No plastic containers for “takeout,” just plastic bags that hold your curries, rice, soups, and noodles. They look like little fish tanks reminiscent of the cheap goldfish you can buy at a carnival.
After a week of going full force–eating everything and trying anything–I can now tell the difference between good tasting and mediocre foods. The first meal that I thought was so good when I arrived in Chiang Mai actually was pretty low on the tasty scale compared to the dishes I’ve had since. I went back to that restaurant one night when I was too lazy to venture out in the rain and discovered that it is possible to have a really bad meal in Thailand.
But the good food? Tonight I traveled to the market I found the first day I rented the bike. I retraced my steps and ventured back in to try new things. The bugs were not there tonight and neither was the banana leaf curry seafood dish I had. (Oh, and I didn’t have maggots the other night. I had caterpillars). I bought spring rolls, 6 for 20 baht (.80) and a banana leaf bowl with a tale end of grilled Mackerel placed inside the bowl, and fresh lime kaffir leaves sprinkled over it with small dried chili peppers on the side–also lightly grilled.
The first bite of the mackerel was very fishy. Then I realized that the lime kaffir leaves and chilies were probably there for a reason. I took another bite of the dish, ate a kaffir leaf, then the entire small chili. Everything changed with that bite. Usually I can’t tell what makes what taste so good, but this meal helped me understand more the Thai cooking spirit of mixing sweet, salty, and spicy together in harmony.
I’ve already grown tired of eating out so much. For the last two nights I’ve been bringing food home and sitting on the porch outside my room. The view overlooks the courtyard of the guesthouse. It’s lovely and just as romantic as it sounds. Tomorrow I am moving to a new guesthouse that will have a kitchen so I can cook. I thought I could hold out for three weeks of no cooking, but it’s just too hard.
I was thinking of taking a cooking course while I’m here, but most cater to tourists. I’m not so interested in the dishes they make. I’ve been taking photos of most of the meals I eat and then writing about them when I am particularly moved. I went to two markets today to look for herbs and spices. I bought a bunch of small bags of spices and have no idea what they are, accept for the ground chili. I would love to bring home the Kaffir leaves. The owner of a breakfast place I frequent told me that the fresh leaves have insects on them and that US customs will not let through. She’s been very helpful actually in my eating exploration. Yo Yo, a tour guide, who hangs out at the vendors across the street from Mountain View has also been helpful when I want to order something particularly interesting. The other night I had a seafood noodle soup with squid, liver, tuna, shrimp, fish balls, and fresh crab. The crab tastes COMPLETELY different than anything I have ever had in the US .
