Isan, Thailand

Thailand

Isan is the northeastern plateau of Thailand, covering roughly a third of the country's land area and home to around a third of its population. The plateau sits above the Mekong River valley to the north and east, bordered by Laos and Cambodia. The terrain is flat and dry, prone to drought in the dry season and flooding during monsoon. Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), and Ubon Ratchathani are the major urban centres. The region shares more cultural and linguistic ground with Laos than with central Thailand: the local language, called Isan or Lao Isan, is a dialect of Lao. Sticky rice is the staple grain rather than the jasmine rice of central Thailand. Isan cooking developed around fermentation, charcoal grilling, and raw herb salads as the dominant techniques. Som tam (green papaya salad), larb (minced meat salad with toasted rice powder), and sai krok isan (fermented pork sausage) are the three dishes most associated with the region worldwide. Massive internal migration from Isan to Bangkok over the past fifty years has spread this cooking style across Thailand.

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Sausages from Isan, Thailand

Sai Krok Isan

Isan, Thailand

Sai krok isan is a fermented pork and rice sausage from Thailand's northeast, the Isan region. Coiled in short links and sold by the strand from charcoal grills, it is the dominant street food of the region and one of the most recognisable sausages in Southeast Asia. The defining characteristic is controlled fermentation: raw pork, cooked sticky rice, garlic, salt, and black pepper are mixed and left to ferment for two to four days in warm weather. The rice feeds lactic acid bacteria that sour the sausage from the inside out. The result is a plump, slightly wrinkled link with a mild tang and deep pork flavour. Charcoal heat tightens the casing and crisps the exterior while the interior stays moist and yielding. The sausage is eaten in small bites, wrapped in raw cabbage leaf or eaten alongside sliced fresh ginger and bird's eye chillies — the raw vegetables cut the fat.

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