carriage as the train arrived from Rangoon, begging to be our guide. It seemed like a good idea so off we went in Sweet’s trishaw. He not only found us an inexpensive hotel (where supposedly rich foreigners weren’t supposed to stay) but for the next few days, pedaled us all around Mandalay.
One evening, he kindly invited us to a sort of “pot luck” dinner given in his district. Guests went from house to house, each family offering a different dish, such as fermented tea leaf salad at one home, an amazing soup with shredded banana stem and unidentifiable herbs in another. After my son gorged himself on sweetmeats at the last house, we were taken to see a special show held to raise funds for the local temple. Once again, thanks to the generosity of people I’d never met before, I managed to get recipe tips along with a large dose of Burmese culture.
In Siam Reap, Cambodia, I hired a young man with a motorcycle to be my transport and guide for the few days I stayed there. We met early each morning. The first task of the day for my guide is to pick me up early in the morning to take me a local market where I was introduced to the sort of breakfast he would normally ate. Then it was off to the temples of Angkor and surrounding villages, lunch in a local restaurant, followed by early afternoon nap to avoid the hottest part of the day, then in the evening, off to explore more Cambodian cuisine. Now that’s my idea of a blissful holiday.
I am still overwhelmed by the generosity of cooks, both in private homes and restaurants. I cannot recall ever having been refused to watch cooks as they prepared their food, jotting down notes so I could try to reproduce these dishes when I was back home.
After many years of eating my way around Asia, I admit that much and all as I love Chinese, Malay and Indian food, my palate responds even more to the incredible fragrance of much of the food found in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and, to a lesser extent in Bali. Unlike some of the excellent spicy food of Sumatra in Indonesia and the more subtle seasonings of Javanese cuisine, the food created in what was once called Indochina is drenched in herbal flavors that never fail to delight me. All kinds of herbs (leaves, roots and even flower buds), the tang of fresh lime juice, the bite of chili and above all, a fishy aroma combine to make the sort of food I love best.
This fishy aroma comes in the form of a dried shrimp paste in much of Southeast Asia, from the coastal regions of Burma all the way to Bali. Thai and Vietnamese food cuisines are unthinkable with the more delicate salty fish sauce. An even more pungent fishy seasoning found in parts of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, fermented fish in a thick grayish sauce (padek or prahok). When I realized it was an essential ingredient for a number of Cambodian dishes, I hunted for it in the markets of Phnom Penh, only to be told everyone makes their own or has a regular supplier.
The English friends with whom I was staying suggested I try to buy it from one of the Vietnamese families living aboard their boats in the large Tonle Sap, the lake near Siem Reap which is the jumping off point for the magnificent ruins of the 12th-century kingdom of Angkor. So off I went with a swanky empty jar (coincidentally from the swanky British emporium, Fortnum and Mason). The Vietnamese woman whom I eventually approached to ask for some of the fermented fish from the large glazed jar on the back deck of the boat seem absolutely astonished, but filled my jar and took a few riels in exchange.
Perhaps you are fortunate enough to already have food memories from various parts of Southeast Asia. If not, I hope that cooking some of these recipes will start you on your own voyage of discovery and remembrance.
Wendy Hutton
Essential Southeast Asian Ingredients
Anchovies, commonly know as “whitebait” in the West, are available dried, either whole or cleaned and range in size from about 1/4 in to 2 1/2 in (0.5 cm to 6 cm). They are salted and sun-dried to make a seasoning and snack item. They are particularly popular in Malaysia and Indonesia (where they’re known as ikan bilis and ikan teri respectively). Dried anchovies are often cooked in a little oil to flavor vegetable dishes and soups; instant stock powder made from dried anchovies is now available. If possible, buy cleaned anchovies which have had the head and dark intestinal tract removed; otherwise, you’ll need to snap off the heads and flick out the intestinal tract of each tiny fish with the point of a sharp knife. Check that packets of dried anchovies do not look powdery or stale before buying. Store in a tightly closed container on the shelf.
Basil, Asian (bai horapa in Thai, rau que in Vietnamese) is the most common type of basil used in South east Asia, generally known outside the region as Asian or Thai basil. It has a wonderful aniseed aroma, making it quite different to the common Mediterranean or sweet basil and has medium to dark green leaves with a purple tinge to the upper stems and purplish flower heads. Use regular sweet basil as a substitute if unavailable. Lemon basil, (known in Thai as bai manglak) has smaller, soft pale green leaves and is usually cooked (when the flavor intensifies) rather than eaten raw; unfortunately it is not widely found outside the region. It is not difficult to strike Asian or lemon basil for growing at home; put a few stems in 1/2 in (1 cm) of water in a glass and keep in a sunny spot until rootlets appear from the bottom of the stem. Transfer to a pot of well-dug soil or plant in the garden in a sunny place. You could also plant Asian basil seeds, which are sometimes available in Asian food shops or nurseries.
Bamboo shoots of several types of bamboo are inexpensive and readily available in most of Southeast Asia, very often gathered wild by villagers. Although deep-frozen and dried bamboo shoots are usually available elsewhere, I recommend using canned bamboo shoots if fresh ones are not available. Provided canned shoots are briefly boiled in fresh water before being added to recipes, they have an acceptable flavor and texture.
Banana leaves are indispensable as food wrappers, used to wrap food for steaming or grilling, to provide little trays to hold food for steaming and as a kind of cookie cup for sweetmeats. The moisture within the banana leaf makes a difference to the texture and flavor of the food, but if you can’t find fresh or frozen banana leaf, use aluminum foil. For how to prepare banana leaf, see page 22.
Bean sprouts are made by soaking small, round, green mung beans, then keeping them moist in a warm place until the crisp white shoots emerge 3 to 4 days later. One of the most important vegetables in the region, they are eaten raw, briefly blanched, stir-fried, or made into a pickle. Buy crisp shoots with no sign of green leaves appearing at the seed end. Refrigerate covered in water for up to one week, changing the water each day. Pinch off the straggly tails before using the sprouts and discard any loose black skins, but do not remove the seed heads.
Black Chinese mushrooms (often known by their Japanese name, shiitake) are cultivated in most of Southeast Asia and enjoyed for their firm texture and meaty flavor when fresh. The dried mushroom, often imported from China, is even more widely used and is often preferred for its more intense flavor and keeping ability. Buy dried black mushrooms that do not show any signs of powder under their gills, which would indicate they are deteriorating. Store in a dry place in a closed container. Before using, soak in hot water until they soften; this will range from about 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the thickness of the cap; “flower mushrooms,” which have creamy white streaks making them look a bit like a chrysanthemum, are particularly tough and need a full hour to soften. Discard the stem before using the cap.
