How authentic should our food be

[Peter Green]

There've been some discussions about getting food that may be "too authentic" (see FatGuy's Turning The Tables thread).

I found this article on the Bangkok Post today detailing one case that may just be too local.

The Bangkok Post only keeps their articles up for a limited time, so I'll give a synopsis (and leave the names out):

Headline: Swedish man found dead after eating spicy som tam

Girlfriend says it may have been the food

A 40-year-old Swede was found dead in a Thai friend's house yesterday, following complaints of diarrhoea after eating som tam (papaya salad) and sator (stinkbeans). Sattahip police were alerted by (the woman), that her Swedish boyfriend, was found dead in a room in a house in Sattahip district.

Ms Sopa and her friend cooked two dishes of spicy northeastern-style papaya salad, one mixed with pudong (fermented crab) and another mixed with plara (fermented fish) for lunch on Friday. They ate the salads with sator, a strong smelling flat, edible bean.

(The victim) only tasted a little of the food as he found it too hot for him, she said.

After a while, (he) developed diarrhoea, police quoted (her) as saying. She left on Friday and came back on Sunday to find him dead.

Sattahip police said even though (she) believed he died of severe diarrhoea, police have not yet concluded the cause of death and will send his body for an autopsy before taking any further action.

[Fat Guy]

The dish that comes to mind here, for me, is fugu. I mean, the whole traditional fugu experience depends on the knowledge that it kills a percentage of the people who eat it.

[Peter Green]

The dish that comes to mind here, for me, is fugu. I mean, the whole traditional fugu experience depends on the knowledge that it kills a percentage of the people who eat it.

←

And you only need a 50% grade to get your license.

We were on Insadong in Seoul years ago, and I spotted a beautiful old, restored house which was obviously a restaurant. Yoonhi's Korean is, unfortunately, kitchen Korean, as she emigrated at a young age (it's improved as she's been in more contact with other Koreans overseas), so when I asked her about the place her response was "it looks like a restaurant".

Once seated inside, we asked for menus and were told they only served one dish - "bogaw" (pardon my spelling). I asked Yoonhi what that was and she went out on a limb.

"It's a fish."

So we figured, "we're here, the restaurant's here, might as well see what it is".

We had three courses. The meal came in several stages. What I remember most was the skin, very rubbery, that came in a soup (this was 17 years ago, and my memory is failing).

When we returned home to our friend, she asked what we'd had for lunch, and was horrified. Her father had died from eating pufferfish years ago.

But, we were fine, so we must've had one of the guys who did better than a passing grade!

Edited June 24, 2007 by Peter Green (log)

[Stupid_American]

I think there is a difference in seeking authenticity and being adventurous.

Whether it be live, raw, bugs, or whatever, although a few creative dishes are okay, I prefer an ethnic restaurant to representitive of the cuisine.

[kanzis_slave]

The town in Vietnam where I've lived has a big sign near the market with pictures of several fish, octopus and and other items not to eat, as apparently locals persist in eating a lot of risky things.

I was once left at a house with a friends family while they went to run errands. They brought out a platter of the foulest looking crabs I've ever seen. All different kinds that looked right out of a starwars movie. Bizarre shapes, colors and mysterious appendages coming off of them. I didn;t want to be rude, so i ate with them and we had a round of beers.

My friend came back later and was shocked I'd eaten with them. he gave me a good reprimand, because although he was a local, he would have never touched them, and told me I'd have explosive diarreah the next day.

I learned that not everything that's eaten should be eaten. A lot of the shock-value items eaten on travel shows are crazy novelties that average locals in that culture don't normally eat.