This week saw the start of the Chinese New Year. On the day before, people set up tables and small shrines in front of their house as an offering to the gods. They were also burning paper money, clothes, gold and even an iPad.  Later in the day they make another offering of food, this time for the ancestors.

At school they probably had one of the biggest feasts laid out for the Gods in my area. Maybe with the expectation that they will receive great merit in return. Each of the food items have special meaning. For example: glass noodles (longevity), chicken (dignity), duck (cleanliness and harmony), pig (abundance), fish (wealth and fertility), oranges (affluence), pear (good fortune) and gourd (abundance). So they pick and choose the food carefully.

After paying respect to the deities, the burning incense sticks are then placed in each of the plates of food. Each person does this three times so they end up lighting three sets of incense sticks. This number is linked to how the Chinese bow three times to their elders and images of their ancestors. In fact, every part of this ceremony has meaning from the time it starts to the layout of the food. Nothing is random. For Gods there should be one rice bowl in front of the incense bowl. Then there are four rows of food: vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, fruits and desserts.

Furthest away from the incense bowl are the stack of paper clothing and gold and silver papers. Once all of the food has been offered to the Gods, then it is time to burn the paper offerings. This starts with the paper clothing and paper money. And then the gold and silver paper. There was also paper mobile phones and even cars. At the completion the firecrackers were set off. Nothing is wasted. The householders can now eat the food themselves, though often this is donated to friends and neighbours.

Honey roasted duck on rice (ข้าวหน้าเป็ด - เป็ดอบน้ำผึ้ง). Only 30 Baht. They also do on noodles. The shop is in Samrong on Sukhumwit Road between Soi 109 & 111 on the left hand side as you come from Bangkok (13.653055 100,598611).

If you want to see more food that we are eating in restaurants in Samut Prakan Province, then visit our Facebook page.

One of the good things about travelling to the Northeast of Thailand is the variety of food. Always nice to have something different. Some of the provinces near the Mekong River have many Vietnamese immigrants and this shows in their food. This breakfast is Kai Gat Ta, which is a pan fried egg. As you can see, they also serve it to you in your own pan. I had this for breakfast in Nakhon Phanom.

Designed for lovers of Thai Food, particularly for those travelling or living in Thailand.  You will be able to confidently order from non tourist restaurants that don't have an English menu or any English speaking staff. Simply show the waiter the photo & name in Thai script or even play the audio.

This week sees the launch of the third iPhone app that helps people buy Thai food (see my reviews for Thai Food Flashcards and Thai Food Guide). This new one is called "Thai Talking Food Menu" and in my opinion is the best of the bunch. Although it is not as comprehensive as I would like to see, it has everything that you would need from a Thai food menu decoder. The first screen gives you the different categories such as: deep fried, stir-fried, noodles, curries, salads, soups and rice. In the above example, I clicked on "noodles" where I was presented with a list of different noodle dishes. As you can see, there is a thumbnail picture of the dish, and the name in Thai, romanization and English.

Click on the food that you are interested in and you are taken to a new page where you can see a bigger picture and a bit of information about this dish. What makes this app better than the others is that it also has sound clips. So, you have the choice of either showing the picture to the food vendor or having a go at saying the name of the dish. If you are not sure what you want to eat you can click on the "Top 20" tab for some suggestions. Another feature that I really like is the talking dictionary. This is sorted into categories such as: noodles, meats, flavour, drinks and requests. Click on any of the words to hear a native Thai speaker. In the request section there are useful phrases such as "no chilli" and "do put in MSG".

At present there are about 70 or so dishes listed. I have already spoken to the developer about future improvements and he said he already has a plan to add more dishes. He said that he is only restricted by the number of photos he has in his private library. I actually like this app so much, and the potential that it has to be invaluable, that I will be offering the developer free access to my own extensive photo library of Thai street food. There is no doubt that "Thai Talking Food Menu will prove to be the most useful iPhone app for lovers of Thai food.

Download for $1.99 at the iTunes store >>>

One of my favourite curry dishes in Thailand is Massaman. This is one that I bought for lunch today which comes with beef and a roti. A great combination. This is rather fitting as CNNGO.com have just released their list of the "World's 50 Most Delicious Foods". And guess which takes their number one spot. Yes, Massaman curry from Thailand. This is what they had to say:

1. Massaman Curry - Emphatically the king of curries, and perhaps the king of all foods. Spicy, coconutty, sweet and savory, its combination of flavors has more personality than a Thai election. Even the packet sauce you buy from the supermarket can make the most delinquent of cooks look like a Michelin potential. Thankfully, someone invented rice, with which diners can mop up the last drizzles of curry sauce. “The Land of Smiles” isn’t just a marketing catch-line. It’s a result of being born in a land where the world’s most delicious food is sold on nearly every street corner."

Also on their list:

8. Tom yum goong - This Thai masterpiece teems with shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Usually loaded with coconut milk and cream, the hearty soup unifies a host of favorite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet. Best of all is the price: cheap.

19. Nam tok moo - Grilled pork combined with lemon juice, green onions, chili, mint sprigs, fish sauce and toasted rice. Legend has it the blood from the meat along with the dressing inspired some happy carnivore to name this brilliant dish “waterfall (nam tok moo) meat.”

46. Som tam - To prepare Thailand's most famous salad, pound garlic and chilies with a mortar and pestle. Toss in tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans and a handful of grated green papaya. Grab a side of sticky rice. Variations include those made with crab (som tam boo) and fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah), but none matches the flavor and simple beauty of the original.

Full list on CNNGO.com >>>

For those of you who don't agree with their list, you can now head over to their Facebook and vote for what you think is the world's best food. Winning for Thailand at the moment are:

2. Padthai
3. Tom yum gung
4. Papaya Salad
7. Massaman curry

Go and vote for yourself on Facebook >>>

Spicy minced pork salad (ลาบหมู laab moo)

Pork Leg stew on rice (ข้าวขาหมู khao kaa moo)

Spicy popcorn chicken (ผัดพริกไก่ป็อบ pat prik gai pop)

Radish soup with glass noodles (แกงจืดหัวไชเท้า gaeng jeut hua-chai-tao)

Stirfried pork (ผัดลูกชิ้นใส่หมู pat look-chin sai moo)

Pan fried noodles (ผัดไทย pad thai)

Stirfried spicy squid and pork (ผัดพริกสดปลาหมึกหมู pad prik sod pla-meuk moo)

Rice soup with chicken (ข้าวต้มไก่ khao tom)

Tofu soup (แกงจืดเต้าหู้ gaeng jeut tao-hoo)