0:00:02 > 0:00:07- We've packed our passports... - And bought our phrasebooks.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09HE ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK THAI
0:00:09 > 0:00:14Because we're off on our biggest, craziest adventure yet.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19ALL: Delicious. Delicious. Meow, meow, eeee!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22HE SCREAMS LIKE TARZAN
0:00:22 > 0:00:26We're travelling further than we have ever done before.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31To uncover the authentic roots of Britain's favourite takeaway foods.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I have always wanted to know how to make proper sweet-and-sour sauce.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Going off the beaten track
0:00:36 > 0:00:41and being welcomed into some of Asia's hidden worlds.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42How marvellous is this?
0:00:44 > 0:00:48From the high rises and hot woks of Hong Kong...
0:00:48 > 0:00:50The heat on this is really, really intense,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52but listen, it's like a jet engine.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54LOUD BLOWING
0:00:54 > 0:00:55I love it!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57..to the sweltering tropics of Thailand...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59We love a tuk-tuk!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..where they say it's impossible to eat badly.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Thai food's arrived in Britain
0:01:04 > 0:01:07but by crikey, it's only the tip of the iceberg.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10We fulfil a lifelong ambition to explore Japan.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13That is perfect.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Wow, look at that.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16I've just had a sushigasm!
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We finish up in South Korea
0:01:19 > 0:01:23where the spicy cuisine is sensational.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25This would go down a bomb down the local.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30So leather up and take to the road.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33For one extremely hairy...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35- BOTH:- Asian adventure!
0:01:54 > 0:01:58We've arrived in Thailand for a two-week gastronomic journey
0:01:58 > 0:02:02that's guaranteed to set our taste buds on fire.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06This week, we're exploring and investigating the Central Plains,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10home to rice paddies, ancient capitals, spectacular ruins
0:02:10 > 0:02:14and the street food capital of the world, Bangkok.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Central Thailand is the original home of the Thai food that we
0:02:18 > 0:02:22have come to know and love in the UK because most of the people who
0:02:22 > 0:02:25opened the first Thai restaurants in the UK came from this region.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28They gave us red curry, green curry, pad Thai and green papaya salad.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But I can't wait to find out what else is on the menu, Kingy.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Like millions of people each year, we're arriving at the gateway to
0:02:37 > 0:02:41it all, the capital city, Bangkok.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44It's the most visited city on the planet.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46MUSIC: One Night In Bangkok by A-Teens
0:02:49 > 0:02:52- Yes!- We love a tuk-tuk!
0:03:00 > 0:03:03All through the city you can smell charcoal and pork and seafood.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08And all the lovely herbs. It's permeated the atmosphere.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12We've got a tuk-tuk. Oh, it's going to be lush.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Bangkok is the street food capital of the world.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29There are an estimated half a million people
0:03:29 > 0:03:32hawking their food on the streets of Bangkok.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37That's nearly 5% of the entire population of Bangkok.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Street food stalls were introduced to Bangkok in the late 19th-century
0:03:41 > 0:03:46by Chinese migrant workers who wanted cheap and quick places to eat.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Street food is a national obsession.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Many people say it's where true Thai cuisine can be found.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Me and Dave here are looking forward to seeing if we can find it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Whether you work in a bank or building site,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08most locals buy street food at least once a day.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12We are meeting Daniel, a Canadian who has lived here for ten years
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and presents a web TV show about Thai culture and food.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Daniel and his Thai friends know the best stalls to visit.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- It is such a good way to eat. - Something you can't replicate.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27You can't reproduce it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I think Thai restaurants around the world have tried to recreate
0:04:30 > 0:04:33that street food experience that people who come to
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Bangkok fall in love with.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It is funny, you see some people at home in the guidebooks say,
0:04:37 > 0:04:42"You don't eat street food, you'll get sick." You live on it, you don't get sick!
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I will tell you a secret, I have lived in Thailand for 12 years,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I eat street food every day.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52- I have been hospitalised once from a five-star hotel.- There you are!
