Chapter · Thailand · At the table
The chilli arrived by boat
Pad thai, four tastes, som tam
A national dish invented by a government, a chilli that crosses the Pacific before reaching the plate, a pounded salad from the poorest region of the country. This chapter tells where Thai food comes from, and since when.
Context first
A lesson to read before the others, to set the scene.
- The place
- The era
- The people
The lessons in this chapter
- 1The Thai chilli comes from AmericaThe chilli is American and reached Asia only after 1492. By 1687 the king of Siam was already taxing it tree by tree, at the mango tree's rate. The world's most chilli-laden cuisine took up its ingredient in three centuries.9 min
- 2The oldest Thai curry recipe you can readA Thai curry recipe written down in French in 1854, which you can still follow as it stands. Nine things in the mortar, brine to let it down, and coconut milk that a short cooking turns into a fragrant oil.9 min
- 3When the state decides what you eatIn November 1939 the Thai government formally asked its citizens to eat only food made from Thai things. The text exists and it is signed. The story of pad thai handed out by the state we could not verify.9 min
How these lessons are written
Each lesson starts from first-hand sources: Wikisource, Gallica, Persée, archives, museums and institutes. A fact without a source does not get written, and every lesson lists its own as direct links.
The rhythm
A lesson is five minutes of cards and four questions. Those questions then come back the next day, then at 3, 7, 21 and 60 days, and that return is what makes it stick. One a day is enough, and you can do several in a row.