When Thai people think of Isaan, the country’s north east, usually the first thing that comes to mind is the food. Isaan cuisine is characterised by its simple, local ingredients and punchy flavours — the classic profile is savoury, spicy and tangy. A key component in the cooking here is pla ra, freshwater fish marinated using salt, toasted rice or rice bran.
Tightly packed into a jar and left to ferment away from sunlight for at least six months, it’s brown in colour with an intensely pungent aroma. It’s this that lends a hit of umami richness to many of Isaan’s distinctive dishes.
You can’t talk about Isaan without a nod to the region’s most popular
