Yum Yum Boat Noodles Nam Tok Flavored ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ ramen beckoned to me from the sacred aisle of the grocery. Years ago I had my first boat noodles in Thailand along a canal. The rich taste cemented to my memory and taste buds for eternity. These strong flavored noodles hardly needed seasoning as they are already served so strongly flavored tasting that only a few individuals would dream of adding seasoning.
Origins
Boat noodles ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ find their origins between the 12th -15th centuries. In the days that Thailand was governed from Ayutthaya and connected by a series canals and waterways. In those days noodles were served from boats to patrons on the sides on the canals. They would eat there and return the bowl to the vendor.
These noodles are distinguished by several flavors. Nam Tok is a prevailing flavor that traditionally comes from cow blood or pigs blood. The other ingredients in boat noodles might include garlic, fried garlic, radish, cinnamon, bean sprouts, parsley, morning glory, and Thai chili flakes. The blood makes the soup thick which is why the bowls are often small.
Present
Today, the most famous place to get boat noodles in Bangkok is at Victory Monument where you can find rows of boat noodles restaurants lining the canals. Thai people enjoy stacking the bowls they eat and it often becomes a game to get the largest stack of bowls. Each bowl costing about 12 baht or 0.35 USD. If you get a chance please try the original noodles and until then try these out.
These noodles are often spicy and consist of a sour and sweet mixture of flavors. These combine to add a complex taste and a variety of textures to the noodle dish known as Boat Noodles in “The Land of Smiles”.
Contents
This package comes with a sachet of seasoning powder and a sachet of paste. The paste was very green but I’m not sure what that is from. The seasoning powder was a very dark brown. I’m not sure how much of that is coloring and how much is flavor though?
Noodles
The noodles for offered for boat noodles are normally vermicelli (sen mii เส้นหมี่), wide rice noodle (sen yai เส้นใหญ่), and flat rice noodle (sen lek เส้นเล็ก). The noodles in the package are of the flat variety. They are not however rice based and instead the instant type you might find in many Thai instant noodle packs with the exception being that they are flat. Pre-seasoned as well so they already are tasty!
This is a wet soup so I boiled the water and dumped it all in the bowl to steep. The smell was pretty good and I couldn’t wait to taste.
Ruling
They smell a little like the boat noodles I had along the canal but they are a far cry from the real deal. They are however very good and the broth is slightly thicker like the real soup might be because of the Nam Tok. The flavor is very well balanced and they have a little spiciness to them. If you like tasty soup this is a soup you’ll not regret making to enjoy.
Yum Yum Boat Noodles Nam Tok Flavored ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ
