Our heritage on a plate

ONE OF THE hottest trends among Thai restaurants these days is taking a cue from the food granny used to cook and offering diners such hale and hearty dishes as gaeng runjuan (hot and spicy herbal curry) and tom jiew (clear and sour soup), both of which can trace their origins back to the reign of King Rama V.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University’s Suan Sunandha Palace Hotel has no need to follow that trend. Its restaurant Kaew Chao Chom, a hidden gem of the Bangkok dining scene, has long offered rare, centuries-old dishes, among them gaeng ngao ngod (sour and spicy fish soup), yum gai yang tao (chicken salad), and soup pod oh feu (stew of vegetable and beef),

“Thai food is unique and requires delicate cooking techniques to bring out its intense flavours. Our food outlet offers many rare dishes based on the recipes of Princess Sutdhasineenath – one of King Rama V’s consorts – who excelled in cooking and took care of the royal kitchen at that time,” says Tawatchai Suphuan, the university’s director of assets and income.

As its name suggests, the university is located in Suan Sunandha Palace, part of the Dusit Palace complex commissioned by King Rama V in the early 19th century as an alternative primary residence to the Grand Palace. The project was completed by his son and successor King Rama VI and became home to some of King Rama V’s consorts and daughters. Among them was Princess Sutdhasineenath who moved to one of the six mansions in the complex, Sutha Nopadol, in 1924 and lived there until her death. Today, the mansion houses the university’s art and cultural centre.

“Princess Sutdhasineenath was capable of adapting recipes and ingredients to please the palate of King Rama V. Her yum gai yang tao (spicy chicken salad) was original made with turtle meat that had been presented to the monarch. She would slowly simmer the diced meat with coconut cream to eliminate the strong smell before seasoning with roasted chilli paste and shredded lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and ginger. Later, chicken was used to substitute the turtle meat, which is why the name refers to cooking chicken to look like turtle,” explains Sakuntra Kumchoo, a lecturer in food science at the university’s Faculty of Science and Technology.

Another delicacy is gaeng runjuan. Thought to have originated in the palace of King Rama V, it features leftover shrimp-paste dip cooked in a broth of beef, lemongrass, onion, holy basil, garlic and chilli. Today, with more and more Thais shunning beef, it is usually made with pork.

“Aware that Western-style soup was too plain for Thai palate, the princess cooked a dish called tom jiew that was also a good remedy for a cold. It was a clear sour soup braised with pieces of diced sour mango, onion, potato and pork, hence the name jiew which refers to ‘tiny’ in Thai,” adds Thai food guru Asst Prof Sansanee Jasuwan of the Fine and Applied Arts Faculty.

King Rama V made two state visits to Europe in 1897 and 1907 to cultivate personal contacts with his counterparts and ensure Siam’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity during the expansion of Western colonialism. He brought back not only assurances that Siam would be left alone but also a taste for Western cuisine.

Another dish born in his palace was soup pod oh feu, a Siamese take on the traditional French stew pot au feu made with beef, onion, carrot, potato, cabbage, pepper and cinnamon. 

In addition to the dishes based on the recipes of the royal kitchen during the reign of King Rama V, the university’s instructors have researched dishes whose origins can be traced back to the Sukhothai (1238-1438), Ayutthaya (1350-1767) and Thonburi (1767-1782) and the early Rattanakosin kingdoms.

“Food is a living culture that evolves and adapts,” says Tawatchai. “The dishes we have chosen to represent each period are based on both our studies and on assumptions.” 

The menu’s savoury gaeng paa pla chon (herbal and spicy snakehead fish curry) and the sweet kanom tom (coconut dumpling) represent the way of life of people in the Sukhothai era.

“We know from the King Ramkhamhaeng inscription and the religious literature “Tri-Bhumi Phra Ruang” that rice and fish were the main foods. Firewood and husks were used and the cooking was done in clay pots. The meat from cattle was not popular because it needed too much firewood for the cooking. People began to eat pork in the Ayutthaya era thanks to the influence of Chinese cuisine. For the curry paste, we use lesser ginger, galangal, lemongrass, phlai and holy basil leaves for the base but not the red onion and garlic that were only added during the Ayutthaya era,” says Sakuntra.

“Kanom tom is an auspicious sweet and has long been used in religious ceremonies. It’s made from rice flour, sugar and coconut and is not complicated to prepare. We think it originated during this period,” adds Sansanee.

The cuisine of Ayutthaya is represented by gaeng ngao ngod (sour and spicy fish soup), a name apparently borrowed from a Portuguese dish. During the Ayutthaya era, Siam developed friendly relations with Portugal and many Portuguese nationals subsequently settled in the kingdom.

“Far more ingredients came into play in the Ayutthaya Kingdom thanks to trade with foreign countries like Portugal, Persia and China,” says Sansanee. “Gaeng ngao ngod is similar to gaeng som and uses the same curry paste made from fresh yellow bell pepper, dried red bell pepper, red onion, garlic and shrimp paste. Unlike gaeng som, where water is added to curry paste and then simmered, we have to filter the liquid after mixing the curry paste and water to give gaeng ngao ngod its sour soup. We also add fish and raw young watermelon during the cooking and season the sauce with lime and salt. 

Four auspicious sweets used in important rites during the Ayutthaya era are combined for dessert: kai kob (hoary basil seeds), nok ploi (pandan flavoured rice flour droplets), nang loy (popped rice) and ay tue (black glutinous rice). All are eaten with coconut cream.

The Thonburi period is represented by massaman gai (chicken massaman), a dish with foreign influences that probably emerged towards the end of the Ayutthaya era. The dessert, gaysorn chompoo (coconut jelly), is based more on assumption than historical fact and is made from shredded coconut meats mixed with gelatin, which is then slowly roasted to give it a slightly crunchy texture.

“We know jelly and gelatin were used during the late Ayutthaya era and the name gaysorn chompoo is mentioned in a poem written by King Rama II. We have therefore assumed that this dessert belongs to the Thonburi era too. Though nobody can identify its original shape and ingredients, its name suggests that it should look like the pollen of rose apple flower,” Sakuntra explains.

Tom jiew represents the culinary art of the early Rattanakosin era along with a meringue-like dessert called kanom osha rod.

“While the earlier periods focused on grilling and boiling, the Rattanakosin era was influenced by such Chinese techniques as stir-frying and steaming as well as the Portuguese love for roasting. The ingredients were also much more varied thanks to trade and the King’s state visits to Europe,” says Sansanee.

 

SIAMESE SENSATIONS

These rare Thai dishes are available at Kaew Chao Chom restaurant of Suan Sunandha Palace Hotel, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University.

It’s open daily from 10.30am to 10pm. Call (02) 243 0574-5.