Postcards From The Palate

From a short-haul gourmet getaway to exotic street markets and spice souks, we explore three ( piping) hot culinary adventures hitting the foodie scene.

A VEGETARIAN TASTE OF THAILAND

Laura Millar heads to Phuket for a unique meat-free festival

‘Central’ market in Phuket town is a temple to animal flesh. Plucked chickens dyed yellow with turmeric are piled high on stalls, jostling for space next to prime cuts of pig and rows of fresh fish. From sea bass to snapper, their silver scales glisten beside platters of pearly white squid. It’s 8 am and the humidity has hit 75 percent. I wrinkle my nose: among the bustle of bartering locals, things are getting whiffy and I’m relieved when my companion, Thai chef Khun Kwang, ushers me towards crates of glossy fruit and vegetables, as well as fragrant herbs and spices.

I’ve traveled to Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, to celebrate its annual vegetarian festival, ‘Teskan Gin Jay’ – or Festival of the Nine Emperor Gods. Held in September or October (this year, it runs from 28 September to 7 October), the event is observed by Sino-Thais, who shun meat, alcohol, and sex for two weeks to purify body, mind, and soul. To do my bit, I’m whipping up my first vegetarian Thai meal, enlisting pro chef Kwang to help me select the finest ingredients.

And the ‘central’ market is the place to be. Within minutes, a flurry of Thai flavors appears in my basket. Thick, gleaming kaffir lime leaves, gelatinous, bat-ear-like mushrooms, green curry paste hand-bashed from lemongrass, oil, lime, basil, shallots, and galangal, plus a liter of just squeezed coconut milk all make Kwang’s speedy cut.