0:04:52 > 0:04:53Never from street food.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Competition on the street is fierce, so many vendors
0:05:00 > 0:05:04specialise in just one dish which they become quite famous for.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Some street vendors have more infrastructure than others.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08One day he'll have a chain!
0:05:11 > 0:05:13And with food this good
0:05:13 > 0:05:18and super cheap, no wonder many Bangkokians don't cook at all.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22In fact, many modern apartments are being built without kitchens.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- You have ordered one of these to go home, right?- Yeah.- Have you? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- I have.- That is the whole thing, isn't it? Everybody can take away.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- Yeah, maybe I'm hungry about 10pm. - And just eat.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Just before you go to sleep!
0:05:37 > 0:05:42- It is the third and fourth meal. Thais have this insatiable appetite. - Maybe the fifth.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44They can eat five or six meals a day.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47OK, this gets a little cramped but let's try and make our way in.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Some stalls have a cult following and their owners are street food celebrities.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01The lady here, the cook, her name is Jay Fai, which means
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Auntie Fai in Thai. She is a legend, she is an institution.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09She has the freshest and the largest ingredients you will ever see.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12She is a little lady there but she is like a musician!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15She's basically on fire round there with five woks!
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- Let's go, let's meet her. - And take a look.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22HE SPEAKS THAI
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Hello, Jay Fai!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Do you know, I have noticed there is no gas here.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35This is on charcoal braziers with a fan blowing through. You should get a better taste.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38This is natural cooking. It's like a barbecue.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41And by the look of our first dish,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Auntie Fai's reputation is well-deserved.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Look at the size of that omelette. This is the crab omelette.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Crab omelette is Jay Fai's signature dish.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Unlike the French omelettes we eat at home, Thai omelettes are deep-fried
0:06:56 > 0:07:00so they are fluffy on the inside but crispy on the outside.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I think I am about to have one of those food epiphanies,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05that happens very rarely.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Is it that good?
0:07:09 > 0:07:13It is amazing. It's so good it makes me giggle.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16We eat like kings, we eat like kings here.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18You do eat like kings. It's unreal!
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I wish I could verbalise it better but it is just unreal.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27With street food you can run the gamut from going for
0:07:27 > 0:07:3120 baht for a freshly-squeezed fruit juice to what is basically
0:07:31 > 0:07:35a Michelin-star quality meal all on the street.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39What I love about it, it is accessible. It's jeans, T-shirt and beer.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42But where food is concerned there is no compromising
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and for a lot of people it is a way of life.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Come on!
0:07:49 > 0:07:53No sleep till bedtime - the night is young.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Every morning, Bangkokians wake up to the worst traffic congestion in the world.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14There are five million cars here on roads built for just two million.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Not to mention the 10,000 tuk-tuks.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Tuk-tuk drivers spend two months of the year sitting
0:08:20 > 0:08:25stationary in traffic. Let's give them a break and cook for them.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30- I'll do spice chicken in pandan leaves.- I'll do Thai fishcakes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36# One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster! #
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Actually, it is spice chicken and pandan leaves if we are being pedantic.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45And with that I am going to do some home-made Thai fishcakes
0:08:45 > 0:08:47because I am so fed up with some of the commercially
0:08:47 > 0:08:49produced Thai fishcakes at home,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52you might as well serve your guests deep-fried beer mats.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Home-made ones are brilliant.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- To begin with, what we are doing here...- It is not the size
0:08:57 > 0:09:01of your pestle and mortar that counts, it is what you do with it.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04But if one is blessed with a big one, you know,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06life is just that much sweeter.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11Sorry, man. I don't want you to get mortar envy.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16- Where did you get that?- From the Big Boy's Pestle And Mortar Shop.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21In Thai cooking, the pestle and mortar is way more important than the knife.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25To get the full flavour out of the ingredients you have to crush them.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30What we are going to do is prepare the marinade for the chicken.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31It's very simple.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Put four cloves of garlic into your mortar.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And slice up a chunk of galangal.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It's part of the ginger family and has a peppery taste.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Along with some coriander root,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50the root actually has more flavour than the leaves.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Hold on, we're on the move, dude, we're on the move! Did you put the brakes on?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Put the chocks in!
