why spoil good meat with sugar ?

[norwegian 0]

Hi folks,

 

I was on my first trip to Thailand this october and had a magnificent time ! beside ladies, I sure enjoy eating good food, and as a quite experienced traveller I am familiar with a lot of flavours. On my first night I ordered a pig leg, looked wonderful at the neigbour table where two russians seemed to enjoy it.

Sorry I almost fainted when tasting it, next day having a nice mackerel style fish for lunch I saw the chief prepearing the pig leg, into the boiling pan went, yes about 1 kilo of sugar.

Altough I found a lot of really good thai food during my stay, I cannot understand why they add this sweet sauses on all barbecue yes even the curry dishes are most often heavily sweetened.

Anyone here, knows if this is an attemt to make thai food more suitable for western tounges or is it really a part of the authentic thai cuisine ?

[joekicker 53]

Dunno if you had Thai food or farang but that kind of barbecue is not a big deal in Thailand. HOWEVER, Thais use a lot of sugar/sweet stuff in their cooking. Thai food has four tastes - salty, sour, spicy, sweet. Most food has all four flavours, blended.

 

And all that said, western barbecue sauce is packed with sugar.

 

.

[jacko 8,815]

So is ketchup and most farang types seem to like to load their plates with that.

 

Also onion releases a lot of sweetness and probably adds to the flavour of liver and onions.

Edited November 24, 2010 by jacko

[shambley 109]

Over sweetened main courses has been my bug bear for last 25 years

Trained as a chef and having a career as a chef from the age of 16 working in all kinds of places I have come across a sad trend in sweetening food

 

I have experienced the degradation of western food for many years - tomato puree turning classical dishes into some kind of macdonalds really turns my stomach - some sweetness can enhance a dish, chutneys, BBQ glazes etc are fine - but for last 20 years I've seen the modern secret of success is ruining the tastebuds with sucrose,fractose or glucose.

 

I rebel against these heathen practices - savoury dishes should be savoury - I want meat to taste of meat, chicken chassuer is not chicken in tomato sauce, chilli doesnt not need a pound of tomato puree, gravy should taste of meat juices.

 

Now when you talk about Thai dishes - the above poster has it correct - sweet, sour, spicy, salt, bitter should be in balance - same can be applied to many areas - vietnames and chinise recipes for example, trouble is more and more chefs are pushing the sweet forward as the dominant character of a dish. I dont see how this tide can be stopped - people don't send food back saying it is to sweet - they just eat and put up with it.

 

hey ho I quit being a chef and now make money in IT - off to burger king for lunch :-)

[jacko 8,815]

Over sweetened main courses has been my bug bear for last 25 years

Trained as a chef and having a career as a chef from the age of 16 working in all kinds of places I have come across a sad trend in sweetening food

 

I have experienced the degradation of western food for many years - tomato puree turning classical dishes into some kind of macdonalds really turns my stomach - some sweetness can enhance a dish, chutneys, BBQ glazes etc are fine - but for last 20 years I've seen the modern secret of success is ruining the tastebuds with sucrose,fractose or glucose.

 

I rebel against these heathen practices - savoury dishes should be savoury - I want meat to taste of meat, chicken chassuer is not chicken in tomato sauce, chilli doesnt not need a pound of tomato puree, gravy should taste of meat juices.

 

Now when you talk about Thai dishes - the above poster has it correct - sweet, sour, spicy, salt, bitter should be in balance - same can be applied to many areas - vietnames and chinise recipes for example, trouble is more and more chefs are pushing the sweet forward as the dominant character of a dish. I dont see how this tide can be stopped - people don't send food back saying it is to sweet - they just eat and put up with it.

 

hey ho I quit being a chef and now make money in IT - off to burger king for lunch :-)

I agree with you here, I tend to prefer separating sweet from savoury.

But what drives the chef/ cook to add a little extra sugar? Possibly upbringing defining a palate more inclined to sweetness.

(Kids brought up on fast food and sauces)

Keep up the battle ..... but you would loose it in many UK places where the ketchup goes on everything.

[thechairman18 174]

Was in Big C, about a year ago.

They brought out, freshly baked Cheese Plaits.

They looked really nice so I bought one.

When I broke a piece off, to eat, I realised that there was sugar, sprinkled on top of the Cheese.

Thinking this might be a new taste experience, I had a couple of mouthful's, which was enough.

Then binned it.

[Obsession 571]

Was in Big C, about a year ago.

They brought out, freshly baked Cheese Plaits.

They looked really nice so I bought one.

When I broke a piece off, to eat, I realised that there was sugar, sprinkled on top of the Cheese.

Thinking this might be a new taste experience, I had a couple of mouthful's, which was enough.

Then binned it.

 

Ken. You should have taken your mate with the attitude, and he would have knocked them out!!!!!

[thechairman18 174]

Jamie, have you charged your phone for all the calls you will not be getting, this New Years Eve, remember?

Sorry about the thread fuck.

Edited December 31, 2010 by thechairman18

[Obsession 571]

Jamie, have you charged your phone for all the calls you will not be getting, this New Years Eve, remember?

Sorry about the thread fuck.

 

 

Whooooosh. That went over my head mate! Are you meaning that I am in good ole UK, and not Patts Or that you have knocked out by birds and stole their phones like the old age deliquent your turning into?!!!!!!!!