Of course, numerous foodstalls in Thailand sell excellent, genuine food, but for the visitor with a slightly weaker stomach, following their noses to the stalls mentioned above should assure them of locating places where the food is consistently good and has developed a reputation over time. Eating in tourist destiantions or places frequented by huge crowds is less likely to be as rewarding, as volume plays a greater role than quality in such outlets.

And I must make a plug for Isaan or Northeastern Thai food. Do try it – it’s excellent: spicy, fresh and full of aromatic flavours. The chances are that if you go to the taxi stalls mentioned above, the food will be from the Northeast. Ask for a “Laarp neua” and “Khor Moo Yang” and “Som Tam”, then enjoy the giggling vendors’ reactions!

This line made choke on the soda I was drinking at the time, as I was laughing so hard. I only recently discovered the show “Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations,” but I’ve quickly fallen in love with it. This episode of yours certainly reminded me of that show, and I salute your adventurousness. Maybe you should produce a food-travel show and call it “Nora and Kelly’s No Pig Ass.”

This is why I usually go vegetarian (or at least fish-etarian, or sometimes, when I’m desperate, Big Mac-etarian) while traveling in Asia.