8 unique dishes from Thailand that will satisfy any gourmet

In Thailand, gourmets will feel at home, because local markets, street stalls and night bazaars are always full of fresh products. Some Thai dishes may seem, to put it mildly, strange or at least "alien" to a Western eater, but they are clearly worth a try. And many of them are even good for health. So, if you are going to Thailand (or reading this post from there), remember the names and go in search of these dishes.

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1. Kai Yu ma (Kai Yiew Ma)

This name translates as "eggs with horse urine". These are eggs that Thais fry and eat with rice. They got their name because of the strong smell similar to urine, and not because they somehow come into contact with horse urine. Eggs are preserved in calcium carbonate, salt and sodium carbonate — a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice husk. Guests of the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai are offered a guided tour to the nearby Warorot market, where you can buy these eggs in a variety of forms — from ordinary to pink. The Chinese call them millennial eggs because they look like they've been lying around for a thousand years, rotting and canned. It tastes like ammonia and sulfur, but everyone says it's delicious. If they are eaten with other dishes and drinks, they enhance the flavors and tastes.

2. Fried worms

In Thailand, fried worms can be bought both freshly cooked and packaged. It is believed that they are very nutritious, as they are an excellent source of protein and carbohydrates. And they also contribute to detoxification of the body. Fried worms can be found in many restaurants in Thailand, usually they are fried with garlic. This is a universal snack in bars, which can be equated, well, say, to a peanut bar in the USA.

3. Ant eggs

Ant eggs are acidic by nature, so they give a kind of flavor to the soup. In Thailand, ant eggs are often added to herbal soups and omelets. They are rich in protein, low-calorie and low-fat, they are usually used to treat diarrhea.

4. Sadou leaves

These fresh leaves are collected from the neem tree. When the Pechdoingham restaurant ran out of sadow leaves, the chefs began to pluck them directly from the trees that grow near the restaurant. It is believed that sadou leaves prolong life. They taste bitter and are rich in iron, phosphorus and zinc.

5. Blue rice

Ordinary white rice is boiled with a sweet pea flower, and it turns blue. There is no special benefit in painting rice, but it is beautiful. It is believed that such a dish can reduce stress and overcome depression.

6. Fried insects

This includes grasshoppers, crickets, floaters and silkworm larvae. By the way, these delicacies are rich in chitin and calcium. These are a kind of insect-shaped chips, only inside they can be a little sticky. You can find it on almost any street in Bangkok or at the street market in Chiang Mai. There is even a special tour in Bangkok, within which you can taste this yummy.

7. Raw beef salad

In Northeastern Thailand, locals eat a lot of salads with raw meat, seasoning them with lime juice. Mint, basil and shallots are also added for flavor.

8. Fried snakehead

Thai cuisine is a kaleidoscope of flavors, and this fish is its bright representative. Snakehead is usually fried and seasoned with onion and garlic. It tastes like catfish, but the toothy head of this fish can scare away even the most daring gourmets. It can be ordered in many restaurants in Thailand, especially those located along the rivers. In Chiang Mai, they prefer to eat whole fish, and the most popular place where you can taste this dish is Lumdee Te Khuadang.