Price comparison FOOD - Hua Hin/U.K

[Takiap]

I wasn't really going to get drawn into this thread, but I guess the temptation is a bit too much.

I've seen a bunch of comments highlighting the fact that if you want to eat Farang food, then you are obviously going to have to pay the price because it is supposedly so much more expensive than local Thai food/dishes.

For the first 7 or 8 years that I was living here, I only ate Thai food, but for the past 8 or 9 years, 99.9% of my meals are "Farang" meals which I cook at home for myself and my kids. While some people might find this hard to believe, my home cooked Farang food actually costs less that it would cost if myself and my kids were to eat even very basic roadside Thai food. A lot of "Farang" meals do require any expensive imported produce. For example, I have just finished making some cottage pie for today's dinner, and it has cost me no more than I would pay for some slapdash roadside Thai food down in the village.

Of course, I do realize that not everyone wants to prepare their own meals, but for me having to feed myself and my kids, it is not only the cheaper alternative, but also the healthier choice as well, particularly for my kids because getting them to eat veg and so on is a breeze. Fortunately, all my kids love my stews.

[HHTel]

I cook farang food in huge batches then freeze them in those aluminium cartons. My freezer is usually full of pre-cooked western food. Chilli con carne, shepherd's pie, corn beef hash, and others. Plus one my daughter calls 'Cat Poo' as it never turns out the same and the ingredients vary immensely. With dissipated potatoes it's more like 'Scouse'.

Cooking in big batches doesn't break the bank and although initially hard work, saves more than that as it's eaten.

[caller]

Damn, all this talk of homemade farang food means I must do another stew when back in Hua Hin. From my late mothers very old Sainsbury's cookbook, it was called 'Argentinian beef stew', now it's any meat added to chorizo, peppers, butter beans and paprika, but I chuck loads of different things in, then freeze what's left. So tasty. Yup, I will look forward to that.

[oakdale160]

Sainsbury's, 150 years old this year, was regarded as being very 'posh' at the time that your mum's cookbook was published, I am sure

[caller]

Sainsbury's, 150 years old this year, was regarded as being very 'posh' at the time that your mum's cookbook was published, I am sure

It was certainly very old fashioned and also falling to bits. So when I came here, I ripped out the half dozen menus I liked and threw the rest away. I think the book was from the 70's. It talked of chorizo not being widely available and what to use as a replacement if not available - and the smaller 'sausage size' chorizo I now use, wasn't even known of, well in England at least.

[Takiap]

I cook farang food in huge batches then freeze them in those aluminium cartons. My freezer is usually full of pre-cooked western food. Chilli con carne, shepherd's pie, corn beef hash, and others. Plus one my daughter calls 'Cat Poo' as it never turns out the same and the ingredients vary immensely. With dissipated potatoes it's more like 'Scouse'.

Cooking in big batches doesn't break the bank and although initially hard work, saves more than that as it's eaten.

You're correct mate, you can make loads of different "farang" type meals without have to rely on too many expensive imports. When my daughters were younger I also used to make in large batches and then freeze, but now they are growing older and despite being very slim and slender, they can eat way more than I can so I just cook almost daily. Still, it is generally cheaper than it is if we were to eat out, even when compared to very basic Thai food next to the road, and of course my home cooked food is way more healthy and nutritious as well.

Even Farang snack foods such as sausage rolls can easily be made at home if you have some sort of an oven. My mate recently made a batch of sausage rolls, about 18 or so, and after doing some calculations, it worked out to about 20 to 25 baht per sausage roll, and they were way better than any I have tried in Hua Hin. Very little effort as well because we used the frozen ready made puff pastry from Makro. So, 3 large sausage rolls with a serving of baked beans, about 80, rather than 70 baht for a single sausage roll from one of the local stores. This is just one example, but there are many more.

[STEVE G]

....and the smaller 'sausage size' chorizo I now use, wasn't even known of, well in England at least.

I still don't know what it is!

[lindosfan1]

Steve g
Chorizo or chouriço is a type of pork sausage. Traditionally, it uses natural casings made from intestines, a method used since Roman times. In Europe, chorizo is a fermented, cured, smoked sausage, which may be sliced and eaten without cooking, or added as an ingredient to add flavor to other dishes

[STEVE G]

Steve g
Chorizo or chouriço is a type of pork sausage. Traditionally, it uses natural casings made from intestines, a method used since Roman times. In Europe, chorizo is a fermented, cured, smoked sausage, which may be sliced and eaten without cooking, or added as an ingredient to add flavor to other dishes

Thank you, I've never come across it.

[laphanphon]

I still don't know what it is!

Really .... you're in for a treat.

Think salami or pepperoni.........but much better. Makro sells larger pieces (hard / deli style, not a soft sausage), 1 kg, I think, and ฿780 ish rings a bell, maybe more, as haven't bought in a while. Don't think I've ever had soft version.

I use on Pizza or sandwich, basically anything you'd put / add salami, ham, bacon or pepperoni to.

It freezes well (Makro's) and I'll cut it up in 4 or 5 pieces before freezing.

[Big Boy]

Chorizo sausages are available at Hua Hin Ham and Bacon.

However, we're drifting away from a comparison of Hua Hin/U.K. food prices.

[STEVE G]

Just before we get back on topic, can I just say that I'm amazed that a fermented Italian sausage made it into a 1970's British cookbook because that's not what we were eating in Nottingham back then!

[dtaai-maai]

Weeeelll, it was Sainsbury's after all... wasn't that a bit like Fortnum & Mason back in those days? Your Mum obviously had a touch of class!

[handdrummer]

If you want to compare costs of living between any 2 cities, google: Cost of living in (name city and country). Go to Numbeo and Expatistan and you can compare any 2 cities anywhere in any currencies. You can change cities and currencies at any time. Both sites carry a large number of items for comparison. Par Ex: Rent, food, clothing, cars, houses, utilities, internet service, eating out, etc. If you're city isn't listed pick one that is near or close in size.

[Dannie Boy]

Just before we get back on topic, can I just say that I'm amazed that a fermented Italian sausage made it into a 1970's British cookbook because that's not what we were eating in Nottingham back then!

And finally before we get back on topic, it’s Spain not Italy