Do Thais really eat this stuff?

[jacksonm]

พริกขี้หนู

"mouse shit chili"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_pepper


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[mdw]

Thai chilis are a staple and a source of immense cultural pride - including the weird-shaped and named ones. They're not eaten plain but usually crushed and mixed into various foods. Many people in countryside eat namprik (chili paste typically made using some sort of vegetables or fish)

http://น้ำพริก.com/types.html

There are actually many dozens, maybe even hundreds of varieties. Rice + vegetables + nampik is the diet of many Thais. A must-try for all westerners. BTW, you don't want to hang around the neighborhood when this is being made!

[seamo]

Totally off-topic, but is that Absinthe in your avatar jacksonm?

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by seamo

Totally off-topic, but is that Absinthe in your avatar jacksonm?

Well, yes sir, it is!

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[seamo]

Originally Posted by jacksonm

Well, yes sir, it is!

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Hey

I recognised the spoon as an absinthe spoon...

Have you ever tried it before? I have been tempted to buy some off eBay....

Sorry to hijack the thread! Just curious jacksonm....

Absinthe has got to be better for you than 'mouse shit chili'...in anyones language!!

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by seamo

Hey

I recognised the spoon as an absinthe spoon...

Have you ever tried it before? I have been tempted to buy some off eBay....

Sorry to hijack the thread! Just curious jacksonm....

Absinthe has got to be better for you than 'mouse shit chili'...in anyones language!!

Don't worry about hijacking the thread, it's just general discussion anyway.

I live in Europe, where Absinthe is generally available. Yes, I drink it quite often!

BTW, I own just about every Absinthe related IDN there is.

.

[seamo]

Originally Posted by jacksonm

Don't worry about hijacking the thread, it's just general discussion anyway.

I live in Europe, where Absinthe is generally available. Yes, I drink it quite often!

BTW, I own just about every Absinthe related IDN there is.

.

Sweeeet!...Do you like the stuff then??

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by seamo

Sweeeet!...Do you like the stuff then??

Just like any other alcohol, there is good Absinthe and there is very bad Absinthe. Good Absinthe, when prepared properly with a slow drip of water to create the "louche", produces an intense and amazing anise and herb aroma as well as taste. Bad Absinthe doesn't louche properly, if at all, and only serves to give you an intense hangover.

Number one tip if you want to buy some Absinthe: stay away from anything made in Czech Republic, it's not authentic Absinthe. The best Absinthe I can get locally is called "Francoise Guy", and it's only been rated 67/100 by Absinthe connoisseurs, but it tastes pretty damned good to me. Eduardo is supposed to be among the best. Maison Alandia is also very good.

Also stay away from Hapsburg, L'Amesinthe, Trenet Noire, Pere Kerrmans, and Sebor.


A good online shop is : http://vertdabsinthe.com (hope you can read french)

Hope that helps you.

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[seamo]

Originally Posted by jacksonm

Just like any other alcohol, there is good Absinthe and there is very bad Absinthe. Good Absinthe, when prepared properly with a slow drip of water to create the "louche", produces an intense and amazing anise and herb aroma as well as taste. Bad Absinthe doesn't louche properly, if at all, and only serves to give you an intense hangover.

Number one tip if you want to buy some Absinthe: stay away from anything made in Czech Republic, it's not authentic Absinthe. The best Absinthe I can get locally is called "Francoise Guy", and it's only been rated 67/100 by Absinthe connoisseurs, but it tastes pretty damned good to me. Eduardo is supposed to be among the best. Maison Alandia is also very good.

Also stay away from Hapsburg, L'Amesinthe, Trenet Noire, Pere Kerrmans, and Sebor.


A good online shop is : http://vertdabsinthe.com (hope you can read french)

Hope that helps you.

.

Thanks jacksonm...I am a total newbie to absinthe...

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by seamo

Thanks jacksonm...I am a total newbie to absinthe...

PM me or email me if you have any more questions. I'm happy to help.

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[261275]

i like arak better.

but not when working.

[domainguru]

Originally Posted by mdw

Thai chilis are a staple and a source of immense cultural pride - including the weird-shaped and named ones. They're not eaten plain but usually crushed and mixed into various foods. Many people in countryside eat namprik (chili paste typically made using some sort of vegetables or fish)

http://น้ำพริก.com/types.html

There are actually many dozens, maybe even hundreds of varieties. Rice + vegetables + nampik is the diet of many Thais. A must-try for all westerners. BTW, you don't want to hang around the neighborhood when this is being made!

Somebody told me that พริกขี้หนู are not actually native to Thailand, but came from Mexico in the 17th century. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure. But certainly what thais call "Thai pepper" are large and not very strong, so maybe the story is true... anyone know?

As for not eating them "plain", many Thais do indeed eat them raw and whole e.g. shoved into Iisaan sausages. I do occasionally copy my Thai friends but regret it immediately afterwards

[Rubber Duck]

It is suprising how quickly cash crops have propated around the globe.

All Peppers, Tomatoes and Potatoes originate from South America I believe, but oddly coffee probably isn't native to the Americas.

QUOTE=domainguru]Somebody told me that พริกขี้หนู are not actually native to Thailand, but came from Mexico in the 17th century. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure. But certainly what thais call "Thai pepper" are large and not very strong, so maybe the story is true... anyone know?

