Intro to Northern Thailand: Lanna 101

Food

Sep 4

We FINALLY made it to Chiang Mai! After 14 days in our quarantine hotel, we spent another two days in Bangkok waiting for domestic flights to resume. When we landed in Chiang Mai we were asked by local health officials to get tested before leaving our house.

After receiving our 4th and hopefully last COVID test, we ventured out to a traditional northern Thai restaurant in the San Kamphaeng area of Chiang Mai called Huen Jai Yong / เฮือนใจ๋ยอง.

A quick geography and history lesson…

thailand map.png — Northern Thailand (in green)

The region of northern Thailand consists of the northwestern provinces where some provinces share a border with Myanmar. The area and culture is also known as **Lan Na** (commonly spelled Lanna) which means a million rice paddies. The Kingdom of Lanna existed as an independent state with control of the region changing hands between Burma and the Kingdom of Siam (modern-day central Thailand) from its existence in the 13th century until the 1790s where it formally joined Siam and remains to this day. Thus, the region has a unique language, culture, and cuisine that is distinctive from Siam. As northerners, we call ourselves *khon mueang* or *khon nuea* which means northern people. Northern Thai language or *kham mueang* is mutually intelligible with standard Thai; we can understand each other most of the time (like Spanish and Portuguese).

Getting back to the food…

Unlike the more sweet and decadent central Thai food that is commonly found in the US, northern Thai food is more herbal, fresh, and not sweet.

The ingredients and techniques of the cuisine reflect the humble origin of the region that was once covered in rice paddies. The flavors of northern Thai cuisine come from the use of fresh local herbs, dried spices, and fermented or preserved ingredients. Unlike central Thai food, northern Thai dishes rarely use coconut milk. You're probably thinking, khao soi is northern Thai and it has coconut milk. I hate to break it to you; though it is probably the most well-known northern Thai dish globally, khao soi is not a very good representation of northern Thai flavors. The northern provinces of Thailand are landlocked, therefore coastal ingredients such as coconut products are less accessible to the average person. Thickness or creaminess in northern Thai dishes are usually created by pounding down dried fish, pork rinds, or dried rice. Various dishes also rely on charcoal grilling to add depth of aroma and flavor. Soups and salads are made with every part of the animal (offal, feet, even blood). Northern Thai food focuses on using local ingredients and reducing waste.