Food V-Logs | Northern Thailand Destinations

[Sundance2020]

Karen Food

MAE HONG SON, THAILAND - On Day 2 of this Karen tribal food tour, Mook and Shikomo took us on a fishing and foraging hike. We started off gathering some fresh tangerines from the orchard before we set off on our trek. We headed to the river to do some stream fishing the Karen way, with a square net fitted with a bamboo frame. It definitely takes some time and effort, but we did catch quite a few small little fish and some tadpoles as well, which we later cooked. We also gathered some wild herbs and vegetables like ferns and pea eggplants. After fishing and foraging for mountain ingredients, we headed to a rice harvesting shack on the side of the mountain to cook lunch. For lunch they pounded up some herbs and spices along with the fish and ferns and roasted them in a bamboo pole. Additionally, one of the most unique dishes they made was a soup made with fermented soy bean, hog plums, cold water, pickled and dried mustard greens, and finally some of the grilled fish for flavoring. It was so unique and refreshing and a flavor you can never forget. It was another day of amazing local Karen tribal food in Thailand thanks to Mook and Shikomo! There’s nothing better than foraging and fishing for food and cooking it on spot - knowing where your food comes from.

[Virus]

Tribal Food

Welcome to Mae Hong Son, one of my favorite provinces in all of Thailand and one of the most remote and culturally diverse regions of Thailand. Today is Day 3 of our Karen food village cooking tour with Khun Mook. Today we’re starting the day with some cooked rice pounded with sesame seeds. Then Mook and Shikomo are making what is one of the ultimate and national dishes of the Karen people - da poh poh or Khao Baue First we steamed some red mountain sticky rice which we then took over to the neighbors house to pound with white and black toasted sesame seeds. We pounded it until smooth and it turned into a paste. It was delicious as is, and also with condensed milk to make it sweet. It’s a great Karen snack or sweet for breakfast or to eat with coffee in the morning. We also had a version made with poppy seeds which was fantastic. Next we cooked one of the national dishes of the Karen people, called da poh poh, or in Thailand they call is Khao Baue. It’s very similar to a deluxe rice porridge, cooked down until fall apart tender and cooked with a variety of vegetables - including a heart of fishtail palm tree, fragrant meat, and dry mustard greens. The unique part of eating this dish is that you eat it as a side dish on top of your steamed rice - not as a bowl of porridge. Additionally, you eat it along with a variety of other spices, chili dips, and unique herbs and vegetables. The most unique vegetable for me was actually a flower that numbs your mouth similar to Sichuan pepper! A fantastic meal and a great time to hang out with Mook and Shikomo in Mae Hong Son, Thailand!

[Sundance2020]

Mae Hong Son Village

Welcome to Muang Pon Village in the northern Thailand province on Mae Hong Son, isolated in the mountains. This village is home to an amazing Shan, or a Thai Yai community who are originally from Myanmar. They have very unique food and ingredients that they use. Today we are focusing on some of the amazing healthy salads of Shan food. Most of the ingredients were harvested right within the backyard or within the surrounding hills of the village. They made a number of different combination salad including chilies, garlic, shallots, and fermented soy bean discs for that boost of plant based umami - which is a huge key to the deliciousness of the food. There was a salad made with lablab or Hyacinth bean, a salad mixed with green young shoots of tamarind leaves - one of my personal favorites - and another salad made with blanched ferns and sesame seeds. They also made a chili dip with roasted tomato and fermented soy beans and a soup with mustard greens and ginger.

[Logan]

Street Food "Deep Fried Papaya" + 500 Meter Bamboo Bridge! | Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son is one of my favorite provinces in Thailand for its amazing scenery and mountains, people groups, and delicious food. Today we’re first eating some local street food and then we’ll cross a long 500 meter bamboo bridge over the rice paddy fields. Khao Sen Ba Kon - First we’re going to eat lunch - a local Shan lunch of khao sen, rice noodles and a tomato stew - paired with an amazing plate of deep fried veggies especially fried papaya. Su Tong Pae Bridge - Perhaps once the longest bamboo bridge in Thailand (I don’t think it is anymore), Su Tong Pae Bridge is a beautiful bamboo bridge which crosses over a rice paddy filled valley from one village to another with access to the Shan temple. It’s a fantastic place to visit when you’re in Mae Hong Son. And that completes a great day of relaxing, eating, and sightseeing in Mae Hong Son, Thailand.

[Sundance2020]

Khon Kaen Streetfood

Khon Kaen is a major city in the Isan northeastern region of Thailand. Today we’re going on a crazy spicy street food tour of Khon Kaen and I will be eating at a legendary beef restaurant, followed by insanely spicy green papaya salad, and a comforting bowl of noodles. Let’s get started eating amazing Thai street food. Prasit Pochana Total price - 950 THB ($28.73) - The first place we went is Prasit Pochana, a legendary meat, especially Isan beef restaurant. They specialize in dishes like Thai crying tiger beef, and jaew hon, an Isan style hot pot. It’s an amazing restaurant, one of the best in Khon Kaen especially if you love meat. Som Tam Parinya. Total price - 380 THB (11.51) - Next up on this Khon Kaen street food tour we headed over to one of Joel’s favorite places to eat Isan / Lao papaya salad, known as the University degree papaya salad - Som Tam Parinya. Their pla ra, fermented fish sauce is a true highlight here. And they pounded us up some insanely spicy combinations. Jay Hong. Price - about 40 THB per bowl ($1.21) - After a crazy amount of chilies for lunch we decided to eat something a little calm and comforting for dinner - noodles.

[Videoking]

Farm to Table Organic Food

About an hour drive from the city of Chiang Mai (still within Chiang Mai province) is the amazing Ori9in farm. Today we’re going on a full tour of the farm but before, we’re eating a farm to table meal on the farm, at Waiting For May. Waiting For May specializes in hyperlocal, organic, sustainable food from the farm. Chef James serves picnic style, where you order the different dishes which are seasonal and a combination of Thai and Western dishes. What immediately stands out about the food is how produce driven it was - not relying on anything that overpowered the natural taste of each vegetable. Also, keep in mind that I ordered the plant based dishes, however they do have a full menu including meat and poultry dishes. Next we met up with Chef James who showed us around Ori9in Farm. It was refreshing to hear how it was started and how their aim is to educate and deliver sincerely organic ingredients, while treating the farmers with the respect they deserve. They also happen to have some ghost chilis and I decided it would be fun to pop a whole one in my mouth… it was fun!

[Videoking]

Pai Streetfood