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  • Local Noodle History

    Keeping it real
    Evolution is important, even with noodle dishes, but so is documenting and respecting tradition
    PUBLISHED : 9 FEB 2020 AT 04:01 https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/soc...-real#cxrecs_s
    WRITER: STORY & PHOTOS BY SUTHON SUKPHISIT

    Pork noodles.

    Thailand can be dubbed the land of kuay tio (Chinese noodle) dishes. But we know very little about how they came into existence. It is known that kuay tio nuea (beef noodle soup) was created about a century ago in Chinatown, where a large number of migrant Chinese workers sold their cheap labour loading goods using their bare shoulders or pulled carts. Homeless and desperate, they took refuge in temporary shelters or storage warehouses at night. They went for the cheapest food, which was boiled pig or cow intestines with steamed rice. Peddlers sold the food in front of an opium den, where many labourers went to sleep at night after eating dinner.

    The boiled cow intestines with steamed rice spread to other places. Later someone added noodles to the dish and that became beef noodle soup. Beef noodle soup subsequently transformed into many versions, all of which derived from the boiled cow intestines in front of the opium den.

    Several kuay tio dishes were originated by Chinese language groups. Bamee moo daeng (noodles with Chinese red pork) was created by the Cantonese. Kuay tio khae with pork stuffed into a tofu wrapper was a brainchild of the Hakka, khanom jeen hailam by the Hainanese, and pork noodles by the Teochew.

    Meanwhile, there is a range of noodle dishes we have been enjoying for a long time without a clue as to how and when they were created -- kuay tio yen ta fo, kuay tio luuk chin pla (noodle with fish balls), kuay tio ped (duck noodles) and kuay tio luuk chin nuea nam sai (noodles with balls of pounded beef in clear broth).
    Now, let's touch on some noodles widely popular in more recent times. Their origins are evident and deserve mention. However, the true creators are usually overlooked and not credited. For the worse, many noodle shops with a lack of professional ethics make false claims that they are the first to introduce the dishes, as we often see a sign reading "The Original" almost everywhere.

    • Chicken noodle is an option for those who do not eat pork and beef. The very first chicken noodle is known as kuay tio gai mae sri ruen, whereby the noodle was served in clear chicken soup. The first shop was opened on Pattaya Klang road in Chon Buri. Now under the management of the second generation, the shop is more spacious and serves a variety of other dishes. The restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary this year and has many branches in Bangkok.


    Chicken noodle dishes have quickly spread across the country with some new varieties, such as kuay tio gai nam kon and kuay tio gai toon (noodle with stewed chicken) added to the list.
    Chicken noodles with bitter gourd.

    Another traditional form of chicken noodle soup features gai cheek (hand-shredded chicken meat). It was first sold at Wat Chao Chet, Sena district, in Ayutthaya. Kuay tio gai cheek was originated accordingly to the surrounding environment. In the past, Yeehol canal was a main waterway connecting Ayutthaya and Suphan Buri. Yeehol canal was cross-cut by Chao Chet canal and formed an intersection, where the big Chao Chet community was established. Traditional houses and boathouses were built along the canals. Vendors rowed boats loaded with goods, vegetables, coffee and noodles to sell at the intersection, which later became a floating market.

    A pair of sisters, Auntie Pu and Auntie Pae, used to row their boats around, selling this type of soup in the Chao Chet canal and Yeehol canal. Around 30 years ago the Royal Irrigation Department ordered the boathouses removed and rebuilt on canal banks instead, to unblock water flows. This was the worst destruction of Thai traditional lifestyle on the canals.
    Chicken noodles.

    Auntie Pu had relocated her shop to behind Wat Chao Chet, while Auntie Pae set up a shop at her home. They are now in their 80s and still sell noodles. They are not doing it for money but to stay active. Introduced over a decade ago, kuay tio gai cheek has since spread throughout Ayutthaya. There are over 10 shops in the Chao Chet community alone and many more in Ayutthaya city. Many people even misunderstand that kuay tio gai cheek is Ayutthaya's provincial cuisine. A shop in front of Wat Banomyong sells noodles like hot cakes. It makes a claim that it is the original kuay tio gai cheek.

    Kuay tio gai mara is another widespread chicken noodle in present day. It was introduced by an Isan vendor who initially set up a noodle stall on a modified tricycle called a saleng at the side of Chan Road behind Bangkok Technology College (now the Rajamangala University of Technology Bangkok) in 1992, before Nara*thiwat Ratchanakharin Road was built. It was near the bus depot, so its customers were mainly bus drivers, ticket collectors and bus passengers.
    Hakka style noodles.

    The chicken noodle was delicious and sold very well. It soon attracted tuk-tuk and taxi drivers as well. The broth made from chicken stewed with bitter melon until very soft was irresistible. Moreover, the noodle was served with unlimited vegetables, including sliced bitter melon, beansprouts and fresh basil. Filling and inexpensive, chicken noodles with mara has become a darling of low-income earners. A tip on how to know which shop serves delicious chicken noodles is simply to look for a stall or pushcart with a lot of customers sitting at the tables or waiting to be seated.
    It is ideal to have details about culinary development documented. Without written records, the facts will become obscure with the passage of time. It has happened to many dishes: made-up stories perceived as truth after they were passed on verbally from generation to generation.
    Last edited by harrymsmarkle; 02-09-2020, 07:23 AM.
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  • #2
    I visited TC a few times as a guest but had to stop. It is a sickening place. - Aging One

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    • #3
      All Thai noodle dishes are Chinese in origin, including Pad Thai.

      But who invented noodles, the Chinks or the Itas?
      Originally posted by Ergenburgensmurgen;n186588
      What are you talking about, I don't post on Teakdoor.


      https://thailandchatter.com/core/ima...ies/giggle.gif

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      • #4
        Originally posted by serrollt View Post

        snip

        But who invented noodles, the Chinks or the Itas?
        Certainly was not the Italians , they were introduced to Noodles by the Arabs .
        http://thailandchatter.com/showthrea...ll=1#post45112

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        • #5
          ...from PBS.com: While we do think of pasta as a culturally Italian food, it is likely the descendant of ancient Asian noodles. A common belief about pasta is that it was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century.
          Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

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          • #6
            Nice informative ditty, TC.
            Thanks.


            PS - kudos to Mid's post #4

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