Dried, flattened squid

This is a tasty bar snack with the vendors peddling their wares from push carts while honking their horn to inform other potential customers that they are nearby. These vendors frequently congregate in nightlife areas as these snacks go great with beer. Sometimes you’ll even see a vendor standing outside of a bar serving customers inside through the window so they don’t even need to leave their seat. This is your typical bplaa muuk haeng yaang [ปลาหมึกแห้งย่าง] which means dried, grilled squid.

The vendor’s cart always has a press which they can crank the squid through to flatten them. There are also rows of ‘clotheslines’ where they use clothespins to hang the pieces that are ready fro sale. There is also usually a bag full of tentacles which are not flattened. I really like the smokey, seafoody taste of these squid and the spicy peanut sauce that always comes with them works really well. It’s nice and chewy, not unlike beef jerky. Actually, that’s what I should call this snack: squid jerky. You can also purchase this pre-bagged in seven eleven, but it’s not nearly as good (or cheap) as the fresh stuff.

An alternative to this is non dry grilled squid which is much meatier since it’s not flattened. Vendors selling this are usually less mobile and don’t have the distinct horn. I don’t like these skewers of squid as much, though, because the squid beaks are usually still intact so you have to pick out some hard parts as you eat. They certainly are tasty though.

The body and tentacles

One whole squid

They sure are flattened

Fried minnows

Thai’s love frying stuff and here’s another snack that emphasizes that.  Bplaa siuw tawt [ปลาซิวทอด], or deep-fried minnows, is pretty basic but tasty…if you like fried stuff.  Just pop them in your mouth, a handful at a time.