Category Archives: – Featured Food Discoveries

Thai basil and green curry with chicken

Posted on January 18, 2015 by David Dettmann

I have been spending a lot more time with my mortar and pestle, and I am getting better at pounding pastes. Today I had some Thai basil (aka sweet basil, or horapha/holapha โหระพา) and a kaffir lime from our tree … Continue reading →

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Thai fermented soy beans and sweet coconut and pork dip

Posted on January 1, 2015 by David Dettmann

Lon หลน is a genre of Thai meat dips that accompany raw vegetables and fried or roasted fish. It is different from other Thai dips (like the more discussed nam phrik น้ำพริก varieties) in that it uses coconut cream as … Continue reading →

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Tamarind pods, sweet and sour, and a sour soup with green papaya and salmon

Posted on December 14, 2014 by David Dettmann

Tamarind (or tamr hind “Indian date”–in other words, long cultivated throughout South Asia) is a key souring agent used in Southeast Asian cooking. I touched on this ingredient briefly in a prior post on Three essential Cambodian flavors. In that … Continue reading →

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“Vietnamese mint” and a Northern Thai “soupy salad” with chicken

Posted on December 13, 2014 by David Dettmann

In most Southeast Asian markets in Philly (i.e. Cambodian, Vietnamese markets of North and South Philly, as well as the 3 large markets on Washington Ave) you can find the very tasty herb pictured below. It has a very unique … Continue reading →

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Flowering garlic chives

Posted on December 11, 2014 by David Dettmann

Many Chinese vegetables available at the markets are sold in multiple forms and maturities. Vegetables that are going into flower are also appreciated and are usually labeled with an indication with a final word or character hua 花. Today’s item … Continue reading →

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Deep-fried Thai snakeskin gourami

Posted on December 8, 2014 by David Dettmann

Snakeskin gourami found! I puzzled over this fish during a recent browse through the freezer section of my local Cambodian market. It was labeled “Marinated gourami”. I wasn’t sure if that meant it was fermented or what. I am pleased … Continue reading →

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Green papaya and papaya salads

Posted on December 7, 2014 by David Dettmann

A regular meal at our house is green papaya salad, usually eaten together with roasted meats, lettuce, pork skin, and sticky rice. In Thai it is known as somtam (literally “pounded sour”).  In Isaan and Laos it is known as … Continue reading →

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Ivy gourd leaves and a simple clear soup

Posted on December 6, 2014 by David Dettmann

In Southeast Asian cooking traditions of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, a wide variety of leaves, vines, and flowers are used for cooking that are little known for culinary purposes elsewhere.  Ivy gourd leaves are one such delicious variety of edible … Continue reading →

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Yibin yacai in Sichuan-style stir fry dishes

Posted on November 23, 2014 by David Dettmann

I was pleased to find the full-sized Sichuan preserved vegetable yacai 芽菜 recently at the underground market in Philadelphia’s Chinatown (Asia Supermarket 亞洲超級市場).  Yacai has long been available in US Asian markets, but I was only aware of the pre-chopped … Continue reading →

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Thai rotten bean sheets and sour spare rib soup with greens

Posted on November 10, 2014 by David Dettmann

I am back in Philly after a fulfilling two-week visit to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  More posts are still to come on Ulaanbaatar/Mongolia food themes, but for now it is time to return to Philadelphia-based posts. After coming back to the states, … Continue reading →

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