Khao Soi: The Legacy of the Spice Trade in Chiang Mai
by JG Learned
Spices today are largely taken for granted, whether we use them or not. Walk into a supermarket and shelves of prepackaged spices await us. Where they came from or how they got there, and even the modest price, is of little concern. It's simply a matter of taste. This was not always so. In mediaeval Europe spices were only available to the very wealthiest. They were used not only for flavoring, but because the options for preserving food that we have today did not exist, spices were used to mask the unpleasant odors of long past fresh food.
Spices
We cannot even imagine the value of spices in those days. They were a commodity worth their weight in, and even surpassing that of gold! They reached Europe only after months of perilous journeys, by land and sea, from the ends of the earth. For a handful of pepper, slaves were bought and sold. A few sticks of cinnamon were worth a commoner's yearly wage.
For nearly a thousand years Arab traders controlled the monopoly
on the spice trade. Heavily armed camel caravans traversed vast deserts, crossed
rugged mountain ranges and came frequently under attack by bandits. Wooden
ships sailed with the seasons navigating only by stars and the most basic of
charts, braving pirates, storms and every imaginable uncertainty. If fortune
smiled, they returned to their homeports in the Red Sea and transported their
precious cargo to Greece , Egypt , Rome and Venice to be sold. From there,
middlemen would distribute them at incredible profit throughout Europe. Driven
by demand, it wasn't until the 15th century that European Kings and Queens
outfitted fleets of discovery to India and Southeast Asia order to find and
secure the sources of pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg
and mace, and to break the Arab monopoly.
The incredible cost and the demand for spices led to the discovery
of the New World by Columbus in 1492. Six years later Vasco Da Gama arrived
at Cochin, on India's Malabar Coast, renowned for its exceptional pepper.
At the time, Columbus' voyage was considered by most to be failure - he didn't
find the westward route to the fabled Indies.
The East Indies
Columbus may have failed to find the markets of the Indies, but his
voyages to the Americas led to the discovery of potatoes, vanilla, allspice
and chili peppers. To any visitor to Thailand, it's almost unimaginable that
500 years ago they'd never seen a chili! They first arrived in the region via
the Portuguese. In cuisine as in culture the impact of trade has always been
the catalyst for change. It's difficult to think of somtam (volcanic papaya
salad) - to which a majority of Northern and Northeastern Thais are addicted - as
fusion food, but it truly is!
One of the most delectable fusions of flavor to be found in Thailand
is a noodle dish called Khao Soi, which has the rather ambiguous meaning "to
enter the lane". I have never found anyone to satisfactorily explain the origin
of the name - someone once suggested it was a dish that in times past was sold
only in northern brothel alleys; regardless, it is one of the absolutely most
delicious dishes I've had in all of Asia, endemic to the north of Thailand
and the Golden Triangle region. Only rarely can it be found in Bangkok.
Khao Soi is an Islamic-Chinese noodle soup with pervasive Thai influence. In essence it is a coconut curry soup made with flat egg noodles and fried noodles on top, but that is a great simplification. Traditionally sold only in the morning, with the advent of tourism and a fast-evolving culture, some restaurants in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai now serve it all day long, and every restaurant has their own special recipe.
Khao Soi
Khao Soi is directly a result of the Muslim Chin Haw influence
in the Golden Triangle (See previous article) and is a perfect reflection of
the complex cultural diversity of the region - in it you can taste the Mideast,
the Spice Islands, China and Thailand. Normally it is made with chicken or
beef but today many non-Muslims use pork. Below are a recipe and several suggested
restaurants in Chiang Mai noted for exceptional Khao Soi. When you visit Northern
Thailand, don't leave without trying it!
Khao Soi With Chicken
Ingredients:
3-4 pounds chicken, cut into large pieces
(or you could use 2 legs, 2 thighs and 2 breast pieces, about 3 pounds altogether)
2 ½ tbsp. Red Curry Paste
2 tbsp. Oil
3 cups Coconut Milk
1 tbsp. Curry Powder
½ tbsp. Turmeric Powder
1 piece star anise
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 cardamom seeds
Water or chicken stock 1-1 ½ cup(s)
½ tsp. Sugar
Fish Sauce to taste
The rest of the ingredients:
About 6-7 (loosely packed) cups of boiled flat Chinese Bah-mi egg noodle. Or fettucine noodles
Some shallots, thinly sliced
1 can or a cup of pickled Chinese cabbage or mustard green, rinse and slice
3-4 cups oil for frying
3 limes, cut into slivers
6 dried chilies
Preparation:
. Into a hot heavy bottom pot, add 2 tbsp oil and the red curry paste, curry powder, turmeric and cook, stirring vigorously, for a few minutes until the curry paste is fragrant. Be careful not to burn the paste.
. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and let the pan come back to a boil. Let it bubble for a few minutes over med-high heat, stirring well, until you begin to see the red oil separating from the coconut milk mixture. Add second cup of coconut milk, again wait until the oil separates.
. Add the chicken pieces, anise, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to the pot, with 1-cup water and the rest of the coconut milk. Let it come back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.
. Add the fish sauce, starting with 2 tbsp. Close the lid and let simmer until the chicken is done. Check the seasonings; you might need to add more fish sauce. The flavor of the curry should be a bit salty and spicy with a sweet aftertaste. When you taste the curry at this stage, it should be a bit saltier than what you would like the final dish to taste.
. Take 1 cup of cooked noodles, fluff up until the strands are separated. Fry a little bit at a time in a pan with very hot oil until golden; you will need to flip the noodles once in the pan to get the same color on both sides. Set aside.
. Use the oil to fry up the dried chilies very quickly being careful not to let them burn. Set aside.
. Slice the shallots, rinse and slice the Chinese cabbage or mustard greens, cut up limes, chop cilantro and set aside.
To Serve:
1. After the chicken curry is done, heat up a large pot of water to a full boil. Rinse the rest of the fresh noodles first in cold water to wash out the excess starch, and then cook in very hot boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Stir the noodles well to prevent sticking.
2. Put some cooked noodles into a bowl, top with the curry and put fried noodles on top.
3. Garnish to taste with shallots, pickle, chili and limejuice.
Voila!
Some suggested restaurants in Chiang Mai for Khao Soi:
Khao Soi Suthasinee
164/10 Chang Klan Rd Rd.
Khao Soi Islam
Charoen Prathet Rd , soi 1
Khao Soi New Lamduan Faham
352122, Charoenrat Rd ,300 mtres north of Rama IX Bridge
