ACCORDING TO UNCLE OOT: MEMORY, CUSTOMS, AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THAI FOOD
UNCLE OOT
Versak "Oot"Singhaseni in a native of Si Racha Thailand, a small town located within the country's central region.
THE INTERVIEW
I. Could you please describe your family’s typical eating behaviors: in regards to location, company, and general practices of food procurement, preparation, presentation, and cuisine?
We would eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, at times typically of American meal times.
Breakfast would be taken separately (by myself, my siblings, and parents) and the same with lunch (myself and siblings at school and parents at work). My family insisted upon eating dinner together.
We would eat our dinner together at an indoor table, and meals were eaten with chopsticks.
In my family (nuclear) and also my entire mother’s side of the family, there was little formality regarding the presentation of food and eating customs. But, on my father’s side there was alot of insistence upon formality. This was because of their connection to Thai military and government. For insistence, my uncle was a former prime minister of Thailand. When he would eat, the presentation (by servants) of each meal segment had to be timed precisely and all who took part in the meal had to adhere to specific routines (ex. placing utensils on right side to indicate that you are still eating and the right to indicate that you are finished).
All dishes centered around rice or rice noodles and seafood, and dessert was most often sticky rice with custard, coconut milk, and fruit, usually mangos or pineapples.
All our foods and ingredients were acquired at the local open market on a daily basis. We got these foods every day because of the high temperature of our region and the associated tendency for foods to spoil quickly.
Because my family was rather wealthy, all meals were prepared by female servants who worked for our family in exchange for housing.
II. Were these behaviors typical of other families within your community, region, or country?
Yes and no.
III. Okay, what differences can you point to?
Typically, Thai people do not eat with chopsticks, they eat with forks and spoons. My family at with chopsticks because my mother’s side of the family are from China.
Most families in Thailand do not have servants to cook their meals for them, instead, the female members of the household prepare meals for themselves and the family.
IV. Can you recall any instances of male servants/male family members preparing food for a family?
No, never. Male servants usually conducted other business like driving and I have never seen men cook for a family.
V. Are the formalized food practices which your uncle observed typical of Thai practices generally?
In general, Thai families are more informal (like my mother’s family) but almost all families with connections to the military or government eat as my uncle did.
VI. What are some of your earliest memories regarding food?
Well I was born in the town of Si Racha, near Bangkok and I guess I really just remember eating alot of dishes accompanied with seafood and fish sauce.
VII. Wait, so you were born in Si Racha? Like as in the popular hot sauce?
Yes! That is where Siracha was created, as a sauce meant to accompany seafood.
VIII. Really?! What are your thoughts on the popularized version of Siracha? Is it much different than the original?
I can definitely tell the difference, it is much less thick and spicy than the original, and is used for everything, not just seafood.
IX. Did food play any role in the observance of religious ceremonies in your community, region, or Thailand generally?
Yes. You know that 90-95 % of Thailand is Buddhist. Well in Thailand, the monks get their food through donations and most families give them food as a way to build up their blessings.
Also, every month, there are festival ceremonies like the Songkran Water Festival in April. At these ceremonies, the religious stuff is followed by a meal. The monks eat first and then everybody else.
X. Okay, are there any specific meals eaten during these ceremonies that are not usually eaten otherwise?
No, just typical Thai meals.
XI. In your opinion, what cuisines, if any, exemplify Thai cuisine generally?
Well the most popular are of course the Pad Thai, fried rice, and curries.
XII. Would you say that there is a sense of regional pride/competition among regional cuisine variations in terms of what is the “right way” to prepare or create a specific dish?
No, no pride or competition just a recognition of the differences.
XIII. Please explain your experiences with Thai food prepared in the U.S.
Well, initially American Thai food was very different because restaurants could not acquire the same ingredients used in Thai dishes. But now, with better transportation and all, the ingredients are identical.
XIV. Would you say American Thai cuisine has been altered to accommodate American preferences?
Not really. Except most are not made as spicy and both additional spice and fish sauce are side options. Fish sauce is usually omitted because its pretty strong haha.