| Dining in Chiang Mai, Thailand vs. North | | | | |
| America | | | | As I have said before, the Thai's are known |
| | | | for making anything taste good. |
| George Dowhan | | | | |
| | | | So take fresh ingredients combine that with |
| Begin | | | | rice and special sauces which are the key to |
| | | | the taste and there you have it - Healthy, |
| Foreigners love their hamburgers, French | | | | Tasty, and Inexpensive meals. |
| fries, soft drinks and Thai's just have to | | | | |
| have rice with every meal. But which would I | | | | Top if off with locally grown fresh |
| prefer after living most of my life in Canada | | | | pineapple, watermelon, mango, strawberries or |
| and now having retired to Chiang Mai, | | | | a dozen or more fruits and you have a meal |
| Thailand? | | | | you will enjoy and which is good for you. |
| | | | |
| As with any large city there are an abundance | | | | The funny thing about foods is that whatever |
| of fine restaurants catering to different | | | | you really like is NO GOOD for you. What are |
| tastes and budgets. Chiang Mai is no | | | | your favorites? Cake, pies, French fries, |
| different. Thai people love to eat. | | | | hamburgers, ice-cream. Well they are not that |
| Restaurants are full of Thai's and foreigners | | | | good for you in terms of eating them |
| enjoying all types of cuisine. Rather than | | | | regularly. What do you hate to eat? Broccoli, |
| deal with fine restaurants which we all dine | | | | asparagus, spinach, brown rice, boiled |
| at but not every day this article deals with | | | | chicken. Well these are good for you. |
| the day to day dining of the Thai people here | | | | |
| in Chiang Mai. | | | | So if you come here to Thailand. do try |
| | | | several different types of Thai foods. You |
| Popular restaurants in North America are | | | | may find a soup that you just cannot get |
| Harvey's, McDonalds, and Burger King. Here we | | | | enough of, or a Thai dessert that you have no |
| have the street vendors. The end result is a | | | | idea what it was and which you absolutely |
| quickly prepared affordable meal. | | | | enjoyed, or fresh fish which is abundant |
| | | | here. Prawns, sea bass and more cooked up on |
| The street vendors may sell fresh fruits such | | | | a large plate will leave you wanting more. |
| as pineapple, mango, watermelon, strawberries | | | | |
| (locally grown), and more. Each fruit is cut | | | | I have eaten meals, snacks and fruits sold by |
| up into small pieces and placed in a plastic | | | | small roadside food vendors and never |
| bag and you are provided a long wooden stick | | | | experienced any problems. The ingredients are |
| with which to eat it. Cost is normally 10 | | | | fresh, kept on ice if required and cooking |
| baht which comes to about 25 cents U.S. and | | | | areas cleaned regularly. So I see this as a |
| the fruits are kept cool and are delicious. | | | | safe, inexpensive way to buy snacks and |
| Also vendors here sell fast foods and snacks. | | | | meals. I would recommend that you carry a |
| Get a meal of cooked rice, meat and veggies | | | | bottle of water which can be purchased at |
| again placed in a plastic bag but this time | | | | 7-11 for only 13 cents as you may get a bit |
| wrapped tightly by an elastic band for about | | | | dehydrated especially if you are doing a lot |
| 20 baht or 50 cents U.S. Take your pick of a | | | | of walking and this if anything may be the |
| rice dish, or a noodle dish or a soup. Tasty | | | | cause of a quick jaunt to the rest room. |
| and normally already prepared and wrapped and | | | | |
| still warm or if you want to wait one minute | | | | Are there things that I do not eat that |
| they will take it out of the pot and put it | | | | Thai's eat? Yes there is a fruit called |
| into the bag while you wait. So a cooked meal | | | | Durian, the Thai's just love it but it has |
| and a tasty snack for a total of about 75 | | | | such a foul odor that when I gave it a try I |
| cents U.S. For many Thai's in Chiang Mai this | | | | had to breathe through my mouth. Apart from |
| is there most common meal. They then proceed | | | | the odor it has the texture of a pudding and |
| to drive home, unwrap the elastic, put some | | | | is rich in flavor. What I did not have the |
| rice in a bowl, place several cups of the | | | | courage to try and which I expect would be |
| table with a bottle of water and that is one | | | | healthy to eat was the fried insects. I |
| of their meals. | | | | suppose that it is just a matter of getting |
| | | | used to the sight of them. Perhaps I could |
| We all love fast foods and we all want it to | | | | dine on both the fruit and insects regularly |
