dusk

In 1974 Portugal experienced the Carnation Revolutionin Washington Richard Nixon left the White House cornered by the Watergate Scandal, in Spain the Franco regime was drawing its last blows and in Bangkok, Thailand, Nattapong Kaweenuntawong’s grandfather put on fire a pot full of broth. The first three events are historical milestones that can be read about in any encyclopedia. The last one, the one starring a smoking squid, is one of those events that remind us that the world is a fascinating place. The reason: more than half a century later, that broth made from noodles, pieces of meat and vegetables is still simmering in Bangkok. A 52-year-old broth? A 52 year old broth. Bangkok is full of monuments that are very popular among foreigners, such as the Grand Palace, Wat Arun or the Chatuchak market, but if what you really like is gastronomic tourism you should include another essential on your list: Wattana Panicha Bangkok restaurant famous for its beef noodle soup. The place is not especially picturesque nor do they have an exceptional menu of dishes and drinks. It’s not even expensive. What makes it unique is its new tunea dark, thick broth that has been simmering since 1974. How is that possible? With a lot of dedication. And the delivery of three generations of the same family. Your story I told it recently Shan Li in The Wall Street Journal: For two decades the person responsible for keeping the fire alive and seasoning the broth has been Nattapong Kaweenuntawong, but before him his parents did it and even before that his grandfather, who was the one who made the base broth. In fact, when the soup began to bubble, Kaweenuntawong had not even been born yet. The chef is four years younger than the dish. Keeping a stew alive for more than half a century does not come with the commitment of several generations. You need to follow a routine spartan thai “We hardly ever take vacations. I can’t leave the broth alone for a long time,” recognize the hotelier, who still works with his mother. The family only takes five days off during the Lunar New Year. And the rest of the time? Follow one strict routine. During the day the broth simmers in a huge pot 1.5 meters in diameter and 30 cm deep, a recent stainless steel pot covered with a material that gives it the appearance of lava. When the restaurant closes, the broth is strained, the most solid ingredients are removed and the liquid is transferred to a pot in which it is brought to a boil. Then it is covered. This is how he spends the next five or six hours. The next morning, start again: boil and add ingredients. One of the most fascinating details of new tune (name by which the broth they make in Wattana Panich is known) is that the family assures that they do not follow any specific recipe. They add meat, vegetables, sauces… depending on what their “taste” dictates, which is, claims Kaweenuntawongthe “inheritance” of his saga. “It’s instinct to know when it tastes good and when it doesn’t.” “Whoever prepares the soup must taste it constantly,” he summarizes. But… Is it healthy? In his interviews with media such as The Wall Street Journal either NPRKaweenuntawong highlights two ideas. The first is that there is not a single case of food poisoning related to their premises. The second is that the fact that a broth is kept for five decades does not mean that the pot has not been thoroughly cleaned in all that time. “A lot of people think we never clean the pot. But we clean it every night. We remove the soup from the pot and let it simmer a little overnight,” relates. This liquid is the base of the next day’s broth, so although the ingredients are renewed daily, all the soups of the last five decades maintain a common link. “To make it tender, we cook the meat for seven hours. We put it whole in the pot so it absorbs all the flavors.” During the New Year, the broth is frozen for four days and thawed on the fifth. Why a 52 year old soup? It is the most logical question. Why on earth would anyone go to the trouble (and especially take the risks) of maintaining a soup for more than half a century? There are several answers. In theory, what Kaweenuntawong’s grandfather was looking for was to enhance the flavor. The reality today is that the claim of having ‘a 52-year-old soup’ has turned Wattana Panich into a gastronomic celebrity. Newspapers around the world dedicate extensive reports to it and there are plenty on social networks. the videos of people who come to try their broth. In theory, its price also helps: in 2022 a reporter from Business Insider dedicated a chronicle in which he explains that he paid $5.6 for a broth and the drink, “much cheaper than the $50 I paid at another popular restaurant in Bangkok,” slid. @viajandoconfernando This Thai restaurant has been keeping its soup simmering for over 50 years. Visited Wattana Panich in Bangkok and tried their famous bubbly noodle soup, which is made in a huge pot, with chunks of fresh meat continually being added to it for more soup day after day. #journey #thailand #travel #restaurant #thailand2024 #travelthailand #thailand🇹🇭 #bangkok #trips #travelstiktok #traveling ♬ original sound – Fernando Cerro Is it something unique in the world? No. What they make at Wattana Panich is known as perpetual soup, perpetual stew or hunter’s pot and their philosophy is not entirely new. some historians believe that something similar was already done in the Middle Ages, with pots that were rarely emptied. It was a way to give substance to soups in times of famine, when there was nothing to throw into the pot. Not everyone it is so clear. Among other things, due to religious restrictions, which made it difficult to … Read more