Six Months in Asia: Three Transcendent Dishes
I enjoyed a lot of scrumptious food across Asia – but only a few reached that “angels singing” level. Here’s a run-down of three dishes that I would almost call… transcendent. Three more are coming soon to the Treat blog*.
Cue the harp:
Dried Worm Pho
Drying sa sung worms, dug from tidal flats in northern Vietnam. Credit: ebay vendor tgdu4771
The restauranteur in Hanoi was squirrelly when I asked him what made his pho so amazing. “It’s a family recipe,” he said, rushing about his tiny, bustling eatery near Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
Clearly the man had something to hide.
I followed him. “Seriously, there is something in here that is different. Aromatic like a porcini mushroom, but it’s not that. What is it?”
And he admitted: His broth is flavored with the dried sa sung, aka peanut worm, aka Sipincula nudis, which are removed from the soup before serving. These ribbed worms are collected from tidal flats in northern Vietnam, dried, and sold for gourmet prices ($440/kg on ebay).
The hunt was on. My son and I spent hours that night roaming Hanoi in search of the worms. Most dried goods vendors had no idea what we were talking about. Eventually we found one purveyor, but she required two days to score us the goods. Since we were leaving the next morning, we had to pass.
Some day I’ll return to this project and acquire sa sung worms. I’m definitely never making pho without them – wormless pho simply pales in comparison.
Khao Soi Curry Noodle Soup
Khao soi with traditional garnishes. Credit: Hot Thai Kitchen
I adore coconut curries as a genre, but a few rise above the rest. Khao soi, native to northern Thailand, distinguishes itself via a spicy yellow broth, a chicken leg in every dish, and the combination of chewy and crispy wonton noodles that are so much more satisfying than a simple pile of rice. (Glutenous though.)
Khao soi was the first Asian dish I made after returning to the U.S. I found black cardamom, black soy sauce, and other specialty ingredients in a Thai market in Oakland, Mithapheap, and made a killer meal using this recipe from the cooking blog Hot Thai Kitchen.
Tips:
You can substitute molasses for black soy sauce, which tastes very much like salty molasses.
Don’t substitute green cardamom for black.
Sri Lankan Coconut Pancakes
Sri Lankan Coconut Pancakes are a turmeric crepe stuffed with spiced fresh coconut and sugar. Credit: Hungry Lankan
Pancakes have always been a favorite treat for me, but these turmeric-yellow crepes, stuffed with sweet, fresh grated coconut, knocked my socks off when I tasted them in, of all places, the city of Kandy.
This recipe from the Hungry Lankan is terrific and authentic, although one of my American guests found them too sweet, so you might consider using less sugar.
Tips:
Unless you grate your own coconut (which takes skillz, by the way!), find freshly grated, raw coconut in the freezer of Asian specialty stores.
Use green cardamom, not brown.
Substitute brown sugar for coconut sugar if you must, but coconut sugar is delicious and oh-so-appropriate if you can find it.
*A few dishes I passed on: rat, squirrel, frog, fetal duck.
