You don't have to be in Bangkok to enjoy good kui tio _ noodle dishes. There are many local recipes for them in other provinces, each with its own individual character and delicious in its own way. For example, one Thai noodle dish served in Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet and Tak provinces is made with either ba mee (wheat noodles) or sen lek (fine rice noodles) with orange-tinted boiled pork, minced pork and boiled pork skin with added long beans, dried shrimp, toasted peanuts, dried chillies, and pak chee farang (sawtooth coriander).
NOODLES WITH BEEF: ‘Kui tio nuea liang’ at Tha Mai district
Then there is the fried noodle dish from Nakhon Ratchasima called pad mee Korat. It originated in Phimai district and is made from dried sen lek fried in a mixture of tamarind water, sweet black soya sauce, and sugar. Pak khana (Chinese broccoli), bean sprouts and egg are added later.
In Chanthaburi there are two especially delicious local noodle dishes. The first is served "wet" _ with broth _ and is called kui tio nuea liang. The second, sen lek noodles fried with tiny crabs, is known as kui tio sen Chan pad pu.
Chanthaburi-style noodle dishes are hard to find made properly in Bangkok. But actually it's a good thing that you will have to travel to Chanthaburi if you want the real thing, because when you get there you'll not only have a chance to do some exploring in an interesting province, but also the opportunity to taste more intriguing local dishes.
Chanthaburi has high mountain ranges. The vegetation is dense, and includes many indigenous herbs. Besides the pepper for which it is well known, there is cardamom, including the high-quality type called Tavoy cardamom. The coastal province is also rich in seafood.
In the past, Chanthaburi was home to many distinct ethnic communities. There were the Chaung people, who lived in the forested mountains and brought herbs to sell. A population of Vietnamese Catholics remained there from the time when the Chanthaburi area was under French control. There were Chinese descended from ocean-going traders. Today these groups have dispersed for the most part. The local people, mostly farmers, are a mixture of different ethnic groups, and this diversity is responsible for the wide variety of foods found in Chanthaburi.
CRAB VARIETY: ‘Kui tio sen Chan pad pu’ at Chanthon Phochana
Noodle manufacturers in Chanthaburi use a technique all their own, and the sen lek kui tio that they make has a delectable chewiness that makes it different from that made anywhere else. It is produced in a dried form that has a long shelf life. Originally it was made in a single factory that had its own recipe using rice flour made from grain grown in Chachoengsao province that had been milled several times until it was extremely fine. This was mixed with flour made from the root of a local plant called thao yai mom (Tacca leontopetaloides) and tapioca flour.
The recipe, with the proportions of the flours used, was kept secret and for 50 or 60 years the original factory was the only place where the noodles were made. Later some of the workers established factories of their own, and the number of manufacturers grew until today Chanthaburi noodles are marketed under many different brand names. But the quality is consistent, and the chewiness is not matched by kui tio made anyplace else.
Originally, kui tio nuea liang was the same as standard kui tio nuea (beef noodles), with broth made by simmering beef bones, with cinnamon and star anise added as seasonings. But villagers in the mountainous area made it with water buffalo meat, usually the entire loin, which they simmered until it was tender to the point of falling apart. After taking it from the pot they would set it aside (liang in the local dialect, hence the name of the dish) and then slow-cook the bones together with galangal, lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise. Since there was plenty of wild cardamom in the mountain forests they would put that in, too, together with whole kaffir limes, pickled garlic together with the pickling liquid, and both pineapple and brown sugar for sweetness.
As a result, the broth was both fragrant and sweet. The only vegetable added was pak chee farang. The flavour of the finished dish was different from that of any other version of kui tio nuea. Although it was originally made only with beef (or water buffalo meat), a pork variant appeared later for people who avoid beef.
Besides kui tio nuea liang, there is another local kui tio speciality in which the Chanthaburi noodles are fried with little crabs, and it is one of the province's signature dishes. It is quite similar to pad thai.
The seasoning mixture is prepared first by pounding dried chillies, shallots, garlic, kapi and a little salt together, then frying them with tamarind water, sugar and nam pla. When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, the liquid is set aside.
A former Outlook staff member and now retired, Suthon Sukphisit has written articles on Thailand’s art and culture and on topics related to Thai society, history, archaeology, architecture, environment and education. These days, he spends his leisure time pursuing another topic in which he is well versed: Food and cooking. He can be reached at suthonsukphisit@hotmail.com.
When the Chanthaburi fishermen lift their nets, different kinds of sea animals caught in them, including large numbers of the tiny crabs they call pu katoy. They are too small to be used in most kinds of dishes, so cooks cut them in half, add them to the seasoning mixture and fry them until they are almost dry. Juice from the crabs mixes with the seasonings to create a special flavour. Then Chanthaburi noodles are added and fried with the seasoning liquid until they soften. When they are almost done, bean sprouts and leek leaves are added, as with pad thai.
Kui tio sen Chan phat puu is a famous dish, but the version sold in markets at a low price is not the same as the one described above. The market vendors like to use the commercial, ready-made paste used to make the sour-sweet-spicy curry called kaeng som and then add a red sauce to it. That isn't the way it should be done, but this is just the cheap version sold in markets.
There are several food shops in Chanthaburi that offer tasty kui tio nuea liang. The Jay Tuk shop in Talad Tha Mai is one of them; Chanthon Phochana on Benjamorachuthit Road in Chanthaburi town is another.
If you want to try these local noodle dishes, forget about seeking them out in Bangkok. You'll have to go to Chanthaburi to taste them as they should be made, and this would be an excellent time. Once you've experienced the food this province has to offer, you will be back for a second visit before long, and for more after that.