As for not eating them "plain", many Thais do indeed eat them raw and whole e.g. shoved into Iisaan sausages. I do occasionally copy my Thai friends but regret it immediately afterwards [/quote]

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by domainguru

Somebody told me that พริกขี้หนู are not actually native to Thailand, but came from Mexico in the 17th century. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure. But certainly what thais call "Thai pepper" are large and not very strong, so maybe the story is true... anyone know?

As for not eating them "plain", many Thais do indeed eat them raw and whole e.g. shoved into Iisaan sausages. I do occasionally copy my Thai friends but regret it immediately afterwards

I have recently learned of a good chicken curry recipe which uses 24 of these พริกขี้หนู chilis (it calls for naga, but I can't find those in Finland), first made into a paste with some curry powder and oil in a blender. I've made it twice now within two weeks and I really love it. One thing I noticed is that when the curry is warm, the heat from the chili is much lower. So I started to eat it cold, along with cold rice. Tastes much better and you can get some decent heat from the chili.

The พริกขี้หนู is pretty hot, indeed, but I think I might be forming a sort of immunity to the chili heat in general, as I need to find hotter and hotter chilis to satisfy my craving as time goes on. Jalepenos just don't cut it anymore.

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[domainguru]

Originally Posted by jacksonm

I have recently learned of a good chicken curry recipe which uses 24 of these พริกขี้หนู chilis (it calls for naga, but I can't find those in Finland), first made into a paste with some curry powder and oil in a blender. I've made it twice now within two weeks and I really love it. One thing I noticed is that when the curry is warm, the heat from the chili is much lower. So I started to eat it cold, along with cold rice. Tastes much better and you can get some decent heat from the chili.

The พริกขี้หนู is pretty hot, indeed, but I think I might be forming a sort of immunity to the chili heat in general, as I need to find hotter and hotter chilis to satisfy my craving as time goes on. Jalepenos just don't cut it anymore.

.

my gf puts at least 10 พริกขี้หนู in every meal, but she's from NE Thailand so was born with a red chilli pepper in her mouth. I don't think I'll ever develop any real immunity to them, certainly hasn't happened yet.

[hangman21]

chilli peppers.... love em! i just hate the afterburn...

[jacksonm]

Originally Posted by hangman21

chilli peppers.... love em! i just hate the afterburn...

Take a shot of hard liquor if the burn is too much for you, or even beer if it's not too bad. Alcohol immediately dissolves the capsaicin oil from the chili which causes the lingering burn. Water actually makes it worse, and I think that milk is nothing more than a myth.

Perhaps the most comforting things to realize about chili burn is that it can in no way physically harm you and it will last maximum 20 minutes. Chilis don't even affect birds as they don't have the proper type of pain receptors for the capsaicin to bind.

A few months ago, my 5 year old daughter started screaming from the kitchen and I thought she had cut herself badly with a knife or something. Upon investigation, I learned that she had blown into my spice mortar which I had been using to grind dried chilis and the powder got into her eyes. Poor thing, she thought she was helping dad by blowing the dust out of the mortar! After I reassured her that she wouldn't go blind and it would stop in max 20 minutes, she calmed down and just rode out the storm. Now she laughs about it :-)

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[hangman21]

i wonder when i will become a father and have my daughter get chili in her eyes, i liked the story though.

Originally Posted by jacksonm

Take a shot of hard liquor if the burn is too much for you, or even beer if it's not too bad. Alcohol immediately dissolves the capsaicin oil from the chili which causes the lingering burn. Water actually makes it worse, and I think that milk is nothing more than a myth.

Perhaps the most comforting things to realize about chili burn is that it can in no way physically harm you and it will last maximum 20 minutes. Chilis don't even affect birds as they don't have the proper type of pain receptors for the capsaicin to bind.

A few months ago, my 5 year old daughter started screaming from the kitchen and I thought she had cut herself badly with a knife or something. Upon investigation, I learned that she had blown into my spice mortar which I had been using to grind dried chilis and the powder got into her eyes. Poor thing, she thought she was helping dad by blowing the dust out of the mortar! After I reassured her that she wouldn't go blind and it would stop in max 20 minutes, she calmed down and just rode out the storm. Now she laughs about it :-)

.

[TrafficDomainer]

Originally Posted by domainguru

Somebody told me that พริกขี้หนู are not actually native to Thailand, but came from Mexico in the 17th century. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure. But certainly what thais call "Thai pepper" are large and not very strong, so maybe the story is true... anyone know?

As for not eating them "plain", many Thais do indeed eat them raw and whole e.g. shoved into Iisaan sausages. I do occasionally copy my Thai friends but regret it immediately afterwards

Yes, The bird eye chillies, commonly referred to now as 'Thai' chillies -that litter so many plates and have made non Thais cried at least once at Thai restaurants were in fact only introduced to Thailand in the early 1500's to the court of Siam (Thailand then), with the arrival of the Portuguese who got chillies from South America. Prior to that Thai cuisine only used white pepper, which is still called Pirk-Thai, Thai Pepper, in the Thai language today.

I myself occassionally eat them raw but more often with soy sauce and lime as I am a vegetarian. Others would eat them with fish sauce. Thai food without chillies is like eating french fries without ketchup.