Aren't tastebuds weird?

[tolair]

One of my little friends can happily munch through a bowl of "chillified" som tam that would blow the head off most mortals. Nothing too unusual there.

However ,just the other day, she spat out one of my spearmint Wrigly chewies exclaiming

"Pet marc marc! " (Aprox: Very very spicy/hot )

She's not that keen on minty toothpaste either. Preferring chewing gum flavour of course.

ps. I have to confess I think it was a DOUBLEMINT.

[margaretcarnes]

Yes very wierd! I've come across that reaction to spearmint before, and it is a quite different type of flavour than the 'chillified' stuff really. But its' just one of the Thai taste aversions. Another one they usually can't hack is strong cheese, like blue and stilton.
Please don't try this at home though. Thai people traditionally haven't been used to dairy products and it can make them ill. Milk has been encouraged more in recent years (by His Majesty the King) with flavourings used to make it more palletable. But cheese is still an acquired taste for a few, with the strong stuff usually ending up spat out.
Equally strangely condensed and evaporated milks are used in bucket loads.
I can only put the taste thing down to sugar, which is almost always used in thai cooking to balance out the chilli. Check out the ingredients on your Wrigleys pack to see if this theory stands up - (I can't - don't like the stuff either.)

[richard]

Here in the village I get a supply of indian currys from KK

Thais cannot stand it. Too spicy. Even the popadoms

[caller]

My wife likes cheese, but not blue cheese. Her favourite (and one of mine) is a French cheese called 'comte', which we used to pick up from Borough market.

She will eat a curry (not lamb) but complains they are not hot enough - even the vindaloo! She likes her food so hot that sometimes she appears in pain when eating it, sweats too!

She enjoys poppadoms too, particularly with lime or mint riata. Generally, she likes creamy dishes, particularly pastas.

I think those that have lived abroad pick up other foods they like, although her favourite remains Thai.

[tolair]

Hi Margaret

Yes, the cheese thing certainly rang a few bells. I do remember just the smell of some of the "blues' making Thais feel nauseous. There was no way of getting them to actually sample any.

I'm not sure what ingredients you want me to check for in the chewing gum but it must include some form of sugar.

[Big Boy]

She will eat a curry (not lamb)

My wife is the same in that she will not eat lamb. However, despite being able to consume chillies to what must be an unhealthy level, she finds any Indian meal hotter than a Madras to be too hot.

[margaretcarnes]

Hi Tolair - I was just wondering what the sugar content of the chewy is! Many now are supposed to be 'sugar free' I think?
Spice wise - especially Thai versus Indian curries - both usually have chilli, ginger/galangal. garlic and coriander. Thai food will have fish sauce and lemon grass as well often, but Indian curries will have less chilli, and veer off into a much more complex mix of spices like fennel, cumin, mustard seed, cardomom plus others. Some of it quite bitter really.
Acquired tastes I guess.