Eat at the Most Bizarre, (delish) and Colorful Food Circus in the World!

Bubbling cauldrons of soups, meats wrapped in palm leaves, a rainbow of desserts – honestly…when it comes to street food, Southeast Asia is the Big Top of variety, flavor and (let’s say) innovation.

Each country I visited, (Thailand, Cambodia and Laos on this trip,) has their street food cultural fingerprint. But there are many similarities. With centuries of trade and migration, many recipes have crossed borders only to become a local specialty thousands of miles from their origin.

To celebrate the region’s endless culinary talent and passion for food, I’ve managed to detail just a sampling of some of the more adventurous and unusual regional treats. Not saying I ate all of them, but tried several.

Not this one.

Kang Kep Baob

Stuffed Frog. This Cambodian street food deserves a mention. I saw many live frogs for sale in street markets. Here’s why. Kang Kep Baob, or frog stuffed with mixtures of pork, nuts coconut, saffron, and citronella is then skewered and grilled, and basted with a variety of sauces. Smelled great but no…

If it swims, crawls or walks on four legs, one guide ( a former Khmer guerilla) explained why he had eaten such a variety of unusual things. He said that when you’re starving in the jungle, you’re not picky about protein. Insects are easily caught and cooked/fried/boiled/grilled. Sometimes the crunchy skeleton or legs are distracting, though….

A-Ping

Deep Fried Tarantula, is a typical example. Other versions of this dish are silkworms, cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ( remember, it it crawls…)    

I’m told that the crispy outside is a good contrast with the creamy interior. And they benefit from agressive seasonings (which abound in this part of the world!) Tamarind, shallots, palm sugar, garlic, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, star anise, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mint, sweet basil, kaffir lime and leaves, cilantro and lots of combos of these.

Kralan

Sticky Rice in Bamboo. This is a local favorite to satisfy a sweet tooth…but I found it a little bland and a lot of work to eat.

It’s a mixture of sticky rice, black beans, grated coconuts, and coconut milk roasted slowly over a charcoal fire or not, depending on the country. And even I noticed the variances. Kind of a southeast asian comfort food.

Crocodile Eggs

Baked, steamed, and used in cooking they are larger than a hen’s egg and have a reputation for tasting somewhat “fishy”. Which is a plus in this land of fish and oyster sauces. I found these for sale in a market where live crocs were sleeping in pens, trying to find shade from the blazing sun.

Moo ping

These are everywhere in Thailand, even in the 105 degree sweltering summer heat. Grilled pork skewers known as moo ping. Thai people eat them for breakfast or snacks all day and all night long.  Thin slices of pork skewered and brushed with unsweetened coconut cream while grilled over charcoal.

One custom I did adopt right away was the traditional Thai breakfast ( available with variations all over SE Asia ) and for good reason. Heading out early every morning for a packed day of temples and sightseeing in the searing heat, the last thing I wanted was a heavy breakfast. This was perfect!

Jok

A popular breakfast where our choice of protein ( often pork ) can be added to this light rice porridge along with a soft-boiled egg, a variety of sprouts, ginger, chives and maybe a little heat with a few chilis. Delicious!