Taste of food reflects the identity of the Songkhla people
..Sweet and sour, roasted soybeans, lake salad, morning glory, dipping sauce, and various names for this special dish depending on the context of the area.
‘Tao Kua’ combines all the characteristics of Songkhla in a single dish. All the main ingredients originate from the Songkhla Lake basin, such as white rice vermicelli, fried shrimp, pork (red meat, head, ears), steamed chicken blood, soft-boiled duck eggs, morning glory, blanched bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, and fried tofu sheets that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
A unique feature of Songkhla ‘Tao Kua’ is the dipping sauce, a combination of sweet and spicy sauces made with palm sugar and chili vinegar, resulting in a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors. The sweet sauce is made by simmering palm sugar which is then poured over the roasted soybeans, while the spicy/chili sauce is made from palm sugar blended with fresh chili to enhance the flavor.
Khun Kuningnit Klengchuai, heir to the “Pa Ead Tao Kua Shop” on Nang Ngam Road, tells the story of the roasted soybean shop that has operated in Songkhla Old Town for ten years, having adjusted her mother’s original recipe (Ban Bo Sa, Singhanakhon District) to better accord with the context of the changing customer base.
“My mother’s original recipe did not include shrimp. She used to coat it in flour, fry it, then divide it. Customers here aren’t as keen on flour though. So, we changed it to thinly-coated shrimp deep-fried until crisp. The original sauce was retained but we kept the sweet and spicy components separate so customers can adjust the flavor themselves”, says Khun Khunungnit lightheartedly.
Tao Kua has an accessible sweet and sour taste suitable for people of all ages, and can be enjoyed both as a snack or main meal. The dish has become part of the culinary cultural heritage of the lake basin and so has been given the nickname “lake salad”, which is used when serving and welcoming guests.
The ingredients, originating from diverse sources, reflect the identity of Songkhla in its combination of Thai, Chinese, and Muslim cultures. Palm sugar and chili vinegar originate from Sathing Phra Peninsula, although each day the number of palm sugar harvesters is steadily decreasing. According to Khun Khunungnit “The original palm sugar collectors have all stopped working due to their age. These days, we have to go as far as Ram Daeng to buy palm sugar”. Fresh shrimp must be purchased from Muslim vendors in the fishing community of Ban Hua Khao. Quality tofu sheets are imported from a regular Chinese manufacturer.
Today, the old town of Songkhla is still crowded with tourists, as well as regular customers who queue for roasted soybeans from Auntie Aed’s shop which, in this era of social media, has garnered wide-spreading reports of delectability. Customers from other provinces have asked about long-distance delivery, a suitable method for which Khun Khunungnit will have to consider for the future. The shop is also currently looking for opportunities to open a branch in Hat Yai.