Massaman
Posted on December 10 2014
The Sweet Taste of Southern Thailand…
Where do we begin with this fine dish. Let’s start with, the exquisite rustic, sweet taste that captures you in the first mouthful. Anyone who has visited Thailand, or one of the many Thai restaurants that now exist on every corner, I am sure you have indulged in this special aromatic dish.
It was originally from India, introduced to the Muslim Thai’s, and it was here, that these beautiful people put a little of there own twist adding fish sauce, lemongrass and all things Thai to call it their own.
We have been annual travelers to Southern Thailand visiting the provinces of Krabi, Trang and Saturn, and they certainly offer special treats for the adventurist. So we have been returning to this special part of the world for last 18 years.
I must admit, that I never ordered this meal, until we travelled with our children. Recommended by the locals, guaranteeing that they would love it! And of course they did.
We have explored all the islands in Southern Thailand, until you hit the border of Malaysia, where you can skip over and do a quick border run and come back and stay another month or so lounging around eating cheap, tantalising delicacies.
Cinnamon and nutmeg making this exciting treat so sweet, followed by the undeniable tastes of fennel, cardamon, galangal, coriander, kaffir lime leaves, and cloves. These spices (and more) plus the blend of coconut milk and tomatoes make this velvety dish stand out from the rest.
Through much experiences of finishing off my children’s dishes or tasting it before they eat, just to make sure it is not “mai phet” (not spicy), I can tell a good Massaman from a not so good.
The best ever, was in a small village on an island named Ko Jum. This amazing place is half Muslim and half Buddhist. With Muslims occupying the north and Buddhists in the south and a village in between combining both.
This is a magical island, that love their food and enjoy spoiling their guests. It is here that I was presented with – my favourite all time seafood – soft shell crab.
And as I wanted my children to try this delicacy, I ordered it to be served in Massaman sauce. Well, we devoured the dish and we were all happy and extremely full. It was from this one island that we replicated the flavours of Massaman. Why wouldn’t we? Everywhere we ventured on this island, they just got it right.
After much demand from regular customers for a Thai curry, we could not surpass presenting you all with the true flavours of this tasteful dish. It actually took us 2 years to perfect this dish, and by Buddha, WE got it right!
Enjoy and share with family and friends. We do.
