When you go to Ang Thong province, you have to try the phadช Thai at Wat Khong Khoong. Or the grilled snakehead fish at the Chao Plook junction. If you go to Ratchaburi, you have to try all kinds of dishes at Fah Sai restaurant, neua tom (boiled beef) at Baan Singh. If you go to the Pran Buri river mouth in Prachuap Khiri Khan, then the seafood at Udom Pochanakarn is a must. To try the seafood at Klong Khon in Samut Songkhram, you must do so at Gaysorn restaurant. Going for seafood at Bang Taboon in Baan Laem, Phetchaburi, you have to do so at Lare Lay and Rub Lom restaurants.
It's not of my own ability for knowing or recommending these places. These are already well-known places, from reviews of those who've been there and online searches.
Fleur de sel. Suthon Sukphisit
When you feast on food from these provinces, you should know as well that they have related products such as dried food and condiments that are local delicacies. And if opportunities permit, you should try and buy them for your own use at home.
I feel that access to this information is quite restricted for many reasons. First of all, there is a small amount of people who are interested in food products, dried food and condiments. People may not cook their own food, and some don't even know when they'll get to cook if they buy these ingredients. To buy them as souvenirs, who would know if the receivers would want them?
Secondly, online searches may not yield much information. Some shops can be too far away. Some can be small and hard to find.
Some examples of dried food, condiments and local delicacies according to the previously mentioned places include, in Ang Thong, smoked dried crispy fish, such as shark catfish, snakehead fish, redtail catfish and naked catfish, that are completely dried. They smell nice and are inexpensive. Additionally, there are sun-dried fish and fish sauce made from pla soi, a local freshwater fish.
In Ratchaburi, there are soy sauce and fermented bean paste from a small factory in Damnoen Saduak district. There's black tofu in Potharam district. At the Pran Buri river mouth of Prachuap Khiri Khan, there are foods such as dried shrimp, dried small fish, dried squid ground into strings and salted pla kulao.
In Klong Khon of Samut Songkhram, there is Klong Khon shrimp paste. At Baan Laem district in Phetchaburi, there's a group of housewives selling fleur de sel (French for "flower of salt").
Dried chilli from Mae Hong Son.
These are some fine examples of local, provincial delicacies you should buy when you dine there. Normally, there are some local delicacies specific to each province, though they may be hidden. There is chilli paste from Trat, unlike any in Thailand. There are many spices and grilled dried batoid sold at San Tung market in Khao Saming, Trat. Smoked dried fish in Uthai Thani. Fish sauce from saltwater anchovy made by the locals of Samae Sarn, Sattahip, Chon Buri. Dried seafood in Kuiburi, Prachuap Kiri Khan. Salted mahi mahi from Gantang, Trang province, that the locals dry on nets to prevent flies.
Some may question why we should buy these products. The answer is, when you use quality ingredients, they make food tasty. Also, buying from home-made manufacturers who are skilled and experienced means you're supporting the locals directly. Some products, for their quality and freshness, warrant their high prices.
Of course, it can be troublesome and time-consuming to search and travel to buy all these products in each province. But there are also easy channels through which you could do so. In less than three weeks, there will be a big Otop event at Muang Thong Thani before the end of the year. There will be dried food, instant food and condiments from every region available for purchase. That's definitely a good opportunity.
Dried food, processed food and condiments came mostly from the sea, from seaside provinces on the Gulf of Thailand such as Chanthaburi, Rayong, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla, as well as seaside provinces near the Andaman Sea. Most importantly, there are dried food and condiments from the three southernmost provinces, which are even more special.
General food products from Isan can also be found, such as Chinese sausage, moo yor (white sausage), fermented fish and different types of chilli dips. This is a good time to acquire quality products. We may know a variety of foods and restaurants in every province, but even more important is to know the ingredients and products behind each dish.
