1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (212 page)

With their chewy texture and natural saltiness, mussels stand up beautifully to the slew of bold flavors, lending their own distinctive sea essence to the mix. The result is a dish that is beloved around the world for its aromatic charms and its comforting presentation.

Whether you consider this brothy dish laden with mussels a soup or stew is really your call—by any designation it is a satisfying combination. It would be a shame to concentrate only on the shiny, salty mollusks and not spoon up every drop of the heady broth that rivals that of the classic French
moules marinière
(steamed in an elixir of butter, shallots, thyme, bay leaf, and white wine) or the Italian
zuppa di cozze
(simmered in a garlicky marinara-style tomato broth). The more robust Thai version is rendered exotic by the funky acidity of the lemon-grass, the edgy astringency of the kaffir limes, and the fire of the chile paste. Although bread might seem to be the best vehicle for sopping up this elixir, in true Thai fashion, spooning it up neatly would do it more justice.

Where:
In New York
, Jaiya at two locations,
jaiya.com
;
in Boston
, Brown Sugar Cafe, tel 617-787-4242,
brownsugarcafe.com
;
in Cambridge, MA
, The Similans, tel 617-491-6999,
brownsugarcafe.com
;
in New Orleans
, La Thai Uptown, tel 504-899-8886,
lathaiuptown.com
;
in Houston
, Vieng Thai, tel 713-688-9910;
in San Francisco
, Rin’s Thai Restaurant, tel 415-821-4776,
rinsthaisf.com
;
in Norwalk, CA
, Renu Nakorn, tel 562-921-2124;
in Seattle
, Ray’s Boathouse Café, tel 206-789-3770,
rays.com
.
Mail order:
For Thai ingredients, Thai Supermarket Online, tel 888-618-8424,
importfoods.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Ray’s Boathouse: Seafood Secrets of the Pacific Northwest
by Danyel Smith and Ken Gouldthorpe (2003);
The Taste of Thailand
by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (1988);
Simply Thai Cooking
by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu (2011);
Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges
by Jean-Georges Vongerichten (2007);
thaifood.about.com
(search thai seafood soup);
foodnetwork.com
(search thai spiced mussel soup).
See also:
Green-Lipped Mussels
.

The whole world really does love chicken soup, and the golden, sustaining broth has been a symbol of affection, strength, and good health since the days of the ancient Romans, from Denmark to Ethiopia and from Italy to China. Among the many versions, the Thai rendition called
tom kha gai
or
dtom khaa gai
deserves to be celebrated.

Incredibly aromatic, the soup is distinguished by a complex blend of flavors. It begins as a savory broth enriched with creamy coconut milk seasoned with the pungent, slightly sour, and peppery Thai ginger called galangal. The broth profits from the sting of Thai bird’s-eye chiles, the tang of lemongrass, the earthiness of shiitake mushrooms, and the brightness of fresh lime juice and cilantro. The resulting symphony is equal parts sour, creamy, earthy, and delicious. Like most chicken soups, a cup of it can soothe your soul—but this one packs a flavor wallop that will simultaneously bolster your spirits.

Although it’s a homey standard on the menus of Thai restaurants the world over, its definitive haute-cuisine version is rightly credited to the skillful and innovative French-Alsatian chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Vong. The restaurant is no longer, but the recipe lives on online.

Where:
In New York
, Kittichai, tel 212-925-2991,
kittichairestaurant.com
;
in Brookline, MA
, Dok Bua Thai Kitchen, tel 617-232-2955,
dokbua-thai.com
;
in Chicago
, Amarit Thai & Pan Asian Cuisine, tel 312-939-1179;
in Houston
, Kanomwan, tel 713-923-4230;
in Las Vegas
, Lotus of Siam, tel 702-735-3033,
saipinchutima.com
.
Mail order:
For Thai ingredients, Thai Supermarket Online, tel 888-618-8424,
importfood.com
.
Further information and recipes:
The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup
by Mimi Sheraton (1995);
bonappetit.com
(search tom kha gai);
cookstr.com
(search thai soup vongerichten).
See also:
Golden Yoich
;
Qi Guo Ji
(Steamed Chicken Soup).

A sign prohibits durians in Penang, Malaysia.

The legendary durian or
Durio zibethinus
—the so-called stinking melon—is said to have been on earth since the days of the dinosaurs, and frankly, it smells like it. The creatures must have had strong stomachs, as the tropical fruit
is remarkable for its overwhelming, unforgettable smell. The nausea-inducing scent has been compared to everything from rotting onions to sewage, which is why durians are banned on public transport in Indonesia and in hospitals in Bangkok.

The fruit is forbidding to look at, too: Football-shaped and -sized, it has a brownish-green, thorny shell (
duri
being the Malay word for spike) and can weigh up to ten pounds. Folks walking under a durian tree have been known to endure a concussion, or worse, if they are hit by the falling fruit. If they survive the passage and are willing to hold their noses long enough to split open the shell, they’ll be rewarded with a distinctively buttery, almond-tinged, sweet-and-sour flavor and a smoothly custardlike texture. For an additional layer of durian experience, the sticky pulp coating the fruit’s large seeds may be gnawed or sucked off.

