Cuisine of South East Asia
South East Asia can be a culinary adventure. The cuisine of Thailand, Malaysia or Vietnam is varied and exciting. Here are a few examples of what you can expect to try on a trip to South East Asia.
Top of the list it's got to be Tom Yum Curry - it's in the name! The distinctiveness of this curry soup is its hot and sour quality. Beware of adding extra chillies though, unless you enjoy pain.
Pulling in at a close second is the Malay Banana Leaf Curry. You may be presented with a fresh banana leaf and five to eight little pots containing curries, chutneys and rice. Don't make the common mistake of waiting for a plate and cutlery: in front of you is all you will need. The leaf acts as a plate (surely the most environmentally friendly plate known to man) and you simply scoop up the rice with the accompaniments and tuck in. Wash it down with a lassi: a salty or sweet yogurt-based drink and the perfect accompaniment to your curry.
Skewered locusts. Travel by bus through Vietnam and you will probably be offered skewered locusts through the window. Try them if you have the stomach for it!
If you visit a local person's home in Laos then you may be offered a sip of Lao homebrew rice whisky with a surprise: there is a scorpion in the bottle! It can be deemed offensive to decline this traditional beverage when offered – you have been warned!
It looks icky but it is surprisingly moorish with its sweet and sour taste. Malay Fish head Curry is exactly what is says on the tin. Give it a go and, if nothing else, you'll have a tale to tell back home - or should that be a head?!
About the Author
LJ Marsden is a travel writer and researcher for Roam The World. She caught the travel bug somewhere between the mountains of Patagonia and the temples of Cambodia.
Laotian Cuisine and Sticky rice
lao cuisine
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