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 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 > 0:01:35- For one extremely hairy... - 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 > 0:02:43It's the most visited city on the planet.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50No-one can say we don't know how to travel in style, Kingy,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55this is Thailand's main river, the Chao Phraya, and it's the quickest route into the city.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Oh, the breeze in your hair, the magnificence of the skyline.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Oh, man, we've arrived.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09There it is, Kingy, the image you see in every guide book for Bangkok,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11the Temple of Dawn.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Here, Dave, I wasn't expecting stale bread for my first foodie
0:03:20 > 0:03:25- experience in Thailand.- It's not for you, mate, it's for the wildlife!
0:03:25 > 0:03:30It's just like feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square but, like, bigger. Shall we?
0:03:30 > 0:03:31- Yeah!- Whoa!
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Flaming Nora! That's insane!
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I've never seen fish like that before.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- I wonder what would happen if you fell in?- They'd suck you to death.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48'I don't about you, mate, but I'm as hungry as those catfish.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49'Time to get some wheels
0:03:49 > 0:03:53'and find out more about Bangkok's exciting food scene.'
0:03:55 > 0:03:57MUSIC: One Night In Bangkok by A-Teens
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- Yes!- We love a tuk-tuk!
0:04:11 > 0:04:15All through the city you can smell charcoal and pork and seafood.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20And all the lovely herbs. It's permeated the atmosphere.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22We've got a tuk-tuk. Oh, it's going to be lush.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Bangkok is the street food capital of the world.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40There are an estimated half a million people
0:04:40 > 0:04:43hawking their food on the streets of Bangkok.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48That's nearly 5% of the entire population of Bangkok.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Street food stalls were introduced to Bangkok in the late 19th-century
0:04:51 > 0:04:57by Chinese migrant workers who wanted cheap and quick places to eat.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Street food is a national obsession.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Many people say it is where true Thai cuisine can be found.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Me and Dave here are looking forward to seeing if we can find it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Whether you work in a bank or building site,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18most locals buy street food at least once a day.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22We are meeting Daniel, a Canadian who has lived here for ten years
0:05:22 > 0:05:26and presents a web TV show about Thai culture and food.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Daniel and his Thai friends know the best stalls to visit.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- It is such a good way to eat. - Something you can't replicate.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38You can't reproduce it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I think Thai restaurants around the world have tried to recreate
0:05:41 > 0:05:44that street food experience that people who come to
0:05:44 > 0:05:45Bangkok fall in love with.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48It is funny, you see some people at home in the guidebooks say,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53"You don't eat street food, you get sick." You live on it, you don't get sick!
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I will tell you a secret, I have lived in Thailand for 12 years,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I eat street food every day.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02- I have been hospitalised once from a five-star hotel.- There you are!
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Never from street food.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Competition on the street is fierce, so many vendors
0:06:10 > 0:06:14specialise in just one dish which they become quite famous for.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Some street vendors have more infrastructure than others.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19One day he'll have a chain!
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And with food this good
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and super cheap, no wonder many Bangkokians don't cook at all.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32In fact, many modern apartments are being built without kitchens.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37- You have ordered one of these to go home, right?- Yeah.- Have you? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- I have.- That is the whole thing, isn't it? Everybody can take away.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- Yeah, maybe I'm hungry about 10pm. - And just eat.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Just before you go to sleep!
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- It is the third and fourth meal. Thais have this insatiable appetite. - Maybe the fifth.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54They can eat five or six meals a day.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58OK, this gets a little cramped but let's try and make our way in.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Some stalls have a cult following and their owners are street food celebrities.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11The way lady here, the cook, her name is Jay Fai, which means
0:07:11 > 0:07:16Auntie Fai in Thai. She is a legend, she is an institution.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19She has the freshest and the largest ingredients you will ever see.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22She is a little lady there but she is like a musician!
0:07:22 > 0:07:26She's basically on fire round there with five woks!
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- Let's go, let's meet her. - And take a look.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33HE SPEAKS THAI
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Hello, Jay Fai!
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Do you know, I have noticed there is no gas here.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46This is on charcoal braziers with a fan blowing through. You should get a better taste.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49This is natural cooking. It's like a barbecue.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51And by the look of our first dish,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Auntie Fai's reputation is well-deserved.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Look at the size of that omelette. This is the crab omelette.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Crab omelette is Jay Fai's signature dish.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Unlike the French omelettes we eat at home, Thai omelettes are deep-fried
0:08:07 > 0:08:11so they are fluffy on the inside but crispy on the outside.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I think I am about to have one of those food epiphanies,
0:08:14 > 0:08:15that happens very rarely.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Is it that good?
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It is amazing. It's so good it makes me giggle.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26We eat like kings, we eat like kings here.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29You do eat like kings. It's unreal!
0:08:30 > 0:08:33I wish I could verbalise it better but it is just unreal.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38With street food you can run the gamut from going for
0:08:38 > 0:08:4220 baht for a freshly squeezed fruit juice to what is basically
0:08:42 > 0:08:45a Michelin star quality meal all on the street.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50What I love about it, it is accessible. It's jeans, T-shirt and beer.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But where food is concerned there is no compromising
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and for a lot of people it is a way of life.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Come on!
0:09:00 > 0:09:03No sleep till bedtime - the night is young.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19Every morning, Bangkokians wake up to the worst traffic congestion in the world.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24There are five million cars here on roads built for just two million.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Not to mention the 10,000 tuk-tuks.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Tuk-tuk drivers spend two months of the year sitting
0:09:30 > 0:09:35stationary in traffic. Let's give them a break and cook for them.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41- I'll do spice chicken in pandan leaves.- I'll do Thai fishcakes.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47# One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster! #
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Actually, it is spice chicken and pandan leaves if we are being pedantic.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55And with that I am going to do some home-made Thai fishcakes
0:09:55 > 0:09:58because I am so fed up with some of the commercially
0:09:58 > 0:10:00produced in fishcakes at home,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02you may as well serve your guests deep-fried beer mats.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Home-made ones are brilliant.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- To begin with, what we are doing here...- It is not the size
0:10:08 > 0:10:12of your pestle and mortar that counts, it is what you do with it.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15But if one is blessed with a big one, you know,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17life is just that much sweeter.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Sorry, man. I don't want you to get mortar envy.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26- Where did you get that?- From the Big Boy's Pestle And Mortar Shop.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32In Thai cooking, the pestle and mortar is way more important than the knife.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35To get the full flavour out of the ingredients you have to crush them.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40What we are going to do is prepare the marinade for the chicken.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42It's very simple.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Put four cloves of garlic into your mortar.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49And slice up a chunk of galangal.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53It's part of the ginger family and has a peppery taste.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Along with some coriander root,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00the root actually has more flavour than the leaves.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Hold on, we're on the move, dude, we're on the move! Did you put the brakes on?
