Laos and Back

The paths I walked in Laos and Thailand have returned me to my home once agian. It's been quite a ride literary and figuratively. A sensory overload of sorts. I am refreshed in body and spirit, jet lag not withstanding.

The depth of the experience is heightened by the solo journey that's undertaken. While taking in a totally foreign culture anyone will learn quite a bit about themselves. By removing everything familar and comfortable forces one to look at the simpliest things in a whole new way. This new way of seeing things has a ripple effect. Often with profound result.Any personal journey, a walkabout as the Aussies say is something I highly recommend to everyone. It doesn't have to be a far off land you can find yourself anywhere.

I came to SE Asia as I always do for the food and I got a whole lot more. I took in a deeper understanding and respect for the Buddist culture, the importance of it's food in ritual, celebration, and everyday life and how it relates to the their environment in what is available to eat. Thai/Lao peoples of Northern Thailand and Central/Northern Laos have less arrible land and that means a much poorer people. To say protein sources are varied would be an understatement. From wasp and ant larvae to the most succulant river fish. What flys, walks, slithers, swims, or crawls is fair game. This is the land people like to talk about, you know where bugs, bats, rats, snakes are all fair game because they have something we all need. Protein. That doesn't mean we have to eat it of course! I'm sure if it was all you had you would eat it too, just like me and everyone else. In this region those fortunite enough to snare a pig, chicken, fish or whatever eat the whole animal. Nothing goes to waste.

No worries, I do not intend to adopt these policies at TMC because we all by the grace of God don't have to. I chose the Mekong region to spend my time and that meant fish was always on my menu and ate it often. That is not all I ate of course. I sampled many dishes, cooked a few, and plan to cook quite a few more in the weeks to come. Immersing myself in true Thai/Lao food taught me not only a few new dishes, I retasted many that I have made for you all before. It has retuned my tastebuds reorienting them to what they should taste like. I also got to appreciate new face to Thai food. As different as both sides of the River Mekong. Lao food.

In a couple Thai dishes I sampled laarp and tom yum for example, both I have made many times, there are subtle changes caused by giving a different spin to virtually the same ingredients. This is also clearly evident in som tom, the famous papaya salad I first tasted in Chaing Mai, in Northern Thailand.

Lao food is generally less spicy than Thai, giving your palette more room to explore the other flavors present. Bitter ingredients were used I never saw in Thailand, and more sweet and sour flavors are also heightened.

You will see other changes at Thunder Mountain Curry. Some will be so subtle you may not even notice some will more bold. Some you may like and some you may not. As always we welcome and appreciate your feedback! I look forward to cooking for you soon.

I'm still assimilating everything and collating a lot in my sleep deprived mind. As promised pictures and videos coming soon.

Here's cooking to you,

Mike.