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Oysters, mussels, cockles, and scallops: many of the shellfish familiar on
western menus also thrive in Thailand's tropical waters. In recent decades,
large oysters, formerly a rarity, have been farmed in the South of the
country, mainly Surat Thani Province, and have won a huge following among
Thai seafood lovers.
But there are also a number of shellfish that are local or regional. Hoi lai, small, elongated, clam-like shellfish with decorative patterns on their shells, have a delicate flavor, and are popular fried with curry powder or sweet chili paste. Somewhat less common is the hoi waan ("sweet shellfish"), a snail-like mollusk whose shell also bears attractive designs, this time brown or black spots against a light tan background. They are grilled over charcoal and served at streetside seafood stalls with a potent sour-hot-garlicky dipping sauce and special utensils to extract them from the shell. Most shellfish are cooked into stir fries or omelet-like dishes strongly seasoned with spring onions and herbs. A vendor who makes a good plate of hoy maeng phuu thawd, mussels cooked into one of these omelets, can usually count on a steady stream of customers as long as he remains open. |