0:09:57 > 0:09:59I tell you what, look, watch this. Right?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Limes in Asia are used for everything.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- A chock.- Genius, Myers. Genius.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Result? Safety.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Right, to finish that delicious marinade for the chicken
0:10:12 > 0:10:15we need some of those essential Thai flavours.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The most important is fish sauce.
0:10:20 > 0:10:26There are four key flavours in Thai cuisine - salty, sweet, sour and hot.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Fish sauce is the salty.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Palm sugar gives the marinade sweetness,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37but brown sugar is a good substitute.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39A pinch of white pepper.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44And some lime juice, just to give the marinade a sour kick.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48That is what I call a Thai massage, you know.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Stick it in the fridge, half an hour, job's a good 'un.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Obviously you can't make Thai fishcakes without fish.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Sea bass is great if you are feeling posh
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but you can do it with a bit of old pollack or coley.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03There's that much spice going on you really can use cheap,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07sustainable fish. Here I've got some halibut.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Really lovely, fresh, beautiful halibut.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Really want to take the skin off. Manageable pieces.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22To flavour the diced fish, take one stick of lemon grass, top it and tail it,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24you just want the nice succulent bit in the middle,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28along with one kafir lime leaf, a big piece of galangal
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and one coriander root and its leaves.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I am going to pound that together to make a paste in my jumbo-sized,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39super-duper, picture-of-envy pestle and mortar.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Pop the fish in the mortar and add some Thai red curry paste,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51some palm sugar...
0:11:56 > 0:12:00..and an egg so that the fishcakes stick together.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02And these are snake beans.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Which basically, they are like a long green bean.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10They are brilliant for this but at home you can use, and I do, use French beans.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13This gives them a bit of colour, a bit of bulk, they are lovely.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17And finally the inevitable Thai fish sauce.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21# Kumbaya, my Lord Kumbaya...#
0:12:21 > 0:12:25You kind of pound this until it becomes like jelly.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27And when it becomes jelly,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31at home you put it in the fridge for an hour to make it easier to handle.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32These are pandan leaves.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36You can get them at home, so don't go, "Can I get them at home?"
0:12:36 > 0:12:40You can. They're at the Asian supermarkets across the country.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45They impart a lovely flavour - slightly herbaceous, slightly sweet.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It doesn't release any flavour until it is cooked.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49When it is boiled in rice pudding,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52or indeed deep-fried, it's worth it.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So, what you do is you blanch them for about 30 seconds.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Then wrap your chicken in the pandan leaf
0:13:00 > 0:13:04and push through a cocktail stick to hold it all together.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Now we are going to fry these babies in a minute.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I'm ready, Kingy. Look at that - the texture is so smooth.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Right, now you need wet hands for this or
0:13:12 > 0:13:16otherwise it is like trying to put a jellyfish in a vest.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It is kind of awkward. Wet your hands.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Take a portion of your fish and make them into little patties.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28And that is your first fishcake. Put then on some flour and just repeat.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Good tip, they freeze fantastically well.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Put then on a sheet of silicon baking parchment and freeze them and
0:13:36 > 0:13:41when you have your dinner party, you can do 50 or 60 of them at a time.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47And you can't have a fishcake without a dip. Mine is honey and cucumber.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49It's more of a salsa than a sauce.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Two tablespoons of rice vinegar, some runny honey,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58some lime juice and a drop of water.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03And one tablespoon of the inevitable, the irreplaceable,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05the ever-present Thai fish sauce.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I now add in some chopped carrot, cucumber and a load of chilli
0:14:09 > 0:14:13and some shaven shallots. Try saying that quickly!
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Leave that to stand for half an hour to an hour for the flavours to develop.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18One of my favourite things, this.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- Now that's a bit of kick, Kingy. - It's a great cart, this, isn't it?
