Memory Maps

At some of the old Chinese restaurants in Kolkata, there is an item on their soup menu, which is one of my all-time favourite things to eat (drink?): "Thai soup". Now it's not a soup I have found in Thailand. It's not a Tom Yum or a Tom Kha. I don't know why it's called "thai" soup. I don't know the history behind it. I don't know where it originated...but I've never tasted anything like it, ever. I've looked through endless cookbooks on thai cooking, combed the internet endlessly for a recipe...nothing. So I thought maybe today would be a good day to try and recreate it at home. It's a fun game I like to play with myself; recreating food from memory and then seeing how close I can get to the real thing, making adjustments with every iteration. Cooking is often my go-to stress buster. But I also like the challenge. I cook well, if I may say so myself. I've been doing it for a long time now. And I don't let myself get complacent. There's no end to learning how to make a new thing. Anyway, I woke feeling an insane craving for thai soup. Of course no restaurant here in Goa makes it. I suppose my desire to recreate it surpassed my need to utilise my time and energy better. So off I went.

Broth: how can I make a super deep, rich broth with simple ingredients. Chicken with bone. Aromatics. Herbs. Mushrooms. Maybe a little shrimp? Texture: what was the mouthfeel like, the last time I had it? Not clear, thickened with cornstarch. Dig deeper into your memory. Where do you think the umami comes from? My first iteration today is good. Looks like the real thing. Has the texture of the real thing. The flavour is close, but not there yet. I pour myself another bowl. Squeeze a little bit of fresh lime juice into it. It's getting better. But I do wonder if the original has any acidity or if my brain is trying to create a rounder flavour. A little more salt, perhaps a dash more of fish sauce? Better. The tweaks have definitely made it taste better. It's still missing that umami.

Shiitake mushrooms!!

I put in fresh button any oyster mushrooms because shiitake is not readily available here. And now I know what's missing. It's the damn shiitake! Well, it's a good thing I made a lot of stock. Tomorrow I will go hunt for shiitake. I'm sure someone will have them in stock. Maybe the big vegetable market? Or the supermarket with all the fancy ingredients? Or maybe that small but superbly stocked vegetable seller who caters to the foreign and Indian uppity residents here? Worth a shot. But either way. It's a good soup. It's filling a void in my soul for now. Tomorrow I will make a better soup. For today, I am content.