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Put the chocks in!
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I tell you what, look, watch this. Right?
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Limes in Asia are used for everything.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- A chock.- Genius, Myers. Genius.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Result? Safety.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Right, to finish the delicious marinade for the chicken
0:11:23 > 0:11:26we need some of those essential Thai flavours.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29The most important is fish sauce.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36There are four key flavours in Thai cuisine - salty, sweet, sour and hot.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Fish sauce is the salty.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Palm sugar gives the marinade sweetness,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48but brown sugar is a good substitute.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50A pinch of white pepper.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And some lime juice, just to give the marinade a sour kick.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58That is what I call a Thai massage, you know.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Stick in the fridge, half an hour, job's a good 'un.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Obviously you can't make Thai fishcakes without fish.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Sea bass is great if you are feeling posh
0:12:08 > 0:12:11but you can do it with a bit of old pollack or coley
0:12:11 > 0:12:14With that much spice going on you really can use cheap,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17sustainable fish. Here I've got some halibut.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Really lovely, fresh, beautiful halibut.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Really want to take the skin off. Manageable pieces.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32To flavour the diced fish, take one stick of lemon grass, top it and tail it,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35you just want the nice succulent bit in the middle,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38along with one kafir lime leaf, a big piece of galangal
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and one coriander root and its leaves.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I am going to pound that together to make a paste in my jumbo sized,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50super duper, picture of envy pestle and mortar.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Pop the fish in the mortar and add some Thai red curry paste,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01some palm sugar...
0:13:06 > 0:13:10..and an egg so that the fishcakes stick together.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12And these are snake beans.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Which basically, they are like a long green bean.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20They are brilliant for this but at you can use, and I do, use French beans.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23This gives them a bit of colour, a bit of bulk, they are lovely.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27And finally the inevitable Thai fish sauce.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31# Kumbaya, my Lord Kumbaya...#
0:13:31 > 0:13:35You kind of pound this until it becomes like jelly.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And when it becomes jelly,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41at home you put it in the fridge for an hour to make it easier to handle.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43These are pandan leaves.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46You can get them at home, so don't go, "Can I get them at home?"
0:13:46 > 0:13:50You can. They're at the Asian supermarkets across the country.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55They impart a lovely flavour - slightly herbaceous, slightly sweet.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It doesn't release any flavour until it is cooked.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00When it is boiled in rice pudding,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02or indeed deep-fried, it's worth it.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08So, what you do is you blanch them for about 30 seconds.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Then wrap your chicken in the pandan leaf
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and push through a cocktail stick to hold it all together.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Now we are going to fry these babies in a minute.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20I'm ready, Kingy. Look at that - the texture is so smooth.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Right, now you need wet hands for this or
0:14:23 > 0:14:27otherwise it is like trying to put a jellyfish in a vest.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29It is kind of awkward. Wet your hands.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Take a portion of your fish and make them into little patties.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39And that is your first fishcake. Put then on some flour and just repeat.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Good tip, they freeze fantastically well.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Put then on a sheet of silicon baking parchment and freeze them and
0:14:47 > 0:14:51when you have your dinner party, you can do 50 or 60 of them at a time.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57And you can't have a fishcake without a dip. Mine is honey and cucumber.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59It's more of a salsa and a sauce.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04Two tablespoons of rice vinegar, some runny honey,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08some lime juice and a drop of water.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13And one tablespoon of the inevitable, the irreplaceable,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15the ever present Thai fish sauce.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20I now add in some chopped carrot, cucumber and a load of chilli
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and some shaven shallots. Try saying that quickly!
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Leave that to stand for half an hour to an hour for the flavours to develop.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29One of my favourite things, this.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- Now that's a bit of kick, Kingy. - It's a great cart, this, isn't it?
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It is, it is.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41We've got a built-in wok thermulator and I have a gas bottle here.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43I'm shallow frying, he's deep frying.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I've some got a bit of groundnut oil in here, heat it up, shallow fry till golden.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49And basically, for the spiced chicken pandan,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53you will see the edges start to go a little golden brown
0:15:53 > 0:15:54and that's what you want.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Look at that! These Thai fishcakes are about as perfect as you get.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Watch out, Dave, I think the tuk-tuk boys can smell the cooking!
0:16:11 > 0:16:16- I like spicy!- You don't have to worry about that, I tell you!
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Eh?
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- That sauce, you could run your tuk-tuk on it.- See you soon, boys!
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Dude, your dipping sauce has a lot to live up to now, I tell you.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Right, better serve these Thai goodies up to our tuk-tuk mates.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Right, boys!
0:16:37 > 0:16:42It's been a long wait, I know. Here we go.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- Help yourself.- Very good!
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Very good!
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Mmmm!
0:16:53 > 0:16:58- Champion!- Champion! Ha-ha! Genius!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03How long have you been tuk-tuk drivers? How many years?
0:17:03 > 0:17:09- Ten years, I've been working here. - Seven years.- Do you enjoy it?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Yes.- Good fun?- More?- BOTH: Yes!
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Help yourself, man!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Have a chilli.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18I think it is going down very well, you know. Guys, thank you.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Nice to meet you.- Thank you very much!- Thank you so much.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28The Thai people's love of good food seems part of their very being.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And it starts at school, you know!
0:17:31 > 0:17:33What did you have for school dinners?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I was on packed lunch. What did you have?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Me, boiled potatoes, boiled beef, and then tapioca pudding
0:17:39 > 0:17:42or semolina, if was lucky, with a dollop of jam.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52We've popped into the Setthabut Uppatham School, about 30 minutes from central Bangkok.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57That's, of course, providing you're not stuck in traffic!
0:17:57 > 0:18:03It's a private school, but in Bangkok there are nearly five times as many private schools
0:18:03 > 0:18:04as there are state schools.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08They're more accessible and affordable than they are in Britain.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12800 children come here
0:18:12 > 0:18:17and their principal used to teach at a school in Manchester.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19We design our menus weekly.