0:14:25 > 0:14:26It is, it is.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31We've got a built-in wok thermulator and I have a gas bottle here.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I'm shallow frying, he's deep frying.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37I've some got a bit of groundnut oil in here, heat it up, shallow fry till golden.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39And basically, for the spiced chicken pandan,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42you will see the edges start to go a little golden brown
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and that's what you want.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Look at that! These Thai fishcakes are about as perfect as you get.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Watch out, Dave, I think the tuk-tuk boys can smell the cooking!
0:15:01 > 0:15:06- I like spicy!- You don't have to worry about that, I tell you!
0:15:06 > 0:15:07Eh?
0:15:08 > 0:15:13- That sauce, you could run your tuk-tuk on it.- See you soon, boys!
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Dude, your dipping sauce has a lot to live up to now, I tell you.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Right, better serve these Thai goodies up to our tuk-tuk mates.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Right, boys!
0:15:27 > 0:15:32It's been a long wait, I know. Here we go.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- Help yourself.- Very good!
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Very good!
0:15:40 > 0:15:41Mmmm!
0:15:43 > 0:15:48- Champion!- Champion! Ha-ha!
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Genius!
0:15:49 > 0:15:52How long have you been tuk-tuk drivers? How many years?
0:15:52 > 0:15:58- Ten years, I've been working here. - Seven years.- Do you enjoy it?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Yes.- Good fun?- More?- BOTH: Yes!
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Help yourself, man!
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Have a chilli.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I think it is going down very well, you know. Guys, thank you.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- Nice to meet you.- Thank you very much!- Thank you so much.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18You know, I've adored my time in Bangkok
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- but I'm ready to hit the road, aren't you, mate?- Too right.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Let's head north.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27- There's one Thai dish we simply have to see at source.- What's that, mate?
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Rice, of course.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And here in the Central Plains is where they grow the bulk of it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34It's known as the Rice Bowl of Asia.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Over nine million hectares of land is used to grow the grain.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43That's an area 4½ times the size of Wales.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Hey, would you look at that, Kingy?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Somebody's let that turf go to seed.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53You won't be playing cricket on that in a hurry.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56It's not turf, man, it's rice.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02This organic farm produces jasmine rice.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Oh, wow, look at that!
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- That's what you call organised gardening.- Isn't it?- I love it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Square fields. Square boxes.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15Hello.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18We're meeting Gong, who's one of the locals, and the paddy field
0:17:18 > 0:17:22workers who are going to initiate us in the art of rice growing.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Hello, nice to meet you.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27So, Gong, how many times a year does rice crop?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30HE SPEAKS THAI
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- Two.- Two.- Two times a year. - Two times a year.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39- At the moment, are you planting rice or harvesting rice?- Planting now.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43- Planting now.- And what's the hardest work - planting or harvesting?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- For them it's all the same.- It's all the same!- They get used to it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It's funny, I thought they may say that. It's funny that.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I think we need to go to work, Mr King.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- I've never planted rice in my life. - No, we're rice-planting virgins.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57We are. Which is a worry.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Planting rice is done mechanically as well as by hand
0:18:01 > 0:18:05but today the machine is up the spout. So it's all hands on deck.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Come on, you, let's go to the field.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14'Watch your step, Kingy!'
0:18:15 > 0:18:17LAUGHTER
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Dude!
0:18:18 > 0:18:20SI LAUGHS AND SNORTS
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I don't think we're going to get back over the bridge.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26I think it's time to go back on the diet!
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I never knew that planting rice could be such fun.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I suppose we'd better get cracking.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37So, here's how rice grows.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41It starts as a seed which gets sewn into trays and then the trays
0:18:41 > 0:18:45get put into nursery beds in the paddy fields to germinate.
0:18:45 > 0:18:4920 days later, the shoots have grown big enough to be separated out
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and planted in the main beds of the paddy field
0:18:52 > 0:18:54to grow into...guess what? Rice.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Do you want me to show you how to do it?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00You take it out and then use your thumb to put it in.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07And then use your index finger to put it back.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Nice.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15So, how long have you been doing it?
