 a week on your dog, allow it to sleep in your bed, or otherwise treat your dog better than you would a child, stop reading now, before you realize that all of that money you’re spending, extra cleaning you’re doing or ridiculous care you’re giving is more for your benefit than the dog’s.  Do you really think the dog cares that he’s eating ‘premium’ dog food? Do you think the dog wouldn’t sleep just as well outside, or in the living room? Garage?

Where did I learn this?  Thailand.  Go see for yourself.

See, Thailand is full of stray dogs.  It’s also heaven.  For dogs.
First of all, forget grooming. It doesn’t matter what you look like. What dog likes a bath?
No baths.
Next, forget dog food. What dog would prefer dog food to table scraps?
Only table scraps.
One of the first things you notice in Thailand is the abundance of street food. Throughout most of Thailand, you literally can’t walk a few meters without passing some kind of grilled meat, squid, sliced pineapple, mango, fruit juice, watermelon, nut or pancake.

Thai Chicken

One of the next things you notice in Thailand is the abundance of stray dogs.  Everywhere.
Thai Stray Dogs
I’ve always been afraid of stray dogs, probably dating back to a memory I have clear as yesterday of being chased from the grocery store all the way back to my grandmother’s doorstep in sleepy Spencer, Massachusetts, when I was, oh, six years old. It’s probably no wonder why stray dogs in America are cold and violent, because we’re all afraid of them, and judge them for lack of grooming. In Thailand, though…it almost feels as though every dog on the street is the community’s dog, and they’re all treated as such.
Street food in abundance, stray dogs in abundance…you do the math:
Thai Dogs Awaiting Lunch
So you tell me where dogs are happier…here in the States (or any number of other ‘advanced’ societies) with our extra premium crap cooked up by a ‘chef’ who calls himself “Woofgang,” or the land of opportunity where dogs eat food fit for kings.  You choose…”Eatables” or papaya salad!!
A Western Dog Favorite
Papaya Salad