0:18:19 > 0:18:25My sister usually sits down with the chef, the chef lives at the school.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I love the way you are using the term chef and not dinner lady.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34I am thinking about designing menus. What's all that about?
0:18:34 > 0:18:38We try to educate the children, we try to vary their menus as much as we can.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Children in Thailand have to go to school for at least 12 years.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55- Here we go. It's break time. It's mobbed.- Isn't it?- This is fantastic.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02- Chicken!- Chicken drumsticks! It all starts here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05I forgot to show you!
0:19:05 > 0:19:10- Look at these!- These are made inside the bakery, little dumplings.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Good grief, break time pork dumplings.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17What's lovely is, though, the kids know the food,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19they want the right sauce on the dumplings!
0:19:19 > 0:19:24My school dinners involved three big aluminium trays,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26meat, mashed potatoes, veg
0:19:26 > 0:19:31and it would be plop, plop, ice cream scoop of mash.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Where's the love in that?
0:19:33 > 0:19:38What are you doing? You're here to cook, not to eat!
0:19:38 > 0:19:42All the cooking here is done on site, from scratch.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43This is lunch!
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Wow, look at this!
0:19:45 > 0:19:48That is Chef, that's the big chef, the cook.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Hello, Chef!
0:19:51 > 0:19:55The school chef used to be Gong's Nanny when he was a little boy.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00- This is my nanny. - Hello.- Hello.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02THEY CHATTER
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Hello, I'm Dave.- Meet Dave.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Have you known each other for a long time?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10THEY CONVERSE IN THAI
0:20:10 > 0:20:12"Before I was born," she said. So more than 30 years.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- More than 30 years! - I'm 32 this year, so...
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Does she have a watchful eye?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19What's it like cooking for all of these children and being
0:20:19 > 0:20:23the head chef for all of these wonderful children in the school?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26SHE SPEAKS IN THAI
0:20:26 > 0:20:27So she's really happy.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Every day when she comes to the kitchen, it's like her home.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I can honestly say that I've never seen school food like this
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- anywhere in the world.- That's right.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39How often does the food change?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41In a month, it's never the same.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44So we also try to vary with different ways of cooking.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- Yeah.- We use the oven, we stir-fry, soup base.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49So it's all varied.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52So, that being the case, what's on the menu today?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- Today we have thin rice noodles... - Yeah.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- ..with pork broth.- Yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59And minced pork.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01And some pork balls as well.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Wow.- Beautiful.- Yeah.- I'm going to wash my hands.- Me too.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08The school has 17 full-time kitchen staff plus,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11for one lunchtime only, a couple of hairy bikers.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- Here we are, dinner ladies Thai style.- Yeah.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19CHILDREN CHANT: Left, right, left, right, left, right.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- Here they come!- They're out! They're out!
0:21:24 > 0:21:26They're out!
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Hello.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- Sa-wut dee kah.- Sa-wut dee kah.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- Yes?- You've got to be quick, Kingy.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Aw!
0:21:36 > 0:21:38That smells fantastic.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Pork balls, pork and, under there, we know we've got bean sprouts,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43pickled turnip.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46This is kind of proper gastronomic fare, Kingy.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Yeah. You're welcome.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Aren't these the politest,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55nicest children you've ever seen in your life?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Kingy, we've done it. Shall we go and join the kids?
0:22:00 > 0:22:01I think we should.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03- BOTH:- Oh...
0:22:03 > 0:22:08Now, you're very lucky. Do you enjoy your school food?
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- Yeah.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It's fantastic to have
0:22:12 > 0:22:15such a sophisticated palate and be so young.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Can you remember when you first started to use the four condiments,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21the four flavours of Thai food?
0:22:21 > 0:22:22Oh, seven years old.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- Seven years old? - I was seven years old too.- Ah!
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Mm.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- Six years old. Six years old.- Right. Right.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33If you're eating out with your parents, if you go to
0:22:33 > 0:22:35a street vendor and you're having noodles,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38it's very common for the children to also start putting
0:22:38 > 0:22:40the condiments in because they see their parents doing it.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- Right.- Said the children will do the same thing and it starts from there.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47If you like it sour, or salty, or sweet, or spicy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49If it's too spicy, don't put the chilli in.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51If I was in a Thai restaurant in London
0:22:51 > 0:22:55and I was served this food, I would be very happy with it
0:22:55 > 0:22:56and I'd pay for it.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It is really impressive
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and I genuinely have loved the whole food ethos in this school.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04It's really refreshing, you should be really proud, Gong.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06CHILDREN PRAY
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Well, that was an education, Kingy.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12I wish I'd gone to school in Bangkok instead of Barrow.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Now one of the most popular Thai dishes on our menus back home
0:23:18 > 0:23:19is green curry.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23So we simply couldn't come to Bangkok without trying to find out
0:23:23 > 0:23:25the secrets of its success.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27And we've managed to wangle our way
0:23:27 > 0:23:31into the famous kitchens of Auntie Daeng's restaurant.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34An English Sunday newspaper voted the food here
0:23:34 > 0:23:36one of the best 50 meals in the world!
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- It's like the search for the Holy Nile for Thai curry lovers. - It's true.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- We've got to hurry up.- Right.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Auntie Daeng has given us an hour and apparently she's quite fierce,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- quite formidable.- Really?- Mm.- Follow me, I'm right behind you.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52MUSIC: "The Apprentice Theme" arranged from "Romeo & Juliet" by Prokofiev
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Auntie Daeng is a self-taught cook
0:23:56 > 0:23:59and we've been warned she runs her kitchen with an iron fist.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I don't know what I was expecting but this
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- is a relatively kind of...- It's a humble establishment.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08- It is, isn't it? - Yeah.- Interesting.- But...