0:19:15 > 0:19:17SHE SPEAKS THAI
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- 30 years.- 30 years? - She's 51 years old today.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24She is not. Today?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27# Happy birthday to you
0:19:27 > 0:19:31# Happy birthday to you
0:19:31 > 0:19:34# Happy birthday dear Pedang
0:19:34 > 0:19:37# Happy birthday to you. #
0:19:42 > 0:19:46We've done about kind of six square metres since we've been here.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49I mean, how much a day would you be expected to do?
0:19:49 > 0:19:53These three ladies, in a day,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- they've probably got about 1,600 square metres.- Wow!
0:19:57 > 0:20:00'That's about the size of six tennis courts.'
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I tell you, Kingy, this is hard work, isn't it?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- It is, it's ridiculous. - It's hot.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08And all that hard work pays off.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12These paddy fields produce about 50 tonnes of rice a year.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15Do you know what, Kingy?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17We've done our share of backbreaking work
0:20:17 > 0:20:21but I think this has got to be the most backbreaking of the lot.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- It certainly has.- I'll never take me jasmine rice for granted.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Just three months after the rice is planted,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Pedang and her mates will harvest it and dry it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35And then it is threshed by machine to get the rice grains out.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37What we've got here at the moment is just brown rice.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42- We could cook that and it would be the chewy brown rice that is very healthy.- Yeah, it is.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44And if you take the outside bran off,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47you will find the white jasmine rice underneath.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52When the sun gets too high and too hot, everyone downs tools
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and chips in to make lunch.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58So, Gong, what would be the typical meal of the day?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01They finish work, they all want to eat together for lunch.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Is this what they would cook? - This is normal for her.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09Vegetable or bamboo shoot cooked with any kind of meat that's available.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11And today the meat is chicken
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and a fish they caught in the paddy field.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17- Wow! Beautiful! - What a beautiful fish.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20They put fish in the water here to eat the weeds and the bugs
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and the fish droppings help fertilise the water.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- A little paddy field treat. - Lush, isn't it? That's a top tip.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29You see, if you slash the fish,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and slash the thickest part of the skin, it cooks evenly.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36This isn't bad for a working lunch, is it, Si?
0:21:36 > 0:21:40It certainly beats having a sandwich and a packet of crisps.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- This is the Thai style of eating rice.- It's lovely.- On the floor.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48That's better. Rice.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53What have we got here? We have the deep-fried paddy field fish,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57we've got bamboo shoots with a clear chicken broth,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00we've got cooked aubergines, fresh aubergine
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and that lovely chilli dip.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- Chilli dip we call nam pla. - Nam pla.- Yes.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Oh, wow! And for your birthday, are you enjoying your food?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12HE SPEAKS THAI
0:22:12 > 0:22:13LAUGHTER
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Happy birthday, happy birthday.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21- And thank you for cooking us supper on your birthday.- Yes, thank you.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I know I've said it before, Si, but I'm never going to
0:22:31 > 0:22:33take my rice for granted again.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Back on our bikes and heading for the ancient capital of Thailand.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49This is the life, Kingy.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Founded in 1350, in its heyday,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Ayutthaya was one of the most spectacular cities in the world.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Ayutthaya was on the ancient trading routes between India and China,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and traders from all over the world
0:23:04 > 0:23:06brought new flavours and spices here.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10The chefs in the royal palaces here
0:23:10 > 0:23:13took full advantage of these exciting ingredients.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16They were in fierce competition with one another
0:23:16 > 0:23:19to create the most exquisite dishes to please their king,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22who has godlike status in Thailand.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27So this is where it all began, that exciting alchemy of Thai cuisine
0:23:27 > 0:23:30that you see everywhere today, from street food to schools,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32it started here.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Do you know, Si, you can feel the serenity, the beauty,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- the age of this place, can't you? - You can, yeah.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41It's funny, this. I recognise it.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I think I've cleared this level on Tomb Raider.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- I mean, it's massive.- It's a city.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52And it was a city, one of the most important places on the planet,
0:23:52 > 0:23:57for not just religion but for trade, for spirituality, for food.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- Ooh! For food.- I have an idea. - Do you?- I fancy a salad.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04As a celebration of the role
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Ayutthaya played in creating the Thai food we know and love back home,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11we're going to create our own special dish.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15This salad is a melange.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16It's crispy noodles,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18surmounted with prawns and crab
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and all manner of good things and herbs, which will become clear
0:24:21 > 0:24:22when we start cooking it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Now, these are vermicelli noodles.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27You deep fry these until they're golden and crispy.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And vermicelli noodles are made from rice.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33So if you've got a wheat allergy, you're a blotcher or wheezer,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35you're all right with vermicelli noodles.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38What's most important when doing this sort of thing,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41you have to make sure that your fat's hot enough. And it's not.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Kicking off, I'm making the salad dressing
0:24:45 > 0:24:47with the inevitable Thai fish sauce...
