'Fake food' debate shows social schism

'Fake food' debate shows social schism

There's just one way to cook panang curry with beef - or so says the Ministry of Commerce which won't give you a Thai Select seal of approval if you use any other recipe. (Weirdly the Thai Select website does not have a recipe for panang neua.
There's just one way to cook panang curry with beef - or so says the Ministry of Commerce which won't give you a Thai Select seal of approval if you use any other recipe. (Weirdly the Thai Select website does not have a recipe for panang neua.

What should be the true taste of <i>phad thai</i>?

According to the Commerce Ministry, it takes an equal amount of seasonings -- two tablespoons of fish sauce, two tbsp of palm sugar and two tbsp of tamarind juice -- to cook up "the" authentic phad thai.

It is also recommended that the dish must be stir-fried until it is dry.

Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist, Bangkok Post.

What constitutes "authentic tasting" Thai food has been hot on the plate after Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong early this month launched a "Thai Select" campaign giving certificates of approval to restaurants with "authentic Thai cuisine" in the country.

The certificate has been available for Thai restaurants overseas for a few years.

On Aug 2, Mr Sontirat posted on Facebook that the "Thai Select" brand would help people differentiate between real Thai dishes and "fake" ones, or those that do not taste the same as they "ought to".

His post went viral online, exploding like garlic and chili on sizzling hot oil. What is the "authentic" taste of tom yum goong? Or phad ka prao? Who is to tell? Thousands of people commented on the minister's feed asking whether it's practical to dictate a single standard taste for Thai food, known for its diverse recipes and prone to being adapted.

Since cooking is an integral part of people's culture -- deeply ingrained in their habitat, climate or natural produce -- it seems difficult to define a national taste for each dish. A perfect tom yum goong for people from the Central Plains may be considered bland by those from the South, who generally prefer hotter food. Likewise, what Bangkok people praise as a tasty somtam may not look and taste very different from what people from Isan consider to be the best.

Is it necessary to select one version of a popular dish and name it "the" standard? Is it even constructive, as in doing so the Commerce Ministry is implying that all others out there, including new versions that haven't even been cooked up yet, aren't good enough?

To Mr Sontirat's credit, the minister took the time to respond to the criticisms posted to his page. He said the ministry is not trying to monopolise the taste of Thai food. What it seeks to do with the Thai Select certificate is establish a high standard and maintain the quality of Thai cuisine, especially for restaurateurs who take advantage of the popularity of Thai cuisine without fully understanding it.

He further reasoned that the development of the Thai Select brand would open more opportunities for restaurant operators. This year, 500 food outlets in the country have been certified by the programme. The ministry aims to recruit 500 more and hopes to generate revenue of 10 billion baht this year.

Despite his explanation, questions still abound. Many users wrote on the minister's page saying that corruption in the form of bribery or freeloading is often associated with an attempt to standardise and give away certificates like this.

People also asked who would be able to judge the authenticity of Thai food. What make the ministry's panel of "experts" qualified to be the arbiters of the true Thai taste?

"What if a Thai person invented a new recipe for phad thai? He cooked it up and thinks it is delicious. Other people think it's delicious too. But the recipe does not conform to the 'standard'. Does this mean the new recipe would not be considered 'authentic' Thai?" one user asked.

Ultimately, the great debate about "authentic Thai food" seems to boil down to a clash of worldviews -- between people who believe there is a fixed standard for Thai heritage in particular, or "Thainess" in general, and those who consider culture to be fluid, endlessly diverse and constantly changing.

The "traditionalists" believe in a need to maintain the status quo, a process usually enforced by a centralised body or monopoly. True phad thai must taste equally of fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind juice, for example. Other variations, palatable or not, are considered fake or inferior.

The "progressives", meanwhile, put their faith in change. Innovation will bring better things that wouldn't be possible if we stick to age-old practices and assumptions, they say. A more perfect, or profitable, phad thai may be out there, if one dares to break away from the standard two-tablespoon recipe.

What is striking is this very clash of views seems to underlie a more general intellectual division in Thai society at present. As no end is in sight for the debacle over what constitutes authentic Thai food, a bridge has yet to be found to reconnect a divided Thai society as it struggles to find its way and place in the future.

Atiya Achakulwisut

Columnist for the Bangkok Post

Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist for the Bangkok Post.

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