Hello, it's View from Point of View Channel.

You know what, one of the most requested topics I get is ...

Stories about Thai food!

But as you all know, my family members are Chinese.

So, the sources of the information are based on books.

And when it comes to food and culture

sometimes books aren't enough.

And sometimes we need an expert to do the explanation.

So, since you guys have been requesting the topic about Thai food

Today, I'm here to meet this Thai gastronomy expert, Chef Pom

I've invited her to this restaurant, Attarote

Okay, she's now waiting for us inside

Let's go inside

But before we get to Thai gastronomy

don't forget to follow all my social media accounts

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.

So you guys don't miss any of the videos and updates from Point of View Channel

Okay, are you guys ready to go in there with me

and listen to the story that's both entertaining and educational?

If yes, let's follow me inside!

So now, we are already with Aa Pom

Sawaddee ka Aa Pom

Sawaddee ka

Today I need your help with Thai gastronomy

because I'm not knowledgeable at all

I just eat whatever I can

Don't call this a help, let's say that it's more of a discussion

I'm lucky

that my family consists of people from different generations

And many of them value home-cooked meals

Back in the day, we didn't eat out at all

And by having people from different generations in the family

what difference does it make to eating? Compared to eating at a restaurant nowadays

Actually, that is Thai way of life

I'm not talking about the present

So, in one household, there's more than one generation

Is it what we've seen in Thai melodramas?

exactly

Like, grandparents holding their grandchild with children running around

Let's talk about standard Thai families

which are based on agricultural society

Grandparents stay at home, parents go to work,

The children, if they are still young, they are staying with their grandparents

but if they are old enough, they will be studying at the temple

Quality time with family is actually mealtime

Everyone sits in a circle during the meal

One difference is that nowadays we are serving food in Western manner

Starting with an appetizer

then soup, main course and dessert

But that's not right

Imagine what would happen if we serve Thai food that way

Can we slurp Tom Yam like soup?

No, the spiciness would be fatal

So, actually, Tom Yam is a part of the meal (Sum-rub)

Thai people in the past had their meals in Sum-rub

Sum-rub, if we're talking about its literal meaning

It's a set of dinnerware

But if we're talking about having a meal in Sum-rub

The word Sum-rub refers to the balance of the meal

The balance for three people in three different ages

So that they can have a meal together

So, one set of meal must be for everyone?

At least one of the dish

Oh, so if it's just one menu, not everyone can eat it

this one is for the kids and that one is for adults

Then how can it be quality time for a family?

Okay, I see the point

The first generation can eat this, the second and the third can eat those too

Everything on the table has the harmony and the balance

Basically, is it like mix and matching?

Yes

Grandparents, for example, their teeth aren't that strong anymore

Also, they can't have anything that's too spicy

In the past, people's teeth in their 30s-40s might already become weaker

This happens to me too, actually

I always choke on something for no reason these days

Only a faint smell of chili down my throat

can really make me cough to death

But I used to be able to bite into fresh chili pepper effortlessly

So, the middle generation or the parents, they can still have those chili peppers

But for the grandparents, it's impossible

So what can they still eat?

They can still have fried food, soup or Tom Yam

to make it milder

so their teeth can take it

Does this mean that their food is similar to that of the children?

Yes, they are similar but kids can eat beef, pork and chicken of which the texture is harder

But the grandparents can't do that anymore

Instead, they can still have ground pork or something like that

but the kids can devour the whole piece of pork ribs without any struggle

Actually, we call a bowl of Paloh sweet braised pork and flavored boiled eggs

because Thailand doesn't have Paloh spice

Oh, so Paloh isn't Thai food?

Paloh is actually from China, it means five spices

But to braise sweet and savory pork with flavored boiled eggs

we get used to calling this dish Paloh

but there isn't any Paloh powder in there

neither black soy sauce; but it's in dark color because it has been simmered in sugar

At the same time, the grandparents can have the eggs in this dish

but they might not be able to chew the pork

So the pork is for the children

But how do sweet braised pork and flavored boiled eggs work?

When the parents need something to cool them down from the chili paste

they can turn to this dish instead

It's like everything in the set is there to complement each other

Exactly, this is Thai people's way of life

So this means that our most important meal is dinner?

And the concept of having a grand breakfast isn't really a thing?

That one is for taking care of your health

for people in these days

We have already had some rough ideas about food

We will then take a look at the real food

Starting with snacks, not an appetizer but a dish that's served between meals

then all the food in the set (Sum-rub)

Let's hear all the interesting things from Aa Pom

For today, we've ordered this snack dish

"Miang" is really interesting

"Miang" actually means the food that we need to chew

And what are the ingredients?