0:24:08 > 0:24:13be it humble or not, the reputation of the food is GLOBAL.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Stand by your beds, mate, here she comes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Hello.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- Hello.- Hello.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- ALL:- Sa-wut dee kah.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- Hello, I'm Si. Nice to meet you. - I'm Dave. Pleased to meet you.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Thank you so much.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- Pang.- Pang. Hello, Pang. - Nice to meet you.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Pang is the son of friends of Auntie Daeng's,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34who fortunately speaks good English.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36These are some amazing photographs.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Is this Auntie Daeng with the Thai royal family?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41THEY SPEAK IN THAI
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- That's the King's sister. - The King's sister?- Yes.- Wow.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Amazing.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Auntie Daeng's cooking career took off
0:24:48 > 0:24:51when she was chosen to prepare a meal
0:24:51 > 0:24:55for a royal visit at the government department where she worked.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57The Princess Mother was so impressed, she asked Auntie Daeng
0:24:57 > 0:25:02to become a private chef for her and the King's sister.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Can we get into the kitchen? - Oh, yeah.- Yes. Let's go.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07We'll follow you.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10As the lunchtime rush is on in the kitchen,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13we're out the back at our own private work station.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Ee! Fantastic.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19We've got our own little prep kitchen, Kingy.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24- So, over to Auntie Daeng. Instruct me.- She wants you to cut.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- But how? How? How does she want the lime cut?- This is the thing.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31You slice down very thin otherwise it's going to get very bitter.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Just the zest and not the pith.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Lemon grass. Do it more carefully. No, no, no.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39That's you told.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40SI CHUCKLES
0:25:40 > 0:25:45- Your turn next, Mr King. - She wants you to cut something.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47OK, what would you like me to cut?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I'd better chop the galangal.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Along with some coriander root.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- She's a one, isn't she?- And I smash it all together in the mortar.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00- That's OK. Good. Good. - Thank you, Auntie Daeng.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02POUNDING
0:26:02 > 0:26:05How long have you been cooking, Auntie Daeng?
0:26:05 > 0:26:07- About 40 years.- Right.- Wow!
0:26:07 > 0:26:11So she started when she was three years old.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12THEY CHUCKLE
0:26:12 > 0:26:16You old charmer, you. But I don't think we've won her over yet, Dave.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Auntie Daeng wants you guys to get all the ingredients up on the table,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- the whole basket. - The whole basket?
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Come on, Si, keep up. No slacking in Auntie Daeng's kitchen.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29The green chillies go in next, but Auntie Daeng
0:26:29 > 0:26:31is adding a basket of them. It's going to blow our socks off.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- A lot of chillies in there. - Isn't there just?
0:26:33 > 0:26:35This is going to taste amazing. It is.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37It's going to be absolutely great.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- Salt.- Salt.- Salt.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44And a few cloves of garlic along with some shrimp paste.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It's funny shrimp paste.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It's so strong and pungent but a little in the paste,
0:26:49 > 0:26:54a little in the food, it's just so savoury and fabulous.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57To finish the paste, Auntie adds some coconut milk.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02That's the coconut milk. Oh, wow, it smells AMAZING!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04That's going to be quite a spice hit, isn't it?
0:27:04 > 0:27:08DAVE SNEEZES
0:27:08 > 0:27:12PEOPLE COUGH
0:27:12 > 0:27:16It's funny. Everyone who passes here is just a spluttering heap.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19And this is the Thai people, it's not tourists.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22COUGHING AND GASPING
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- That's it.- Fantastic.- Wow. - Beautiful.- Absolutely superb.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Of all the myths surrounding a green curry paste, shop-bought,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39home-made, that's green curry paste Bangkok style.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Once Auntie is happy with the flavour,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44she dilutes the paste in more coconut milk.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49So there's one, two tablespoons. Then adds the chicken.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Mix it. Nice.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Some Thai aubergines.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56And some Thai basil.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- And basil.- A load of basil.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02That cooks away for about 20 minutes.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Guys, I've got to tell you at home,
0:28:04 > 0:28:05Dave and I get constantly frustrated
0:28:05 > 0:28:08that we haven't invented smell-o-vision yet.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- It's epic.- It is epic. It's completely epic.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I think it's epic down the entire street.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15It is. She wants you guys to taste it.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- Well that's a food epiphany. - It is absolutely heavenly.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28It's not too hot. It's not too spicy.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30It's not too salty, it's not too sweet.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32- It's perfect.- It's perfect.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- It's very, very good.- It's very, very delicious.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- THEY SPEAK IN THAI - She said, "Thank you."
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Lunchtime at Auntie Daeng's is rammed but, luckily,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46local food critic Tom has saved us a table.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51- You choose to come here for your lunch.- Yes, it's a good place.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54It's like eating at home without being at home.
0:28:54 > 0:28:55It's good home cooking.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Are there any recommendations that perhaps we couldn't get in the UK?
0:29:00 > 0:29:04OK. Maybe something like the yellow curry
0:29:04 > 0:29:09- of prawn and water lily roots.- Wow. - Wow.- Yes.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Tom's ordering us a Thai lunchtime feast.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14And whilst we wait for it to arrive,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16I want to have a nosy at what everyone else is eating.
0:29:18 > 0:29:24Hello. Hello. Excuse me. What is so special about this restaurant?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27THEY SPEAK IN THAI
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Everybody's had the yellow curry here.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32Do you come here a lot from work?
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Do you all call come for your lunchtime from work here?
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Yes. I'm not far. Bank of Thailand.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Bank of Thailand. Oh, right.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- And is this one of your favourite places to eat?- Yeah.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49Yes. Oi, Myers, will you stop gassing, the food's arrived?
0:29:49 > 0:29:50Oh...
0:29:52 > 0:29:54- Shall we?- Yes.- Yes.
0:29:54 > 0:29:55Enjoy.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57I'll go straight in with the beans, me.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03I like it. It's nice. Good texture...
0:30:04 > 0:30:06I like it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Ooh, I know now why they yellow curry is such a hit.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13- What's lovely is it's so light and delicate, isn't it?- Mm.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Do people normally in Thailand stop for lunch,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17or do people go to street carts?
0:30:17 > 0:30:20We've got so much in Britain now of eating sandwiches at our desks
0:30:20 > 0:30:24but I think that's wrong, you know? What's the culture here?
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Usually people like to go out to lunch
0:30:26 > 0:30:29because they don't want to be stuck in the office the whole day.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35With food this good, cooked by royal chef, you might expect a hefty bill.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Hello.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43Thank you very much. That lot, gentlemen, was about 30 quid.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46- You're joking?!- Fantastic.- It's not much, is it?- No, a tenner a head.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50And the price isn't the only surprising thing about the bill,
0:30:50 > 0:30:54according to this it's the year 2556.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- If that's the future, that's good food.- Too right it is!
