Sara Sarver

It’s Tuesday, so we all know what that means… we’re going to talk about food!  Goodness, has it been a week already since my last post?  Wow, did that go by quickly… now, where shall we begin?

One of our favorite things to do here in Lopburi is eat supper in the market.  Not just any market though, we like the Sra Kaew night market only a few minute motorcycle ride from where we live.  This particular market sets up along one side of only one long street, and the only thing they sell is food.  There are carts lined up with portable kitchens and glass cases holding all of their ingredients on display, small folding tables and plastic stools, and all sorts of smells (yes, the yummy kind) floating with you as you find the right place to sit.  They begin setting up around 5 or 5:30pm every day, and most are ready to go by 6:00.

Now, many of you already know my affinity for dining outdoors.  I’ll drop anything for a picnic, eat (almost) anywhere that has tables outside…  So, eating supper as the sun goes down, in a night market already has me happy.  Then, you add the fresh, cooked-on-the-spot, oh so fragrant and delicious food, and you’ve got me hooked.  Since we frequented this market almost daily before we had a house and kitchen of our own, Brook and I have seemed to develop some favorites as far as vendors go and what sort of meals they prepare.  Today, I’m going to introduce you to one of Brook’s meals (which I happen to enjoy as well).

The name for the dish you see below is pronounced as follows –
moo taught, grah-tee-ahm prick Thai.

Literally translated, this dish is called “pork fried, garlic pepper Thai.”  Now, look back up and say that out loud, exactly how it looks, and you’re speaking Thai (well, minus the tones, of course, but you get the idea)!  So, what exactly is this “moo taught” stuff made of?  Exactly what it says!  You get a plate of warm rice topped with thin, bite-sized pieces of pork that have been stir fried with lots of garlic, black pepper, and a few Thai chilis.  It’s flavorful, juicy, and not real spicy.  It’s just right for those of you who don’t have flame-retardant tongues.

So, what’s with the egg on top?  We’ve learned over the course of our time in Thailand that you can order an egg on top of any dish, pretty much anywhere, and they’ll either serve it sunny-side up or mix it into an omelet that covers the entire plate.  Brook loves his fried egg, and he never eats his garlic pork with out it!  Oh, and for those of you out there that like your yolks runny – you can order your fried egg soft, too, and I can’t tell you how wonderful it tastes to swirl the sweet yolk into the rice and take it with a bite of peppery meat.  Fantastic.

So there you have it.  Your first encounter with market food.  There’s so much more to taste in Sra Kaew, but… you’ll just have to wait until next Tuesday to find out just what there is!