We can cook Miang sauce

by simmering sugar, fish sauce, coconut... depends on the recipe

After we finished simmering, keep the sauce in a jar

crispy toasted coconut chips and dried shrimp are already prepared

Onion, chili, ginger and things like this are already in the household

The things that we can use to make Miang are

wild piper leaves, coral leaves, lotus petals

but the filling is the same

It's like we already have everything

but today we find lotus petals

so we stuff what we have inside

Yeah, imagine we have some guests over in the afternoon

Hey, are you guys hungry? Try this

delish!

The dish isn't usually plated like this

Everything will be put on the plate and we can pick up what we want to have

We can eat and chit chat

It's a lovely time

It's like we're accommodating whoever that visits us

After you, Aa Pom

Okay, when we're eating this

To make it fit easily in one bite

Actually, Thai people are polite

we need to eat with certain manners

such as folding the leaf into a cone

In fact, we have to fold the leaf before adding the filling

Like what I said before, it usually isn't plated like this

When we finish making a cone

put some roasted coconut in there

then dried shrimp, lime, chili

and then the sauce

Each family has different recipes

Add the sauce to make it more flavorful

This method makes it easier to pop the wrap in the mouth

Excuse me, but I need to do something

which is removing the chili

Hold the cone tight and put it in there

What we feel in our mouths

is the saltiness of dried shrimp

umami of Miang sauce

sourness and the fragrance of lime,

So you get them all in just one bite

That's right, in just a bite, and there's also old ginger

What is it for?

Whenever Thai people consume fat, such as that from coconut

they'll put some ginger in to treat the stomach pain from fatty food

So it's like they've already prepared for this

If we're eating something greasy, we also need to put something to counteract the fat

Can you see any of these diseases in Thai people?

High blood pressure, dyslipidemia

even if we've eaten coconut milk for a long time

pork belly as well

Also shrimp's head oil

I've heard that in Ayutthaya period, we just ate the head oil and threw away the meat

I can remember when my father was still young

His place was near Chao Phraya River

We could just swim in the river back then

My father told me that when he jumped into the river

he could see some freshwater prawns cling on the poles at the stairs

They were so big

and they used to be easy to find and not that overly expensive

It's like 1,600 THB per kilo these days

That's right

So, after we've had the snacks

and talked a little bit

The real meal is finally served

Aa Pom, what do we have here?

For today, I have them arranged this

to show what eating in Sum-rub is like, remember what we've talked about it earlier?

Yes

So, there are spicy food, fresh vegetables

Fried mackerel

Probably all three generations of people can eat this dish

All of them?

So, for this dish, the kids can eat the fried mackerel

or rice with mackerel

They can't take the chili paste yet

The parents can have any of this

The grandparents might need to eat some soft vegetables and dip them into the chili paste a bit

In this case

the kids can also get to learn to eat spicy food

Oh, they can try the chili paste

Yes, they would see how much they can take

Thai people start to be familiar with the smell of shrimp paste

which is commonly found in Thai cuisine

So telling them to avoid eating spicy is actually wrong

because they won't be able to eat that when they grow up

If they want to try, let them, so they know what spicy is like

The kids need to face it by themselves

I want to say something, parents these days are overprotecting their children

Sometimes you don't let your children learn how to lose

or to be wrong

Your children can be wrong

Your children can lose

Because when the day that you can no longer protect them arrives

they won't be able to take it on their own

Then whose responsibility it is?

It's true, this is a really good remark

See? This is like a lesson disguised in food

This is a dip

We call this a dip

And what else do we call dip?

Lhon is also a dip made from coconut milk

But today we're having a traditional one, which is Kapi paste (shrimp paste)

We eat it with fried mackerel, fried vegetables, fresh vegetables and blanched vegetables

there's also sesbania flowers

Since the shrimp paste is already spicy

the soup that'd be the perfect pair can be made from coconut milk

Today we have roasted duck in red curry

And why is roasted duck in red curry the only soup we put pineapple in?

Hmm, no idea

It's because, in the past, the meat of domestic ducks and chickens is tough

Ohh

They've been running around every day

That's why their meat is tough when butchered and grilled

How can people fix that?

