เครื่องปรุงต่างๆ
Artisan Products
with Heart & Soul
Artisan Products
with Heart & Soul
Salt from Bang Pa kong
One wouldn’t automatically think of salt when considering the seasoning in Thailand however Salt plays a very important role in the cuisine. From fermented pork to fish sauce. Sea salt comes from many coastal regians of Thailand, from the west coast of Samut Sokhon and Samut Songkram until reaching Phetchaburi. The eastern side like Chachoengsao, Bang Pakong to Chonburi and Chantaburi. At Bolan we favor salt from Bang Pakong
Coconut Palm Sugar
Coconut palm sugar is an essential ingredient in Thai Cuisine and it’s not limited to kanom (dessert), sugar plays an integral role in savory dishes helping to achieve that wonderful balance.
Traditionally labour intensive to make, Bo.lan is honored to have access to the plantation cultivated by Aunty Jii and Aunty Tum. Introduced to us by professor Wanida of the institute of nutrition who was advising the two women on how to produce the sugar according to traditional methods but advising on how to make the process safer and cleaner for themselves and the environment.
Bo.lan coconut palm sugar requires one of the sisters to climb each of their 80+ tree’s twice daily to collect the nectar and at the same time shaving the blossom so that it won’t dry up for their next climb. if the nectar is left for to long it will ferment rendering it useless, however traditional Thai wisdom uses “Payom”woodshed and the natural enzymes in the wood prevent or slow the fermentation, instead of using harsh chemicals.
The nectar is cooked over fire in large woks reducing slowly until the right amount of “bubbles” is achieved, it’s then strained through muslin cloth and aerated so that the liquid crystalises and becomes solid. It’s then left to cool in moulds before being sent to Bo.lan.
Due to the special location of the farm, in the brackish waters the sugar has distinctly savory quality to it.
credit image from http://www.foodtech.eng.su.ac.th
Fish Sauce
The umami rich saltiness in Thai food can often be attributed to fish sauce. Its roots are believed to lie with the Chinese and is found in various forms across Asia.
For Bo.lan we use premium fish sauce from both Samut Songkram and Rayong. Less sweet than other producers and in our opinion more fragrant. This fish sauce is still made using traditional methods, giving a rounder fuller flavor without the addition of MSG and other nasty chemicals commonly used in the fish sauce industry.
Kapi Klong Dan
Napet (Mukda Pikunoon) of Klong Dan is one producer of delicious shrimp paste, it’s dry smooth texture has an undeniable shrimp flavor but with out that acrid quality lesser shrimp paste possess.
The shrimp are salted and dried using the sun’s energy before being ground and allowed to slowly ferment in earthenware jars for a minimum of eight months, allowing the proteins to slowly break down the glutamic acid i.e deliciousness.
To see more of the process visit www.technologychaoban.com