Durian trees originated in Malaysia but have been cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia. The fruit is generally harvested from mid-April until mid-June, and mostly eaten fresh and raw (in the food stalls and markets of those regions, vendors commonly let the customer who pays a premium choose a melon and then cut a small segment out for sampling; if the buyer doesn’t like the fruit, he or she can choose another until satisfied). Durians are also sold in dried form and are used to flavor various sweets. They appear in pastry creams and milkshakes as well as in the Magnolia brand durian ice cream that is popular in the Davao region of the Philippines.

The Javanese believe that durians have detoxifying and aphrodisiacal properties, but they didn’t do much for Charles Darwin, who famously said of the fruit, “May your worst enemies be forced to eat it.” What would he have made of the multitude of YouTube videos depicting first-time durian experiences, a surprisingly popular social trend for new visitors to Southeast Asia?

Further information and recipes:
yearofthedurian.com
;
thaifood.about.com
(search how to eat durian).
Special event:
Penang Durian Festival, Balik Pulau, Penang, Malaysia, June/July,
visitpenang.gov.my
(search durian balik pulau).

Rambut
is the Malaysian word for hair, and rambutan is known as the hairy fruit for the fine, long strands that dangle from its crimson exterior. When the rind is torn open and the fruit is simply pinched out, what emerges is a whitish, translucent-fleshed globe about the size of a golf ball. Tart and sweet, it is known for its fragrant scent and distinctly pleasant, rosy aroma.

A close botanical cousin of the lychee (see
listing
), the tropical rambutan (
Nephelium lappaceum
) has its origins in Malaysia but is extremely popular throughout Southeast Asia and in India. You once had to travel to places like Borneo to enjoy it, as the very perishable fruit is quite rare outside of its stomping grounds. Now, however, it is also grown in small quantities in Hawaii, and it may be canned in its own syrup and sold for export.

Mail order:
For fresh rambutans (which must be shipped overnight), with limited availability, Melissa’s Produce, tel 800-588-0151,
melissas.com
; for fresh or canned rambutans, Thai Supermarket Online, tel 888-618-8424,
importfood.com
.
Further information and recipes:
uktv.co.uk
(click Goodfoodchannel logo, search soup of rambutan pork and crab).
Special events:
Rambutan Festival, San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines, August,
sitiodeamor.com
(click Announcements); Rambutan Festival, Surat Thani Town, Thailand, July,
ferrysamui.com/rambutan-fair
.

A favorite dish of the Philippines.

These quick-cooking, tender, and savory little barbecue brochettes are found all over Southeast Asia—particularly in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, where they are the quintessential meat-on-a-stick. Satay is generally made with chicken, beef, pork, or lamb, the meat first marinated in a tangy paste made of turmeric, garlic, shallots, pepper, coriander, and sometimes dried shrimp paste or (especially in Malaysia) palm sugar. (For chicken satay, most Asian cooks prefer dark meat, such as chicken thigh, as it better retains its tenderness when grilled.) Although you can find fish satay in some regions, delicate seafood doesn’t usually stand a chance against a characteristically pungent marinade and a blast of charcoal heat.

Skewered on bamboo sticks and laid onto a long, narrow grill over white-hot wood charcoal, the meat is basted with additional paste or a mixture of palm sugar and oil as it cooks. In Southeast Asia, the basting instrument will often be a homemade brush made from a lemongrass stalk—a neat trick, and a clever way to impart a little extra tang to the meat (somewhat like the way Italian grill chefs brush meats with a swab of rosemary dipped in olive oil).

Served with a simple salad of cucumber and vinegar, along with a chile-spiked peanut dip, satay is generally enjoyed as a high-flavor, protein-packed appetizer. A popular snack at the Asian night markets, where it is sold by stall vendors, its salty, garlicky flavor makes it a wonderful match for sweet, strong tropical cocktails.

Where:
In Singapore
, Tiong Bahru Market Food Center;
in New York
, Jaiya at two locations,
jaiya.com
;
in Chicago
, Amarit Thai & Pan Asian Cuisine, tel 312-939-1179,
eatamaritthai.com
;
in San Francisco and San Mateo, CA
, Thai Satay Restaurant & Bar,
thaisatay.com
;
in Las Vegas
, Lotus of Siam, tel 702-735-3033,
saipinchutima.com
.
Retail and mail order:
In New York
, Bangkok Center Grocery, tel 212-349-1979,
bangkokcentergrocery.com
.
Mail order:
For ingredients, Thai Supermarket Online, tel 888-618-8424,
importfood.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Simple Thai Food
by Leela Punyaratabandhu (2014);
Indonesian Cooking
by Dina Yuen (2012);
Asian Grilling
by Su-Mei Yu (2002);
Pok Pok
by Andy Ricker (2013);
saveur.com
(search satay udang; muu satay; lemongrass pork satay);
foodnetwork.com
(search chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce).
Tip:
The complex, fragrant, and flavorful satay marinade is excellent for other dishes, too: Try tossing shrimp or cubes of silken tofu with it, quickly sautéing them in a very hot pan, and then serving them over rice; it’s also excellent for marinating pork tenderloin or leg of lamb before oven roasting.