Food & Markets

Pla ra — fermented freshwater fish, salt, and rice bran — is the ingredient behind almost every great Isaan dish. Most visitors have eaten it without knowing. Here’s what it actually is, why it defines a whole cuisine, and what to do when a jar of it appears in front of you.

Northeast Thailand’s food culture is built around the mat on the floor — communal, fresh, and deeply flavourful. A guide to what’s really on the table in rural Buriram, from som tam and sticky rice to fresh tilapia grilled within an hour of leaving the pond.