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Oh, it's right, you see, cos in 1888, King Rama V
0:31:02 > 0:31:04changed the calendar.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08And that would be the difference between the Buddhist calendar
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and our Gregorian Christian calendar.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17Yes, and the Buddhist calendar being precisely 543 years ahead of ours.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19And I must say, I think in some respects,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22their Thai food at the moment is ahead of us too.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24So do I.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Auntie Daeng.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36You know, dude, I'm still feeling a bit battered
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and bruised after going ten rounds with Auntie Daeng.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40I need a bit of TLC.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Well, if you're talking of a Thai massage, I'm in.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Thai massage dates back 2,500 years
0:31:47 > 0:31:51and was created by the personal physician to the Buddha.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Thais view a good massage almost as a birthright.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57I'd like Thai traditional, please.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Time for the obligatory costume change.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Very fetching, dude. Very fetching.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08I'm having the herbal compressed massage, you know.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10And I'm having a traditional.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- Ooh!- Ah...
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Can this country get any better?
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Thai massage is a prescribed medical treatment in Thailand.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Amongst many things, it's believed to be great for aiding digestion.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28THEY GIGGLE
0:32:28 > 0:32:31And works on a sort of rhythmical crunching
0:32:31 > 0:32:32and stretching of the body.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36HE GUFFAWS
0:32:41 > 0:32:43You look like you've got frogs' legs!
0:32:43 > 0:32:45# Ning, n-ning, n-ning, ning... #
0:32:45 > 0:32:48- Kingy, you're destroying my karma. - I can't help it.- Just quiet.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Sorry, dude, I'm trying.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54- Are you OK there?- Fabulous. You're very strong.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56- I'm sorry.- No, you're lovely.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58THEY GIGGLE
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Oh, that's me all de-knotted, Kingy.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Now, you know the Thais love their chillies?
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Well, here's a fact for you.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10It was actually the Portuguese who brought this hot little
0:33:10 > 0:33:13ingredient here in the 16th century.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16So what better place to cook up a fiery tribute than here,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19in the gardens of the Portuguese Embassy?
0:33:22 > 0:33:26This is our homage to Portugal's involvement with Thailand
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and the love of the chilli. Chillies bring life to everything.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32They bring sunshine to the darkest meal.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34What would Thai people do without a chilli?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Because it's used for very different purposes, Dave, isn't it?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40It's used for heat in culinary ways but it's also used to stimulate
0:33:40 > 0:33:42and sensitise the palate
0:33:42 > 0:33:45for that other important thing in Thai cookery...
0:33:45 > 0:33:47texture.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50So we're cooking up a spicy beef stir-fry.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52It's one of those straightforward,
0:33:52 > 0:33:57simple recipes that's blooming lovely. It's hot as Hades.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00It's just that thing for a cold winter's night in Barnsley.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03By God, it'll blow your clogs of.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09So, this is a beautiful piece of rib-eye.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12I'm going to trim it and then we're going to roughly,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14roughly chop it to a course kind of mince.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16It's a bit like steak tartare.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Right, I'm going to start on the dipping sauce. Grab some chillies.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23If you don't want a big chilli hit, leave the seeds out.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27But we're in Thailand. We're going full throttle. Boom!
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Chuck your chillies into your all-important mortar
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and add in some coriander roots.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35And I want four...
0:34:36 > 0:34:37cloves of garlic.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Now we just pound this.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47It's not a screwing action, it's a thumping action.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48And that's quite important, isn't it?
0:34:48 > 0:34:51The thumping action releases the oils in the said ingredients that
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Dave's got in his pestle and mortar, which is what we want.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Next, the inevitable Thai fish sauce, some soy sauce,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01rice wine vinegar and oyster sauce.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07We finish that off with the juice of half a lime.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09A top tip is if you want more juice from
0:35:09 > 0:35:11your lime, roll it like so.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14And it kind of internally squishes it.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18Then cut it laterally, across its kind of belly.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21And we'll have loads and loads of juice.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25And that's our hot chilli dipping sauce done.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28And while Dave's doing that, I'm chopping some shallots
0:35:28 > 0:35:30and a red pepper ready for the beef.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Let's light the wok.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Right.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37- Boom!- Got it.- Whoa! Yeah!
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Kingy, that's very close to your head.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44So are your chillies.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45Whoo!
0:35:45 > 0:35:47And what we do...
0:35:49 > 0:35:51..in a hot wok...
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- ..we just add... - In Thai cooking actually,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56your wok isn't as hot as Chinese cooking.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59- No. Normally. - It's a different process!
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Right, that's cooling down lovely, that.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03So what we do...
0:36:05 > 0:36:06In there.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10We just saute off our shallots.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- You don't want to burn them too much for this.- It's not hot.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18And to that, add in some crushed chilli and garlic.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Now what's important is that you don't burn the garlic or it'll go bitter.
0:36:23 > 0:36:29So, after about a minute, put the beef in.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30Beautiful.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34And while Kingy's frying off the beef, I'm mixing some soy sauce,
0:36:34 > 0:36:39fish sauce, oyster sauce and some palm sugar to the wok.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44And lastly, some chopped red pepper.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47Now, as we've said,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Thai food is all about how you balance those key elements.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53This beef dish needs to be nice and spicy, so we've got to go
0:36:53 > 0:36:57a bit heavy on the sweet too, to counteract the heat.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Like a lot of things in Thailand, I'm going to top it with
0:37:00 > 0:37:03a fried egg, which isn't only delicious, but traditional.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08SIZZLING
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Beautiful.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Then, to finish the beef with a flourish, add a load of Thai
0:37:14 > 0:37:18basil leaves, which you can easily get at home, and...
0:37:18 > 0:37:19plate it up.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26- And there we have it. - Our Thai beef stir-fry.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28With a banging hot sauce and sticky rice.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41You know, I've adored my time in Bangkok
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- but I'm ready to hit the road, aren't you, mate?- Too right.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46Let's head north.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50- There's one Thai dish we simply have to see at source.- What's that, mate?
0:37:50 > 0:37:51Rice, of course.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55And here in the Central Plains is where they grow the bulk of it.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57It's known as the Rice Bowl of Asia.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN THAI
0:38:02 > 0:38:04That means good morning in Thai.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07It actually means, have you had your rice yet?
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Rice is so important to Thai people that it's your first
0:38:10 > 0:38:13greeting of the day. You know, Kingy,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I'm really looking forward to finding out more about rice.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19It's one of those things that we eat all the time but it's a mystery of the universe.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Where does it come from? How does it grow? All of that, you know?
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Yeah, you see, the thing is, one can't enter a paddy field
0:38:26 > 0:38:28without buying yourself some paddy-field chic.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31You've got to get yourself blinged up for t'field.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And here is the very place to do it. Look at them wellies, dude.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Brilliant orange. I want some of them.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Oh, they match his eyes.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Working in the paddy fields has its hazards.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47The sun is baking hot and the mosquitoes carry dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- Boo!- Aaagh!
