Welcome to Chef Khun Win’s Thai food corner!

To start this month’s corner I will talk about some incredible fruits Thailand has to offer:

Thai fruits are usually eaten as a snack and these fruit selling vendors can be seen almost in every corner of the street in any city. Do be careful though, all these street vendors do not hold always high hygiene standards. Also, fruits are transformed into a dessert, or part of a meal, especially coconuts and Mango fruits. Almost all the fruits are available in supermarkets throughout the year, but surely some are better at certain times of year.

Have you tried already? Guava (known as Farang), Papya (known as Malakor), Mangosteen (known as Mong-Koot), Durian (known as Tu-Rian), Mango (known as Ma Muang), Lychee (known as Lyn-Chee) or Rambutan (known as Ngoh).

How does the Rambutan fruit taste for you?

Known as Ngoh in Thai, is a tasty fruit and it is very popular in many countries. Rambutans are high in vitamin C, plus copper, manganese, and trace elements of many other nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and iron. Rambutans are grown in Thailand as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia. Most Rambutans are red, but in Malaysia they are smaller and yellow Rambutans can also be found.

Uses of Rambutan Rambutan seed oil is produced in many countries to manufacture candles and soap. Although Rambutan trees are cut down rarely, their wood is used in the construction industry. Rambutan fruit is said to heal dysentery and diarrhea effectively. The leaves are also used as cataplasm to cure headaches. In Malaysia, the skin of the Rambutan fruit is used to prepare native medicines. Also, the roots of Rambutan trees are boiled and used as a medication to cure fever.

From flowering to ripe fruit, it takes 90 days or more. The green fruits start to turn yellow and then red, sometimes quite rapidly. In some years, the process from green to red can take place in 5 to 10 days. Look for bright red skin when buying Rambutans. A little orange or yellow on the skin in addition to red is still good, but green skins mean the Rambutans are unripe. Avoid buying Rambutans that have turned black or have a lot of black "hairs", as this indicates they are over-ripe.

The soft spines in Rambutan, or spinterns, are safe to handle and lose a lot of water after the fruit has been picked. Due to this fact, to hold them for any length of time in refrigeration requires plastic film to slow down the moisture loss. The spinterns may turn black within days after harvest but the fruit inside remains fresh and tasty for several days or a week longer. If the humidity is high, then the fruit can be held at room temperature in a plastic bag that is not sealed but rather loosely closed.

How to eat Rambutan?

Open Rambutan fruit by removing part of its skin close to the middle of the fruit. Find the seam across the fruit and pull apart the leathery skin. You can also use the knife, but remember, only cut through the skin. Then you can hold the fruit with your fingers and enjoy the wonderful, sweet taste.

Did you know?

Yin and Yang in Thai believes

Thais believe the cooling and heating properties of different foods, especially fruits, are influenced by Chinese yin and yang. By eating too much heating fruits like Durian can lead to sore throat, cold sores or fever and by eating too much cooling fruits like pears can lead to chills and dizziness. So if you are enjoying the strong smelling Durian, remember to cool down with mangosteen, the Cooling Queen of Fruits. This way you have your yin and yang balanced.

Did you know?

The origin of Chef's hat

The chef's hat, or toque blanche (French for "white hat"), has been existing for more than 400 years. In the 16th century, artisans (including chefs) were among the "free thinkers" who were often persecuted, imprisoned, or executed because of their views. To escape this treatment, some chefs hid in monasteries and wore the same type of clothing as the priests, including tall hats. Chefs wore gray, while priests wore black.

There are other theories as well regarding the hat's history. One theory states the hat may have evolved from the stocking cap (casque a meche) worn by French chefs throughout the years. The color of the casque a meche indicated the chef's rank.

During the mid-1800s, chef Marie-Antoine Careme decided white was a more appropriate color for toques as it indicated cleanliness in the kitchen. Careme also believed the hats should be of different heights to indicate rank. Cooks wore shorter hats than chefs. Reportedly Careme's hat was 18 inches tall.

Also, the number of pleats in a chef's hat is also a status symbol. Many toques have exactly 100 pleats, supposedly the number of ways a chef can prepare an egg.

See you again in Chef Khun Win’s Thai food corner!