Sticky Rice

Emily Hoffmeister, 135 YinD

It’s no secret that food is an essential aspect of Thai culture, so join us for a week of lunches and discover the daily dishes we enjoy!

Thailand is divided into four main regions—North, Northeast (Esaan), Central, and South—each with distinct cultural influences, especially when it comes to food. I’ve invited three fellow volunteers to share their regional cuisines with me to capture the full range of Thai lunches. I’ll be representing Esaan from my home in Mukdahan. Showcasing Northern flavors is Clara Kennedy from Lampang. Kiera Hurley, based in Lopburi, will highlight Central Thai dishes. And for the South, Mia Buffington from Krabi, will take us on a culinary journey through her region.

We do our best to describe our food, however, there are some dishes that remain a mystery to us (sometimes it’s better to just not know hahaha). Alongside the questionable, we also each highlight our favorite dish from the week with a star !☆ 

Alright, let’s gin yu yu!

Monday 

Clara (North): 

Guai tiao sen leek muu ruam! (Soup with thin noodles, pork & pork meatballs) Added veggies, peanuts, spicy peppers, and sour sauce.
This is Clara’s favorite lunch! ✩

Emily (Esaan):

Tom yum (hot and sour soup), stir fried veggies with shrimp, and grilled fish.

Kiera (Central):

Pad see ew (stir-fried noodles).

Mia (South):

Geng som moo (pork curry), nam juut (clear/not spicy vegetable soup), fried egg, mung bean dessert.

Tuesday 

Clara (North): 

Seafood pad see ew (stir-fried noodles).

Emily (Esaan):

Fried rice and chicken! 

Kiera (Central):

Pad grapow (Thai basil stir-fried pork), green tea, and a choco pie.

Mia (South):

Pad woo sen (glass noodles with veggies) and some sort of chicken curry. 

Wednesday 

Clara (North): 

I couldn’t possibly explain what all of this is, but I’m 75% sure this is an accurate description:
Pad pak nomai muu grop (bamboo and egg stir fry with pork fat), lotus flower leaves, geng bplee (banana curry), kale and fish stir fry, kai palo (sweet black soup with egg and pork fat), geng care (mixed vegetable soup), lap moo (ground pork salad), and grilled pork intestines.

Emily (Esaan):

Egg, fried pork, and som tam (spicy papaya salad). Today’s lunch also included a soup with red ant eggs! Not my personal favorite, but a big hit among my community.

Kiera (Central):

Fried rice, cucumber, rose apple.

Mia (South):

Grilled fish, naam juut again, and I honestly have no idea what this was lol.

Thursday 

Clara (North): 

A big pot of geng som (orange curry) that the teachers made for lunch today.

Emily (Esaan):

Tom pak wan (sweet greens and mushroom soup), tom bpla (fish soup), som tam, grilled pork, veggies, and oranges. This day also included one of my favorite Esaan dishes, som tam kanom jiin, or as I like to call it – Esaan spaghetti. This som tam variation uses rice noodles with a dressing of lime juice, chili, tomatoes, fish sauce, and palm sugar.
My favorite lunch! ✩

Kiera (Central):

Paalot (brown soup with tofu and chicken), makuea (vegetables and pork), kanom jiin (rice noodles & coconut-based fish curry), and fried chicken.

Mia (South):

Chicken curry, boiled veggies, fried egg, and pineapple.

Friday 

Clara (North): 

Fancy lunch at the SAO:
Tom juut (vegetable, pork, and egg tofu soup), grilled fish, chat om (northern vegetable), and the classic Northern dish, nam prik ock (tomato, pork, egg, chilli, garlic, shallot). Many fruits and veggies: watermelon, guava, rose apple, pumpkin, mushrooms, and cauliflower.

Emily (Esaan):

Tom kha gai (hot sour soup with coconut milk and chicken), vegetables, and the option between raw or cooked beef! (I only ate the cooked hahaha).

Kiera (Central):

Catfish, pork curry, grilled chicken, and tom yum soup.
This is Kiera’s favorite lunch! ✩

Mia (South):

Tom yum moo sen mii (hot and sour soup with pork and rice noodles).

Saturday 

Clara (North): 

My pii dropped off this lunch of fried rice, cucumbers, and tomatoes from her garden! 

Emily (Esaan):

Chicken tom yum soup.

Kiera (Central):

Egg noodles with chicken. 

Mia (South):

Grilled chicken, som tam, kanom jiin, and another curry.

Sunday 

Clara (North): 

Sticky rice, jackfruit, Northern laap, tom juut (vegetable, pork, and egg tofu soup), geng om (northern vegetable), crispy pork, and cabbage.

Emily (Esaan):

Spaghetti aglio e olio and a club sandwich… haha western food cravings sometimes win. While there are limited western food options at my site, I spent this weekend away in a city close by!

Kiera (Central):

Pad pak (stir-fried veggies and pork) and Thai tea.

Mia (South):

Tom yum soup with noodles and shrimp.
This is Mia’s favorite lunch! ✩

At times, Thai food can feel repetitive to me, and we obviously had many recurring dishes—tom yum, fried chicken, som tam, etc. However, there is often more than one option available. The Thai table is a feast of bowls, each holding a different adventure. Thai lunches feel special not only because of this abundance but also because of the atmosphere of conversation and community that fills the table. Thailand has taught me meals are meant to be shared, so I hope you enjoyed our week shared with you! 

---