Isan Food

Food In Isan

One of the greatest things about Isan food, it's everywhere ! 

Isan is the rice basket of Thailand, you do not have to go far to get a snack or meal. Much of the food grows around the houses, you can literally pick your fruit breakfast during the mornings. I got myself into the habit of having a banana breakfast, for the simple fact that they are everywhere in this region. 

My first choice of Isan food during the afternoon has to be the red snapper and the noodle soup in a bag. The local cafes in Isan serve the noodle soup in a bag with chicken or pork pieces. The cafe's also include mint leaves with the soup, this gives the soup an amazing kick to your taste buds.

Pancakes

It was soon explained to me by some local people that a pancake and ice cream seller comes around in the afternoons. The ice cream seller is much like back in the UK, except that this ice cream seller comes along on a motorbike with a sidecar full of goodies.

The pancake seller was a welcome sight and would usually pass through our village late in the afternoon. He was soon to be followed by the ice cream seller on his motorbike. 

It was 12 Baht for a pancake with syrup, which was a fair deal and very filling. It was a shame that he did not have any drinks though, as the pancakes would have gone down well with a coke or two.

I asked for three pancakes and the pancake seller pulled out from his side car a bag of flour and some eggs. It was then that I noticed the hot plate fastened to the front of the sidecar. It was amazing watching pancakes being cooked in the baking sun, knowing that they will taste gorgeous with the pot of honey I could see inside this mini canteen made my mind restless.

Fish

The fish are famous in this area as tourists from all over the world come to catch the giant catfish that live in the Mekong and her tributaries.

The other fish in this region are just as good, and the one fish I love eating is the red snapper. Local Isan people like to salt the red snapper before barbecuing the fish over hot coals. I had this fish with some Thai beer called Leo beer. The red snapper tasted one hundred percent better than any fish I have eaten in the UK.

Jack Fruit

The jack fruit in Isan is everywhere and grows naturally beside farms and houses, it has to be the best fruit I have tasted in the region and is a popular fruit in Isan. The jack fruit has to be cut in half and then the pods inside are removed for eating.