Omnivorous

I’m taking you with us on a longboat trip (as opposed to a long. boat. trip.) out to the floating market, a short distance outside Bangkok. Sit back, careful you don’t get splashed by the wake of the other boats. That greenery you see floating in the water washes down the river in big clumps when the tide is high. I asked if it was edible and were the farmers losing their crops, but our guide told us it is fed for animals. Some of the houses we saw were “water front”, but mostly what we saw was just the backs.

Our first encounter with a vendor of the floating market was this woman selling knick-knacks. We bought a couple of little things, thinking that we could pick up others when we got to the market. Unfortunately the market isn’t actually “floating” any longer.

As we approached the marketplace we saw this little old lady paddling towards us. She looked about a hundred years old but probably stronger and more fit than I am having paddled these waters all those years.

The few other boats we saw were moored next to a restaurant and was used as the kitchens! I’ve been whining and whining about my horrible tiny kitchen, and little counter space. Everything here on the boat is truly within arms reach! No need either for the annoying hood fan buzzing in your head, sounding like you’re cooking in an airplane, nor alot of kitchen clean-up necessary. . .  not so bad a set up really.

Ok, so the next time your standing at the supermarket deciding between chicken or pork, salad or broccoli; or in the kitchen with your head in fridge wondering what to fix for dinner, here are some ingredients you probably haven’t considered, or ever seen, or would consider even if they were available to you. Have you seen the show “Bizarre Foods”, or followed Anthony Bourdain on his eating/traveling adventures? We live some of those episodes, only we don’t actually eat!

If your kids won’t eat that pork chop or brussels sprout, imagine trying to get your kids to eat these. There isn’t enough ketchup in this world to cover this kettle of stew. I guess if the bugs are crunchy enough, they might be ok with a lot of ketchup. I don’t want to know.

Really, here are some actually appetizing foods, some in their original “wrappers”. We are so distanced from where our food is grown, and rarely see it before processing that we don’t know how they started out with the exception of our fruits, i.e., bananas, apples, berries, citrus, etc., which look like they do on their trees and vines. The exotic red and green fruit is called Dragon fruit. The flesh is white, speckled with little tiny black seeds; there is a red version too. Sweet, not too soft but not crunchy either.

Coconuts, and coconuts charred after the green outer shell is removed. Did you know that more people are killed by falling coconuts than any other means in countries where the coconut tree is abundant?!

Fresh beans and greens –

Pink colored eggs that are ready for Easter. I think they were dyed. You can even buy pre-fried eggs.

Ingredients wrapped in leaves, or corn still wrapped in their husks both look pretty yummy.

After reading “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, and starting on “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”, I’m envious of the people who have access to these foods; fresh, in their natural state, and from local farmers. Ok so they eat those parts that we wouldn’t consider edible, but they don’t waste anything; and I’m willing to bet, but not actually taste, their cooking methods make those “parts” just as delicious. At least they can pronounce all the ingredients. We didn’t have time to eat here, and our friends are leery of trying things from the market, but I have to admit the aromas were inviting and I would have ventured at eating some of them.

Meat on a stick over a brazier, what’s not to like?

The two ubiguitous ingredients that make Thai cooking, most all Asian cooking, and most all cuisines of the world delicious: garlic and chili peppers.

And when you’ve finished everything on your plate – dessert, or an afternoon pick-me-up. Can you go wrong with a crepe filled with marshmallow fluff and dried fruit? Or pop-in-your-mouth sugary candy drops?

Further along in the market are flower/plant vendors, and your ever popular pet-of-the-month: well one of them I consider a pet, the other . . . At least I think they were sold as pets.

Time to forage in the fridge for our dinner ingredients, bon appetit!