When I was younger, I used to make miniature models from marzipan which could then be eaten. If you have been to Thailand then you may have seen the Thai version of marzipan. These candies are very glossy and use very bright colours. In Thai it is called khanom look chup. As you can see from this picture, they often make miniature vegetables - chili being a popular choice. They also do miniature animals. This is made by mixing mung beans with coconut milk and sugar. It is then cooked on a low heat until it becomes dry and you are able to mold it. After the sculpture is done, it is pinned to some foam with a tooth pick so that it can now be painted. To get the glossy effect, this is then dipped into a mixture of agar powder, sugar and jasmine water. This is a gelling agent. The sculpture is dipped into this solution at least three times to make a firm out layer. At this stall, a selection will cost you 40 baht which is about US$1.

At the weekend I finally managed to find time to visit the Or Tor Kor Market which is opposite the southern entrance to Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok. I had heard some good things about this market  and wanted to go and see for myself. I also wanted to get some more pictures for the photo album at enjoythaifood.com. The market is run by the Agricultural Market Organization (that is what the Thai initials Or Tor Kor stand for) and has recently had a makeover. The area is spacious and clean, and more importantly for photographers, it is bright. If you are looking for an easily accessible market in Bangkok then this one would be a great introduction. It has all the usual stalls of vegetables, seafood, meat, fruit and other products such as dried shrimp which probably came from the market I visited in Samut Songkhram. At one end of the market you will find a food court where you can buy ready made food such as the curries shown in the picture below.  The are also a number of stalls selling Thai desserts which I just couldn’t resist. In fact we bought a lot of food.

We went to the market by car. It is very easy to find. We followed the sky train route up Phahon Yothin Road towards Chatuchak Market. We then turned left onto Kamphaenphet Road shortly after Saphan Kwai BTS station. The entrance to the market is just on the left. The easiest way for tourists to arrive is by the underground train. The Kamphaenphet MRTA exit (number 3) is literally by the front gate. If you are coming by Sky Train, then get off at Saphan Kwai BTS station and then you have a further ten minutes walk up the road and then turn left at the intersection. If you are here at the weekend then you can cross the road to the Weekend Market for a bit of shopping. Plenty of things to photograph here.

The following description of a Thai mealtime was written in the 1850’s by Monsignor Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix:

The Thai take all their meals seated on a mat or carpet. The dishes are enclosed in great bronze vases with a lid in a conical shape and adorned with red cloth. The dishes are cut in small pieces and the rice is placed aside and to the right in a great, widening bowl. On the left side, there is a basin with water in which floats another small basin to drink. The diners have neither spoons, nor forks, nor knives. They only use a mother-of-pearl spoon to take from the plates. For all the rest, fingers are sufficient for them. Only when they are satisfied do they drink pure water or a cup of tea. Drinking from the same bowl or cup is not shocking to them. Among the rich people, the husband usually eats before his wife who serves him at the table.The Princes and the King are only different from their subjects by the richness of the cutlery and the variety of dishes.

The dining hour is, so to speak, sacred for the Thai. One never bothers somebody who is eating; even masters themselves watch out not to interrupt the meal of their slaves. The time of a meal is also a time for silence. Even if one is with ten or twenty people to eat together, one barely hears a few words escape one or the other, so deeply engrossed are they in their business! Thus, their meals take only about a quarter of an hour. One must also remark that they never drink before or during a meal, only afterwards.

When people come to Thailand, one of the first things they want to do is to eat some genuine Thai food. The best place to do this is on the street. However, these places only have menus and signs in Thai and the vendors don’t speak any English. Of course, you could try and point to what you want to eat. But, what is that meat on the stick? Is it pork, chicken, beef or even crocodile? To help you order Thai food, we have started to do a series of illustrated articles on what words you need to use for each food stall. I have hundreds of pictures in my photo library of Thai food. When finished, this should prove to be very useful.

• How to Order Thai Food
• Thai Food Photo Album (over 800 pictures)

One of my favourite street food stalls in Thailand has to be grilled chicken (gai yaang). You sometimes see the chicken being grilled over a charcoal fire next to a som tam stall. The two go well together. With perhaps some sticky rice as well. You can see the guy here marinating the chicken with some yellow looking liquid. Each vendor uses their own secret ingredients. Here they are probably using some turmeric.

One of the most famous fruits in Thailand is the Durian. It is widely known as the “king of fruit” and you will either love it or hate it. It is a large fruit with a spiky casing which could so easily be used as a lethal weapon. However, it is the smell which some people say is more dangerous. Many hotels and taxis ban this fruit that many people say smells like an open sewer. Personally, I don’t care for it much. I must admit it is the smell the puts me off the most. I would prefer to eat something with a pleasant aroma. However, I love eating fried durian which you can see being prepared in the above picture. The durian is sliced thinly like potato chips (crisps) and then either fried or roasted or even both. The small bag of fried durian you can see in the picture costs 100 baht. I bought some on my recent trip to Rayong. This area of Thailand produces the majority of the durians in the country. If you don’t fancy eating the smelly fruit then try this fried version. It is very addictive, so one packet won’t be enough!

Here are some facts about the durian:

• The Thai people call it “turian” instead of “durian”
• Over 670,000 tonnes was produced in the first half of this year
• Chantaburi, Rayong and Trat produce 56% of the country’s total production. The remainder comes from the south.
• In the first quarter of this year, 16,200 tonnes was exported.
• In 2004 several people died after eating excessive amounts of durian prompting the government to release health warnings
• People are advised not to eat durian and consume alcohol at the same time
• A 2 kilogramme durian contains nearly 1,000 calories
• The best advice is to eat some mangosteen after eating durian.

If you are interested in Thai Street Food, then don't forget to read the archives at http://www.enjoythaifood.com. Now over 1000 sound clips and an equal number of food pictures!

You may remember me telling you about a Thai style omlette called khanom beuang yuan that I often like to eat. It is quite easy to cook. The mixture from two beaten eggs is spread evenly over a hot wok. Then an assortment of ingredients (chopped peanuts, tofu, chopped spring onions, Chinese turnips, beansprouts and grated coconut) is put in the middle. Then everything is folded up to make a kind of omlette envelope. Very delicious. Last weekend I was in Chachoengsao for a food festival when I spotted this interesting version of this same dish. The kind I had tasted before the egg was soft. However, this one was crispy. They did this by cooking very slowly in a wok. It made a nice change but I do prefer the traditional version.