| be affordable. That we have in common. What | | | | if I kept breathing through my nose and kept |
| you will find different between here and | | | | my eyes shut while I ate. |
| there is the price, quality and service. | | | | |
| | | | But you should try what we call Suki. It is a |
| Price. The price of meals whether it be at | | | | soup that you cook on your table in a pot |
| restaurants, or street vendors is cheap | | | | with hot coals underneath. You decide on the |
| compared to what we are used to. A filling | | | | ingredients such as chicken, beef, liver, |
| meal can be had for less than a 1US dollar | | | | fish and add them and take them out when they |
| for a meal I described above which includes a | | | | are cooked. Normally the meats go in first as |
| bowl of rice, cooked meal from street vendor | | | | they take longer to cook and then the |
| and fruit from street vendor. For only $2.50 | | | | vegetables. In about 5 minutes you have your |
| U.S. you can dine out at an all you can eat | | | | soup. Two small bowls will accompany the |
| full course buffet, desserts, coffee, tip and | | | | meal. They are both made of hot peppers. One |
| taxes included as well as a tip for the | | | | has the appearance of a green paste and the |
| parking lot attendant The prices are low | | | | other a red paste. You can either dip your |
| because the ingredients are locally grown and | | | | meat or fish into the paste or put a |
| because the labor cost is inexpensive. | | | | teaspoonful into your soup. The green paste |
| | | | is spicy, makes me perspire a bit and gives |
| Quality. The quality of the food is much | | | | me a longing for a cold glass of water during |
| healthier here than back home. Back home KFC, | | | | I eat my soup. The red paste I do not touch |
| McDonalds, and Harvey's are popular lunch and | | | | and would not recommend you try it unless you |
| dinner restaurants. If you think you are | | | | are accustomed to eating it or you are |
| thinking healthy foods there think again. | | | | Mexican. My girlfriend eats her Suki with the |
| Here you do not have the greasy French fries, | | | | green paste and admits to making trips to the |
| Hamburgers stuffed full of ketchup, mustard, | | | | washroom during the middle of the night and |
| onions, mayo and more to hide the taste of | | | | not to brush here teeth. A filling meal for 4 |
| the meat you are eating. Here you eat rice, | | | | people for about $3 U.S. and that includes |
| fresh vegetables, fresh fish, drink water | | | | taxes, tip, and bottled water with a bucket |
| with the meals as opposed to a bucket sized | | | | of ice. |
| plastic container packed full of ice and | | | | |
| watered down sugar flavored soft drink. | | | | Remember how earlier on I said that the |
| | | | Thai's have a reputation for making any food |
| Service. A teenager earning a few extra bucks | | | | taste delicious. That is true. The KEY is the |
| in a fast food restaurant or an adult making | | | | sauce. I do not know what ingredients go into |
| a living out of working full time in a | | | | the sauces but I do know that I was not a |
| restaurant here. Which one would you expect | | | | rice eater and now with I will be scraping |
| to provide the best service? Nothing more | | | | the bottom of each bowl of food that is |
| needs to be said. | | | | served to me. Normal white rice cooked in a |
| | | | rice cooker combined with fried vegetables |
| If you come to Chiang Mai do not go searching | | | | and meat with the special sauce is simply |
| for restaurants that have what you normally | | | | delicious. |
| eat. You may as well stay home and buy a | | | | |
| video about Thailand, or watch a TV program | | | | And if you want to know where I would eat |
| about Thailand. | | | | given the choice now, a fast food restaurant |
| | | | there or a street vendor here? My reply would |
| The foods here are tasty, healthy, and | | | | be a street vendor here. After the meal here |
| inexpensive. | | | | I am filled up, the food is delicious, the |
| | | | fruits are fantastic and prices are so low |
| The basic ingredient in all the meals is | | | | and I feel fitter. |
| rice. Yes rice for breakfast too. I have | | | | |
| never been one for rice. Potatoes was my | | | | Want to learn more about Thai foods. Check |
| staple. But here potatoes are pricey and | | | | out our Thai foods and recipes on our |
| although I admit to buying them and making | | | | website: http.// and they are on the Living |
| potato soup and french fries it is the | | | | in Chiang Mai page. |
| exception and not the rule. | | | | |