We can use pineapple to make duck meat tender

This is Thai wisdom

Some enzyme in pineapple makes the meat tender

If you see any roasted duck in red curry with some pineapple that still looks too fresh

it's not a good one

It takes time to let the pineapple do its work with the duck meat

then we can season it after that

So we need to slow cook it and then add the seasonings afterward

And all the food, whichever it is,

has some kind of evolution

So, these days, we're also using lychee sometimes

or grapes and other things

But can you see?

There's always some pineapple in the bowl

To make the meat tender

There needs to be some pineapple

If not, then it's wrong

And since the soup is already spicy

This dish is also hot

That's why we have this dish to balance the taste, stewed pork belly (Hong pork)

This stewed pork belly (Hong pork) is like Phuket's braised pork

It's a combination

between Thai sweet braised pork and Paloh

There's a lot of Chinese people in Phuket

But there are still these "Three companions" , three necessities of Thainess

which are coriander root, garlic and whole pepper

I really like the name "Three companions"

Yeah, we just call it "Three companions" because it's convenient

coriander root, garlic and pepper, that's too long

"Three companions", that's it, we get it

And in Phuket stewed pork belly (Hong pork), we can also add Paloh spice

Paloh spice consists of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom and pepper

The word in Chinese means five spices

Oh, so it's five spices

Chinese spice is Paloh indeed

Then we cook it until it's tender

but the sugar in Hong pork or Paloh will turn the skin of the eggs and the pork

Anyway, this dish consists of both eggs and pork

which the children can have

and the adults can also have it to lessen the spiciness

Like, oh, it's too hot, I gotta eat this

So the meal is heavy enough

Let's make it lighter with spicy salad (Yum)

In the past, we always had banana blossom in the household

So we use it to make the spicy salad

But why did we order this banana blossom spicy salad today?

It's because we already have this chili paste which is spicy and sour

It's already hot

The banana blossom salad's taste is milder

because we also add some undiluted coconut milk

or coconut milk and roasted coconut

So this is the kind of freshness that isn't too much

And we can wrap it up with clear soup

Whatever kind of a clear soup it is

it's for soothing our throat

So grandparents can swallow more easily

or else some rice that's too hard could get stuck in their throats

Okay, so, can I ask you a question?

I can see that we already have a set of spoon and fork

But, from what I've read, Thai people in the past ate with their fingers, right?

Yes, that's right

But it wasn't because we didn't have the spoons

For these dishes, they also used serving spoon

But sometimes they'd use their finger, such as when tearing off the mackerel meat

or when picking up the vegetables

Oh so it's clear now

I've always been wondering how could they have the soup while eating with their fingers

They also used the serving spoon

If the family members are very close

they can also use the same spoon to eat

Maybe this sounds rather unhygienic for us

but it's because of their familiarity

and there weren't as many bacteria as nowadays at that time

Apart from that

they can also use the serving spoon to pass the food into their own spoon

Now I want to ask for something

I've been curious about this all my life

How did they eat with their hands?

Let's try it then

The first thing to do is washing our hands

So we need a bowl of water to wash our hands

If we were at home, we might just run to use the water jar

Then we'll put the rice into the plate

Rice is the only thing that's exclusive to you on the table

We're scooping the rice into our plate

And if any family has a rice paddy

Freshly harvested rice will have a sticky texture

For fried mackerel and chili paste

the first thing we do is to tear off the fish meat we're going to have

Thai people in the past didn't really mind using hands to eat

The problem is I don't know how to do it

Don't use any part below the first joint

You mean this part right?

See? I only use the first joint

This is no joke, I'm so done

Be more graceful

Then try mixing it with the rice

Use only one hand, keep the other behind the back

then use the tip of your finger

When you finish mixing them together, add the chili paste

So we already added the paste

Try it

It's okay, it's your first time

We need to hold it like this, using all five fingers

then pick up the rice like this

Hold it like this and make it tighter

It's falling out

It won't, just press it on the plate

Okay, press it on the plate

Oh, how many bites is that?

That's enough

Then we hold it up like this

Use your thumb to push it in

See your hand as a spoon and put it in your mouth

And we can have vegetables as an accompaniment

At that time, Thai people didn't have that much soup

Now let's have the roasted duck in red curry

and then Paloh stewed pork as an accompaniment

The soup makes the rice less firmed, so you need to press it harder

We need to mix it first, then press it

That's right, make it firm

No need to get all of that

then put it in your mouth

Why is your elbow that high?

Try to be more gentle

Put your arm beside you

Then...

And that's it

If you feel that the red curry is too spicy, you can get the eggs

Thank you

Then you can have it with rice

For some people, there's no need to eat with their hands for every single bite

We might have to eat like this

Then you can pick up the rice late

Hey, lower down your elbow

Press it first, press it. This isn't sticky rice

Are there different ways to eat with our hands?