0:38:49 > 0:38:53I don't know what that is but I know I don't fancy getting it, Kingy.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Too right. So we need the right kit to protect us.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Sorted!
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Thailand is one of the biggest exporters of rice in the world.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Over nine million hectares of land is used to grow the grain.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23That's an area 4½ times the size of Wales.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Hey, would you look at, Kingy?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Somebody's let that turf go to seed.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33You won't be playing cricket on that in a hurry.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36It's not turf, man, it's rice.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42This organic farm produces jasmine rice.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Oh, wow, look at that!
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- That's what you call organised gardening.- Isn't it?- I love it.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Square fields. Square boxes.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Hello.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58We're meeting Gong, who's one of the locals, and the paddy field
0:39:58 > 0:40:02workers who are going to initiate us in the art of rice growing.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Hello, nice to meet you.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07So, Gong, how many times a year does rice crop?
0:40:07 > 0:40:11HE SPEAKS THAI
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- Two.- Two.- Two times a year. - Two times a year.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19- At the moment, are you planting rice or harvesting rice?- Planting now.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23- Planting now.- And what's the hardest work - planting or harvesting?
0:40:23 > 0:40:27- For them it's all the same.- It's all the same!- They get used to it.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30It's funny, I thought they may say that. It's funny that.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I think we need to go to work, Mr King.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- I've never planted rice in my life. - No, we're rice planting virgins.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37We are. Which is a worry.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Planting rice is done mechanically as well as by hand
0:40:41 > 0:40:45but today the machine is up the spout. So it's all hands on deck.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Come on, you, let's go to the field.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54'Watch your step, Kingy!'
0:40:55 > 0:40:57LAUGHTER
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Dude!
0:40:58 > 0:41:00SI LAUGHS AND SNORTS
0:41:00 > 0:41:03I don't think we're going to get back over the bridge.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06I think it's time to go back on the diet!
0:41:06 > 0:41:09I never knew that planting rice could be such fun.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12I suppose we'd better get cracking.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17So, here's how rice grows.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21It starts as a seed which gets sewn into trays and then the trays
0:41:21 > 0:41:25get put into nursery beds in the paddy fields to germinate.
0:41:25 > 0:41:2920 days later, the shoots have grown big enough to be separated out
0:41:29 > 0:41:32and planted in the main beds of the paddy field
0:41:32 > 0:41:34to grow into...guess what? Rice.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Do you want me to show you how to do it?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40You take it out and then use your thumb to put it in.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47And then use your index finger to put it back.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Nice.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55You have to make sure the rice straight up like that.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Don't worry about that, I'm just concentrating on me
0:41:57 > 0:42:00standing up straight like that at the minutes. Hold on, son.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Hey, dude, I've got it, me. We are flying, me and... What's your name?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- Pedang.- Pedang, Pedang, Pedang.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Me and Pedang, we're off. That's it, I'm there.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Pedang, I'm there, I'm there!
0:42:13 > 0:42:15So, how long have you been doing it?
0:42:15 > 0:42:18SHE SPEAKS THAI
0:42:18 > 0:42:22- 30 years.- 30 years? - She's 51 years old today.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24She is not. Today?
0:42:24 > 0:42:28# Happy birthday to you
0:42:28 > 0:42:31# Happy birthday to you
0:42:31 > 0:42:35# Happy birthday dear Pedang
0:42:35 > 0:42:38# Happy birthday to you. #
0:42:42 > 0:42:47We've done about kind of six square metres since we've been here.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I mean, how much a day would you be expected to do?
0:42:50 > 0:42:58- In a day, they've probably got about 1,600 square metres.- Wow!
0:42:58 > 0:43:01'That's about the size of six tennis courts.'
0:43:01 > 0:43:03I tell you, Kingy, this is hard work, isn't it?
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- It is, it's ridiculous. - It's hot.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09And all that hard work pays off.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13These paddy fields produce about 50 tonnes of rice a year.
0:43:14 > 0:43:15Do you know what, Kingy?
0:43:15 > 0:43:17We've done our share of backbreaking work
0:43:17 > 0:43:21but I think this has got to be the most backbreaking of the lot.
0:43:21 > 0:43:26- It certainly has.- I'll never take me jasmine rice for granted.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Just three months after the rice is planted,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Pedang and her mates will harvest it and dry it.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35And then it is threshed by machine to get the rice grains out.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37What we've got here at the moment is just brown rice.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42- We could cook that and it would be the chewy brown rice that is very healthy.- Yeah, it is.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44And if you take the outside bran off,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47you will find the white jasmine rice underneath.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52When the sun gets too high and too hot, everyone downs tools
0:43:52 > 0:43:54and chips in to make lunch.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58So, Gong, what would be the typical meal of the day?
0:43:58 > 0:44:01They finish work, they all want to eat together for lunch.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04- Is this what they would cook? - This is normal for her.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09Vegetable or bamboo shoot cooked with any kind of meat that's available.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11And today the meat is chicken
0:44:11 > 0:44:13and a fish they caught in the paddy field.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17- Wow! Beautiful! - What a beautiful fish.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20They put fish in the water here to eat the weeds and the bugs
0:44:20 > 0:44:23and the fish droppings help fertilise the water.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27Do you know what I'm having trouble identifying is?
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Who was who in the field
0:44:29 > 0:44:31because everybody had their woolly balaclavas on.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36- I might be wrong but I think this is the birthday girl.- That's her.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42What a team in the paddy field me and you were, mate. Brilliant.
0:44:50 > 0:44:55- A little paddy field treat. - Lush, isn't it? That's a top tip.
0:44:55 > 0:44:56You see, if you slash the fish,
0:44:56 > 0:45:00and slash the thickest part of the skin, it cooks evenly.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Also if you are doing fillets, it won't curl up.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08This isn't bad for a working lunch, is it, Si?
0:45:08 > 0:45:11It certainly beats having a sandwich and a packet of crisps.
0:45:11 > 0:45:16- This is the Thai style of eating rice.- It's lovely.- On the floor.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20That's better. Rice.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24What have we got here? We have the deep-fried paddy field fish,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28we've got bamboo shoots with a clear chicken broth,
0:45:28 > 0:45:32we've got cooked aubergines, fresh aubergine
0:45:32 > 0:45:34and that lovely chilli dip.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38- Chilli dip we call nam pla. - Nam pla.- Yes.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40Ladies, are these recipes and dishes
0:45:40 > 0:45:44what the workers in the rice fields would have eaten for years?