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Five.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51..some lime juice
0:24:51 > 0:24:52and a bit of palm sugar.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Then thinly slice five Thai shallots.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02If you haven't got Thai shallots, just use one banana shallot.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Then grate up some galangal, ginger and garlic.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Now then, when the oil is hot enough,
0:25:09 > 0:25:10what you do...
0:25:11 > 0:25:13..take a good handful of noodle,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16pop them in like that. Whoa!
0:25:16 > 0:25:18That's what you're after.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Let them cook for about 30 seconds,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23turn them over, cook them on the other side, take them out,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25so you're looking at about a minute. And again.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Whoa!
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Joking apart, do take care if you're doing this at home.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Have a fire blanket there
0:25:33 > 0:25:36because you'll burn yourself if you're not careful,
0:25:36 > 0:25:37and we don't want that.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Go on, give us one more go. I like this, it's great.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's kind of a cross between deep frying and pyromania.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44THEY LAUGH
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Watch. Are you ready?
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Aw! Hey, man, how cool is that?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Do you know, Kingy,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57this is like getting the lawn at Hampton Court and doing a fry-up!
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I know! We don't want to get chucked out.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Now take the thinly sliced shallots
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and shallow fry them until they're crispy.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10This will give a lovely crunch to the salad.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Meanwhile, make strips out of the three kaffir lime leaves,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and then chop up some spring onion.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18The salad, the shallots go in.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19And then...
0:26:19 > 0:26:22King prawns, some with the shell off, some with the shell on,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and just stir-fry them nice and quick.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Beauty.- They are fantastic prawns, aren't they?- Aren't they?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33To the prawns, add the galangal,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35the ginger and the garlic.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39And just saute, but take care not to burn the garlic.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Literally, that should take about a minute. No longer.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45But if you're going to have a salad, this really is an epic salad.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It's absolutely bursting with textures, flavours.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51You've got your carbohydrate, your protein, your spice.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- Now those go in the bowl.- Put those on top of the crispy shallots.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Now we start building.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Pop in the spring onions,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05a handful of beansprouts, and as much crab as you like,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09then rip up a generous amount of mint and some coriander.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17As you can see, all that palm sugar has dissolved with the fish sauce
0:27:17 > 0:27:19and the lime juice.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- Now the best way for this is... - With your hands.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Yeah, cos you don't want to break the herbs up or smash the meat up.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- Mm-mm-mm!- Ready for the build?
0:27:29 > 0:27:30So, nice and gentle.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Then take your deep-fried vermicelli
0:27:35 > 0:27:37and layer the salad on top.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46Along with some chopped red chillies and chunks of lime.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Now, that, that's a salad, isn't it?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53That's our homage to this beautiful place
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and the beautiful country that is Thailand.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- What a place to have supper. - Really good, isn't it?
0:28:03 > 0:28:05You know, the truth of it is,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09these blends of flavours all began in this ancient city.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15You know, Kingy, people said it's impossible to eat badly in Thailand,
0:28:15 > 0:28:16and they were right.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Yes, and even though we've eaten a mind-boggling amount of amazing food,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I can't help feeling we've only scratched the surface.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Our work here, mucker, is far from done.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Ah, well, it's a tough job but someone's got to do it.