It wasn’t until around 15 years ago, and way before the boom of gastronomic tourism, that more than just a few vicinities outside Bangkok were considered worthy dining destination detours.
At Talad Nong Cha-om market, a mind-numbing selection of fresh fruits, some exotic and of extraordinarily large size, is showcased alongside fresh vegetables.
Back then people would take a few hour’s drive to the coastal provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan for sumptuous seafood feasts, the lowlands of Ayutthaya for river prawn deliciousness and the quiet town of Nakhon Pathom for a pork-orientated Chinese banquet. Other nearby, mostly low profile provinces, however, were simply off diner’s radars, no matter how nice a cuisine they might have offered.
Thankfully over recent years, Thais have begun travelling more in search of good food. An increasing number of diners seem willing to explore lesser-known regions in pursuit of the pleasure of eating.
In order to keep up with the evolution of the Thai dining scene over the last decade, I’ve reviewed and shared with readers some of these humble provinces, including Chachoengsao, Nakhon Nayok, Suphan Buri and Chanthaburi — all of which are really worth a gastronomic trip.
This week, let me introduce you to Prachin Buri, a quiet province in the east of the Central Plains, best known as the east entrance to Khao Yai National Park.
The odourous yet tasty cha-om which gives the market its name.
Bordered by Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Nayok at the north, Sa Kaeo in the east and Chachoengsao at the west and south, Prachin Buri is a large province boasting about 4,760km² of highland, plains and lowland.
However, Prachin Buri is only a 130km drive from downtown Bangkok and although there’s not all that many activities or events to pique outside public interest, this province — of a mere 473,000 people — is always a nice place for those looking for a genuine blissful trip into the rustic local cuisine.
Fed by the Prachin Buri River, local forest and hills, agricultural lowlands and a network of waterways are blessed with an abundant variety of fruit and vegetables, as well as a constant stream of freshwater fish, prawns and shellfish.
Prachin Buri is also famed for its great tasting tropical fruit. Its fruit orchards, with nutrient-rich soil, bear durian, mango, mayong chid (sweet Marian plums), mafai (Burmese grapes), lamood (sapodilla), phudsa (juba), rose apples, mangosteen, rambutan, guava, pomelo, jackfruit, watermelon and papaya.
Its modest-sized durian plantations produce crops claimed by many discerning connoisseurs as the next best thing to the legendary, but heartbreakingly hard to find durian Muang Non from Nonthaburi province. Visitors are also spoiled for choice with arrays of extraordinarily large exotic fruits when visiting the vicinity’s local markets, like gigantic sapodillas and kluay nga chang (elephant tusk banana).
There are a number of venues in Prachin Buri to satisfy the craving of keen fruit-lovers. The first is Talad Nong Cha-om market at the 151km marker on Highway 33 in the Muang Prachin Buri district. Resembling a typical thatch-roofed roadside market, Talad Nong Cha-om is Prachin Buri’s biggest and most famous fruit hub with a mind-numbing selection of fresh and preserved native fruits, fresh local vegetables and snacks including, of course, the odorous yet tasty cha-om (acacia vegetables), after which the market is named.
The other site well worth checking out is a long-stretch of fruit stalls on a road that links the orchard estates of Ban Nong Chuang and Nong Kankrao in the Muang Prachin Buri district. This strip is widely known as Thanon Phonlamai (Fruit Street), and the host venue of Prachin Buri’s annual fruit festival held in June. During the harvest season, local orchards will feature “fruit buffets” in which visitors can enjoy all the fruit they can eat, so long as they pluck it from the trees themselves.
Those who crave home-style preserved exotic fruit should head to Nong Nok food shop on Highway 33 in the same district, where a mouthwatering selection, including maprang (Marian plum), tamarind, mango, olive, madan (garcenia) and krathon (santol) on offer at 90 baht per kilo.
As with the opulence of land crops, the variety of freshwater foods in Prachin Buri, too, is distinctive.
The Prachin Buri River, which is brackish in the rainy season, is a serene and profuse habitat of as many as 135 kinds of freshwater fish including the common pla krai (clown featherback), pla chon (snakehead fish), pla taphien (silver barb), pla khao (great white sheatfish), pla yisok (golden giant carp), pla khang (Asian retail catfish), pla raced (giant garumi), pla maa (small-scale croaker) and pla buek (giant catfish). Fat river prawns, hoy khom (pond snails) and hoy sai (freshwater snails) are also in plentiful supply.
In terms of cuisine, Prachin Buri might not be as comprehensive a dining destination as the neighbouring Nakhon Nayok, where diners can be easily spoiled by a myriad of eating establishments. Due to the fact that Prachin Buri has very few popular tourist attractions, its cooking and dining establishments are catered more to the local than the visiting population.
In fact, its eating-out venues (see reviews on opposite page) are scarce and imperfectly decorated to say the least. However, for gourmands who’d like to sample the Central Plains’ home-style Thai cuisine prepared with small-scale harvested (not commercially farmed) produce flavoured with indigenous herbs, the nearby province is quite the interesting option.
There are several ways to reach Prachin Buri. The most convenient is by Highway 3119. Take the Lat Krabang exit before heading straight to Highway 304 (Suwinthawong Road). After you see Suwinthawong Soi 57, prepare to turn left onto Highway 3481 (Prachin Buri-Ban Sang Road), which leads to Prachin Buri’s Ban Sang district in less than an hour.
Another way is by taking Ramkhamheang Road outbound all the way to Suwinthawong junction. where you will turn right onto Highway 304 (Suwinthawong Road). Drive for approximately 20km, then turn left into Highway 3481 (Prachin Buri-Ban Sang Road).
Fish comes fresh from the water straight to the wok.
A mouthwatering array of pickled seasonal fruit at Nong Nok food shop.
