Patongko and Salapao (Fried Dumplings)

Patongko is usually available in the mornings and a breakfast food and is usually taken with fresh soybean milk. This would be very much like what Pan de Sal (bread with salt) is like to Filipinos.

Patongko dough is rolled and sliced into short strips. A pair of strips pressed together in the middle make one patongko. When fried they look very much like chromosomes. A variant is the giant patongko.

Another fried dumpling is salapao (which to us is siopao) but does not come with any filling. The dough mix for making salapao is slightly sweeter than the patongko dough. I prefer the salapao but try not to have it often to cut down on my oil intake.

Some vendors sell patongko along with a very thick and sweet dip called sangkayah. This condensed milk with pandanus extract dip unfortunately has the look and consistency of that thing coming out of small children’s noses.

Grilled Dried Squid

Eating dried squid is an acquired taste. You certainly would not want to order dried squid when you are eating in an air-conditioned room.

Dried squid vendors usually come out at night and wait for customers from beer gardens and restaurants that are open late at night. The strong smell and salty taste probably kicks people awake.

But eating grilled dried squid is only slightly better than having your teeth pulled. So it has to be prepared properly – as the Thais have learned.

Grilling softens the dried squid and takes only around one minute. Immediately after grilling, the squid are passed through a roller-press to stretch the dried squid – almost like it was chewing on the dried squid.

The squid and a peanut and chili dip are placed in a paper bag and taken away.

Next…

Kluay Khao Mao

Kluay Khao Mao (กล้วยข้าวเม่า)

A delicious snack if you are not watching your weight. Kluay Khao Mao is a banana (Kluay - กล้วย) and sticky rice (Khao Mao - ข้าวเม่า) snack.

Before, I ramble on about this delicious treat, let me explain what Khao Mao (ข้าวเม่า ) is. Khao mao comes from immature (almost mature) sticky rice. Un-husked sticky rice grains are roasted in a pan and then pounded while still hot. After separating the rice husk, you are left with flattened greenish rice grains called Khao Mao.

Khao Mao is prepared by adding a binder to make it able to form a jacket covering the ripe bananas. At this point, you can let your imagination fly. You could add sesame seeds, vanilla flavor, strips of jackfruit or anise seeds. Deep fry and drain excess oil. Garnish with grated coconut, sesame seeds or cane sugar.

This snack really rocks but is kind of difficult to find. So when you do find it along the street – make sure to get some of these babies and have fun!

Thai Crepe

Crepe is a very popular snack in Thailand. Of course it did not originate in Thailand but that is what makes Thailand so fascinating. Lots of Thais go abroad for holidays or to work as construction laborers or farm hands. When Thais see a good thing abroad, they take it back and make it their own. Crepe is one of those things.

What Thais put inside the crepe is what makes Thai crepe unique. There could be orange

marmalade, strawberry jam, chocolate syrup,

slices of hotdogs, savory shredded pork, different types of chili paste like nam prik ong which is made from toasted chili peppers – Yum!.

Imagination is the only limit.

Batter is poured over the pan and spread around using a flat wooden tool that looks like a small rake. The fun begins when the buyer decides what to put in there. The crepe is folded twice and placed into a paper holder.

Happy buyer gave me a smile intrigued that I was fascinated with something as ordinary as a crepe. To me, everything is fascinating.

Deep Fried Tofu and Assorted Vegetables.

This is a popular snack among Thais. Sweet potato, yam (gabi) and sweet corn kernels are sliced into small cubes and mixed with batter. The mixture is scoped up using metal ladels shaped like hockey pucks and immersed into hot oil. The deep fried snacks are placed in a strainer to cool down. This is usually served with a sweet - albeit spicy (everything seems to be spicy in Thailand) syrup.

Often, Thais will buy tofu with this assorted vegetable pucks. Thais call this Taohu-Song Kruang.