0:45:44 > 0:45:49- Yes.- It's very good.- Did the ladies learn to cook from their mothers?
0:45:52 > 0:45:55From their family because...
0:45:55 > 0:45:57HE SPEAKS THAI
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Yeah, because they need to help in the kitchen when they are young.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04It's very different to Bangkok these days, isn't it?
0:46:04 > 0:46:07- It's another side of Thailand. - Yeah. I love it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11And for your birthday, are you enjoying your food?
0:46:11 > 0:46:14HE SPEAKS THAI
0:46:14 > 0:46:15LAUGHTER
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Happy birthday, happy birthday.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22- And thank you for cooking us supper on your birthday.- Yes, thank you.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32I know I've said it before but I'm never going to
0:46:32 > 0:46:33take my rice for granted again.
0:46:43 > 0:46:48We're following the Chao Phraya River north out of Bangkok to our final destination.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51The ancient capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55- Here, fancy a pit stop?- But why not?
0:47:01 > 0:47:04You can't beat a good roadside pull in, can you?
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Whoo!
0:47:08 > 0:47:12We always say you can judge a country on its roadside dining and this
0:47:12 > 0:47:16place is set to serve the biggest prawns you've ever clapped eyes on.
0:47:16 > 0:47:23- In here? Oh, wow!- Just look at those prawns.- They are beautiful.
0:47:23 > 0:47:29These are macrobrachium rosenbergii or giant river prawns.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31They are freshwater prawns and used to thrive
0:47:31 > 0:47:36in rivers here in Thailand but today they're mostly farmed.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Look at the meat on those and the tentacles are up to a metre long.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44- Right, I think we're going to go and learn how to cook them now.- Get in.
0:47:44 > 0:47:45- Beautiful.- What's not to love?
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Legs off, trim them up.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53Scissors. Leg cut.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58- Short back and sides, please. - Lift up and then...
0:47:58 > 0:48:01- Good?- Good. Really good. - Thanks, chef.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05That yellow stuff is raw which is prawn eggs.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08It can be eaten raw or cooked and it's a real delicacy.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13Now they're what you call a butterfly prawn, Kingy.
0:48:13 > 0:48:14Look at that.
0:48:14 > 0:48:21Apply heat and consume. Excellent. Just on the fire. Yeah. And then...
0:48:21 > 0:48:24They're what you call prawn stars.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26- Thank you.- They smell fantastic.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30Oh, Dave, look at that.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34- Now they've cooked it with a roux on so it's kind of like a bisque.- It is.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- It's a self-made bisque, isn't it? - That's a treat, isn't it?
0:48:39 > 0:48:41A bisque is basically a soup that uses all the extra
0:48:41 > 0:48:44bits of crustacean for lots of seafood flavour.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Ah. Ay, man.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Thank you. How did that work? You toad.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59'Ah, here, you, Myers, you won't get one up on me, mate.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02'That'll do nicely, thanks very much.'
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Trust you to go too far.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09You can't go too far with a prawn. You having a laugh, aren't you?
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I can't wait. I'm going to try the bisque.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17I'm going straight for the jugular. Oh, look at that.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21- Oh, hey, man, they are epic.- This is a major food sensation, Kingy.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- This certainly is, mate. Oh, Dave.- Aw, Kingy.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28I tell you what, they've got quite a firm texture, haven't they?
0:49:28 > 0:49:31The texture is reminiscent of kind of a lobster texture but prawn flavour.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Well, this is what you get
0:49:33 > 0:49:36when you pull in at a roadside cafe in Thailand.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39It's not a bad service station, is it, really?
0:49:39 > 0:49:42'Well, mate, it certainly beats the dried out ploughman's you'd be
0:49:42 > 0:49:46'eating if you stopped at the services back home, I tell you.'
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Back on our bikes, full up on prawns
0:49:57 > 0:49:59and heading for the ancient capital of Thailand.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02This is the life, Kingy.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Founded in 1350, in its heyday,
0:50:05 > 0:50:09Ayutthaya was one of the most spectacular cities in the world.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Some of these ruins were once elaborate Thai temples
0:50:18 > 0:50:20known as wats.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22- Isn't that beautiful?- It is.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25It's like the Asian Leaning Tower of Pisa, isn't it? It's marvellous.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29That's culture. That's Thailand to me, mate.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32- Come on, shall we go and have a dander?- I think we should.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35- Yeah, but what's left is really wats.- What?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37No, wats. Wats are temples.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39- That's a temple, innit?- It's a wat.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43- Well, it's a temple. - No, it's a wat. Beautiful, though.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45- I just wonder what they were. - They were wats.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49Ayutthaya was on the ancient trading routes between India and China,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51and traders from all over the world
0:50:51 > 0:50:54brought new flavours and spices here.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57The chefs in the royal palaces here
0:50:57 > 0:51:00took full advantage of these exciting ingredients.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03They were in fierce competition with one another
0:51:03 > 0:51:07to create the most exquisite dishes to please their king,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10who has godlike status in Thailand.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14So this is where it all began, that exciting alchemy of Thai cuisine
0:51:14 > 0:51:18that you see everywhere today, from street food to schools,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20it started here.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24Do you know, Si, you can feel the serenity, the beauty,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27- the age of this place, can't you? - You can, yeah.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29It's funny, this. I recognise it.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31I think I've cleared this level on Tomb Raider.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36- I mean, it's massive.- It's a city.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40And it was a city, one of the most important places on the planet,
0:51:40 > 0:51:45for not just religion but for trade, for spirituality, for food.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49- Ooh! For food.- I have an idea. - Do you?- I fancy a salad.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52As a celebration of the role
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Ayutthaya played in creating the Thai food we know and love back home,
0:51:55 > 0:51:58we're going to create our own special dish.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02This salad is a melange.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04It's crispy noodles,
0:52:04 > 0:52:06surmounted with prawns and crab
0:52:06 > 0:52:08and all manner of good things and herbs, which will become clear
0:52:08 > 0:52:10when we start cooking it.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Now, these are vermicelli noodles.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15You deep fry these until they're golden and crispy.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18And vermicelli noodles are made from rice.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21So if you've got a wheat allergy, you're a blotcher or wheezer,
0:52:21 > 0:52:23you're all right with vermicelli noodles.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25What's most important when doing this sort of thing,
0:52:25 > 0:52:29you have to make sure that your fat's hot enough. And it's not.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33'Kicking off, I'm making the salad dressing
0:52:33 > 0:52:35'with the inevitable Thai fish sauce...'
