Tag Archives: southeast asia

Rambutans – a common fruit

Pictured below are rambutans, a very common fruit in this part of the world.  They look pretty odd with all the tendril-like hairs coming off of them, but inside is what I would consider a pretty basic, normal, and tasty fruit.  A suppose the flesh is somewhat similar to a grape. If you’re looking for […]

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Mafai fruit

Another fruit I’ve never seen anywhere else before.  I’m not sure of the English name, but I believe in Thai it’s called มาไฟ [mafai].  Similar to longans in appearance and size, but very sour in taste.  Not exactly my cup of tea.

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Insects galore

You can’t get enough bugs in Thailand, that’s for sure. These choice bits were purchased during a brief stay in Udon Thani, far up in the Northeast of Thailand. The first three photos are small crickets and are called jing riid [จิ้งหรีดทอด]. After that we have a bag of silk worm larva (dakdae [ดักแด้]). Not […]

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Where ant eggs come from

If anyone’s been wondering where they get those ant eggs that are used in several Isaan foods, then here you go. This photo is actually from Laos, but these ants are very common all over Southeast Asia. As you can see the red ants live in trees and kind of stick a few leaves together […]

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The tastiest part of the chicken is…

I just had to snap a photo of this snack from a roadside stand in Laos. It was somewhere between Luang Prabong and Vang Vien, to be specific. I’m not exactly sure what part of this is edible, but there they were, a couple trays full of them, all nicely bundled up. Unfortunately the photo […]

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Ain’t nothing like grilled frogs on a stick

Here’s a tasty snack found in Laos and some parts of Northeast Thailand. Quarter-sized grilled frogs on a stick.  These particular frogs were found on the riverside in Vientiane, where I might add that I also happened to find some of the best and cheapest grilled ribs I’ve ever had.  Pleasant surroundings, too, just sitting […]

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Peanut sprouts

This is an interesting vegetable I’ve had near Phuket in Southern Thailand twice now. Peanut sprouts (tua ngawk [ถั่วงอก], although this is the same as bean sprouts). I think most Westerners have had bean sprouts or alfalfa sprouts, but I had never even heard of peanut sprouts as a food. These ones were slightly pickled […]

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Chicken feet soup

Chicken feet are probably one of the more well-known oddities that are common in Asia. They are actually a very versatile ingredient as they can be put in soups (shown here), salads, and deep-fried, amongst other preparations. To be honest, though, I’m not really sure why people enjoy them. They are hard, crunchy and chewy […]

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