- LATEST ISSUE OF OUR PRINTED MAGAZINE
- As Corny as Thailand in August
- Michael Moore details the unique ways Thais have incorporated corn into their Thai diet.
- Restaurant Review - Sakura
- Lovers of Japanese food are Spoiled for Choice at Sakura, according to reviewer Sumi Davies.
By Michael Moore
I'm as corny as Kansas in August,
I'm as normal as blueberry pie.
Lyrics from "A Wonderful Guy"
Even though it's a long way from the plains of Kansas, Thailand has incorporated corn into its way of life in a remarkable variety of ways. At first blush this might seem extraordinary, but it really isn't. When it comes to food, much of what the Thais hold dear to their hearts originated in other parts of the world.
But this doesn't mean the country's cuisine is borrowed from other cultures. In fact, Thai food–as most quickly discover–is unique. This is not because of the ingredients used, however, but because of the ways in which they're prepared. What the Thais do with maize, or corn as it is known in the United States, is a classic case in point.
If you doubt the popularity of corn in Thailand, a stroll down any street or soi in Phuket will change your mind. You'll quickly encounter giant aluminum steamers filled with big, mature ears of corn, many with the husk pulled back invitingly to reveal the bright yellow kernels. When a customer asks for some of this kaopot neung, the corn is husked and dunked in a container of salty and sometimes sweetened water. The corn is then either taken away while still on the cob or cut from the ear and placed in a plastic sack.
Street vendors selling barbecued corn–kaopot ping–are almost as popular as those selling the steamed variety. The ears are husked and then grilled over charcoal until the kernels are dark brown and chewy. As the corn is cooked, it is sometimes sprinkled with salt and dabbed with coconut milk to keep it from drying out too much.
In the United States, where "corn on the cob" is almost as sacred as Mom and Apple Pie, quality is determined by tenderness and sweetness. The Thais–who invariably answer to their own drummer–enjoy their corn sweet, but tenderness is definitely not a sought-after trait in their steamed and barbecued corn. In fact, they seem to enjoy it more when it is chewy, a quality they often seek in the foods they eat.
Some of the most distinctive Thai ways of using corn are found in sweet dishes. Vendors, for example, often surprise Westerners by using kernels of corn as a topping on the 10 baht "sundaes" they make at the dry ice-cooled carts they push around the country. Corn is also sometimes an ingredient in the coconut milk "ice cream" sold by these same vendors. And now that quality Western-style ice cream is being made and sold by Thais, it's possible to find corn-flavoured ice cream, a taste you're not going to find at your local Baskin Robbins outlet. To many foreigners, corn and ice cream don't seem to mix, but to Thais it is as normal as blueberry pie.
Corn is also one of the most popular items with vendors and restaurants selling liquid Thai style desserts. In these sweet dishes, a variety of tasty little tidbits soaked in sugar syrup flavoured with jasmine essence or in coconut milk sweetened with palm sugar are poured into a bowl that often contains crushed ice. Corn is one of the most popular of the tidbits, and is particularly popular when combined with sugar syrup, but it is also frequently eaten with sweetened coconut milk.
Khanom krok is a Thai specialty enjoyed by almost everyone who tries it. These little snacks are particularly delicious in the morning as an accompaniment to a cup of coffee. You find them being prepared by street vendors on an iron griddle containing numerous concave moulds. A batter featuring coconut milk is poured from a pitcher into the indentations. The sweet variety often contains shredded coconut and kernels of corn, while the savoury batter includes chopped scallions. The griddle is covered while the little half- spheres cook until brown on the bottom. The vendor then places one half-sphere on top of another, forming little balls that make a delightful snack.
If you enjoy corn fritters or corn cakes, by all means try the Thai variety if you can find them. They are frequently, but not always, made by blending the corn with chilli paste, so they are likely to be spicier than what you're used to. When made with chilli paste, they are likely to be called tod man kaopot. Without the fire, they're often described as "corn cakes". Both varieties are delicious, and make a great accompaniment to a cold beer.
Interestingly, corn such as that found frozen or in cans in the West is not eaten as a standard vegetable dish by the Thais. The reason for this could be that fresh baby corn–those sweet little ears most people associate with Chinese cooking - is very popular in Thailand. It appears in a host of stir fried dishes, and is particularly popular on Phuket when stir fried with the island's fabulous shrimp. It's also tasty when fried with straw mushrooms and chunks of chicken, a dish that, served with a plate of rice, makes an excellent lunch.
It is this baby corn that tempts one to change Oscar Hammerstein's lyrics to "I'm as corny as Thailand in August". Baby corn, which is produced by harvesting cultivars of sweet corn just as they are about to begin maturing, is a major product in Thailand. In fact about 70 percent of the fresh and canned baby corn on the international market comes from Thailand, making baby corn big business and a valuable source of foreign revenue for Thailand. In 1993, Thailand exported 36,600 metric tons of the stuff, and any way you look at it, that's a lot of corn.
The reason for Thailand's success is that growing, harvesting and preparing baby corn for export is labour intensive. Mechanical techniques don't work well with baby corn, and Thailand, with large amounts of relatively inexpensive labour, is well suited to producing it. In recent years, however, labour costs have begun to rise in the Kingdom, and countries like Indonesia are starting to take a larger share of the market. This is a trend that will probably continue, but it certainly isn't going to affect the amount of corn consumed by the Thais themselves.
Corn, a native of the Western hemisphere, has found a home in Thailand. The Thais eat it in a variety of imaginative ways, as might only be expected of their delightful cuisine. As you tour the Kingdom, try some of the ways Thais eat corn, and discover why Thailand just might be as corny as Kansas in August.