For those who are well trained

they can't use any part below the first joint

they can't make any other part dirty

So the grip needs to be like this

to keep the rice from falling out

We can see if anyone is an elite by looking at their hands

It's not always the case

For beginners, just try to keep the part below the second joint clean

And when it starts to get difficult to swallow

We can have the soup, that's all

This is how Thai people eat

So you said earlier that this is what commoners eat, right?

Then how is the royal cuisine different from this?

So there's the word 'Wang' (palace)

So it's a house where royalties live in

Wang is actually royal language

A place where the royalties, from the king's grandchild and above, live in is called Wang

As for royal Thai cuisine

The Grand palace, for example, is the place for minor wives

They all have their own villa and workers

When they don't want their workers to spend time doing nothing

So, what are they gonna do?

Let's take a look at this dish

See? This one isn't really commoner

It's more like royal

These Centella leaves are carefully wrapped in a tiny bouquet

something like this

Vegetables also come in small pieces, no need to keep biting it

The commoners would just pick them up from their backyard

then they'd eat the whole thing

They'd just bite into a whole cucumber

It's possible too. It's like feeling the freshness

But for the royalties, they need to be graceful

So they need the food to be in one bite

Oh, so it'd be rather awkward for them to pick up the food with their hands

So the food is already arranged into pieces

That's right, so we can just eat it in one bite

And there's one more thing about commoners' food

it's gonna be extremely spicy and salty, scrumptious!

But for royal food

People like to say that royal food is sweet

That's not true

Royal food is flavorful

and mild-tasting

There's a flavor in every bite

For those who are familiar with commoner's food, they'd say that it's tasteless

That leads to the belief that royal food is sweet

which isn't true

because, as you can see here, this dish is sour and salty

This red curry has a salty taste

But this one is salty and sweet

Each dish has its own leading flavor

Or else why would they arrange the food in Sum-rub

So they already thought it true

that there should be this dish to pair up with the other

We can't just order any dish without thinking

And is there sour and sweet taste in clear soup?

It only has a salty taste

Since it's a soup for us to sip when we have trouble swallowing

there's no need to be an explosion of flavor

It's only for cleaning your throat

The royalties also have this kind of food

This one is already deboned

So this one is actually considered for royalties since the bone is already removed

The bone was removed from the whole body

then they reassemble the mackerel

This is meticulousness

It means that they have a lot of time to prepare such detailed dish

Can commoners do this?

No, they need to work

They don't have time to focus on food details

Working is more important

So their happiness lies within their dinner time

They could just pick the cucumbers and eggplants from their backyard

Clean and eat it fresh

Sweet and scrumptious

No need to waste their time with detail

Now I understand a lot more about Thai cuisine

Thank you Aa Pom so much for sharing your knowledge with us today

But I want to tell you guys one more thing

I actually have seen you in another role, apart from being a chef

I'd been to Concert in the Park event

And I saw you singing

If I want to hear you sing again, what do I have to do?

At the moment, I'm getting back to performing in musical

Wow, musical?

Yes, the upcoming play is "Love Recipe The Musical"

I'm not the main character

but the song I got is pretty difficult to sing

I'm also not sure if they think that I still always sing like the good old days

It's a bit of a struggle

But I'm trying to do my best

Only 6 days and 10 rounds

For those who want to hear Chef Pom sing

you can't miss this musical

because this isn't just a musical, but a musical about food as well

You can check the description box down below for more information

I want to thank you one more time

for all the information you're sharing with us today

If you guys like this video

If you want me to take you somewhere

If you want me to interview someone

please comment down below

and don't forget to click LIKE to show your support

and SHARE to invite your friends to watch my videos

See you next time, bye-bye

Sawaddee ka

Hey, have you missed hearing my voice?

Feels like I didn't talk much in this video

because I was busy being fascinated

This is a very useful knowledge that we can't find anywhere else

First of all, I want to thank Attarote restaurant on Soi Sukhumvit 39

for these amazing Thai dishes today

and also for letting us use the venue

Apart from this, if you guys want to keep up with Chef Pom's work

don't forget to go see Love Recipe The Musical

from September 27 to October 6, 2019

Rounds on weekends are also available

Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening

Only 10 rounds, guys!

Make sure to not miss it

If you're interested, please find the information in the description box

Chop chop, reserve the seats!

Goodbye for now

Bye-bye

Sawaddee ka