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Five.
0:52:37 > 0:52:38'..some lime juice
0:52:38 > 0:52:40'and a bit of palm sugar.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46'Then thinly slice five Thai shallots.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49'If you haven't got Thai shallots, just use one banana shallot.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53'Then grate up some galangal, ginger and garlic.'
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Now then, when the oil is hot enough,
0:52:56 > 0:52:58what you do...
0:52:59 > 0:53:01..take a good handful of noodle,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03pop them in like that. Whoa!
0:53:03 > 0:53:05That's what you're after.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08Let them cook for about 30 seconds,
0:53:08 > 0:53:10turn them over, cook them on the other side, take them out,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13so you're looking at about a minute. And again.
0:53:15 > 0:53:16Whoa!
0:53:16 > 0:53:19Joking apart, do take care if you're doing this at home.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Have a fire blanket there
0:53:21 > 0:53:23because you'll burn yourself if you're not careful,
0:53:23 > 0:53:24and we don't want that.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Go on, give us one more go. I like this, it's great.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30It's kind of a cross between deep frying and pyromania.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32THEY LAUGH
0:53:32 > 0:53:33Watch. Are you ready?
0:53:37 > 0:53:40Aw! Hey, man, how cool is that?
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Do you know, Kingy,
0:53:42 > 0:53:45this is like getting the lawn at Hampton Court and doing a fry-up!
0:53:45 > 0:53:47I know! We don't want to get chucked out.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Now take the thinly sliced shallots
0:53:52 > 0:53:54and shallow fry them until they're crispy.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57This will give a lovely crunch to the salad.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Meanwhile, make strips out of the three kaffir lime leaves,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03and then chop up some spring onion.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05The salad, the shallots go in.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07And then...
0:54:07 > 0:54:10King prawns, some with the shell off, some with the shell on,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12and just stir fry them nice and quick.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18- Beauty.- They are fantastic prawns, aren't they?- Aren't they?
0:54:18 > 0:54:21To the prawns, add the galangal,
0:54:21 > 0:54:23the ginger and the garlic.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27And just saute, but take care not to burn the garlic.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Literally, that should take about a minute. No longer.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32But if you're going to have a salad, this really is an epic salad.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35It's absolutely bursting with textures, flavours.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39You've got your carbohydrate, your protein, your spice.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42- Now those go in the bowl.- Put those on top of the crispy shallots.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Now we start building.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Pop in the spring onions,
0:54:49 > 0:54:52a handful of beansprouts, and as much crab as you like,
0:54:52 > 0:54:57then rip up a generous amount of mint and some coriander.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05As you can see, all that palm sugar has dissolved with the fish sauce
0:55:05 > 0:55:07and the lime juice.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09- Now the best way for this is... - With your hands.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13Yeah, cos you don't want to break the herbs up or smash the meat up.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16- Mm-mm-mm!- Ready for the build?
0:55:16 > 0:55:18So, nice and gentle.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Then take your deep-fried vermicelli
0:55:23 > 0:55:25and layer the salad on top.
0:55:29 > 0:55:34Along with some chopped red chillies and chunks of lime.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Now, that, that's a salad, isn't it?
0:55:38 > 0:55:40That's our homage to this beautiful place
0:55:40 > 0:55:43and the beautiful country that is Thailand.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47- You know, Kingy, it's a busy little dish.- It is that!
0:55:47 > 0:55:49But I still think there's something missing.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53I mean, we are in the presence of royalty, and tradition dictates
0:55:53 > 0:55:56that we carve some vegetables now to decorate it even more.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- I'm excited about this.- I am too.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00- I've got a special knife. - Have you?- Yeah.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03These are special Thai vegetable carving knives.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05I've got two. One spare.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09'We see lots of carved fruit
0:56:09 > 0:56:12'and vegetables back in the Thai restaurants at home,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15'but it's actually a 700-year-old tradition that started here
0:56:15 > 0:56:18'in the royal palaces of Ayutthaya.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22'It was a secret art form that was passed down from mother to daughter,
0:56:22 > 0:56:24'but now they even teach it in Thai schools.'
0:56:25 > 0:56:28See the rhythm, the intricacies of the flowers. Have a look at that.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30It's beginning to form.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32Are you not going to start, then?
0:56:32 > 0:56:34I thought you were going to have a go at this.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37Look at that, eh? It's coming up a treat.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41It's all about rhythm and control, Kingy. Rhythm and control.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45See, I'm on the outer leaves now.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46I want symmetry there.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Whereas the inside of the flower can be quite random,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52when one's going to the outside, I want it to swirl.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54I want rhythm...
0:56:55 > 0:56:58'Little does Dave know I'm off to get some fruit
0:56:58 > 0:57:00'that someone else spent most of the night carving.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03'Look on and weep, Myers. Look on and weep.'
0:57:03 > 0:57:05You know, Kingy, I'm rather proud of this.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07I think it has the quality of a Faberge egg.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10If Carl Faberge could do melons, he'd be me.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18- You didn't do that.- I did.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- What a place to have supper. - Really good, isn't it?
0:57:40 > 0:57:42You know, the truth of it is,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46these blends of flavours all began in this ancient city.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52'You know, Kingy, people said it's impossible to eat badly in Thailand,
0:57:52 > 0:57:53'and they were right.'
0:57:53 > 0:57:58Yes, and even though we've eaten a mind-boggling amount of amazing food,
0:57:58 > 0:58:01I can't help feeling we've only scratched the surface.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Our work here, mucker, is far from done.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07Ah, well, it's a tough job but someone's got to do it.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12Next time, we'll be heading to the jungles of the far north
0:58:12 > 0:58:14as the beaches of the south.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16What the hell have you come as?
0:58:16 > 0:58:18You look like an organ grinder.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21'And where there's an organ grinder, there's a monkey.'
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Flaming Nora!
0:58:23 > 0:58:26Give us a shout, son, would you, when it's coming?
0:58:26 > 0:58:31And we'll be uncovering even more of Thailand's exciting cuisine.
0:58:31 > 0:58:33I've just seen the future. It's Thai-shaped.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35I'm loving it, dude, I'm loving it!