Guest wowpow Posted June 17, 2007 Posted June 17, 2007 FRIED BANANA WARS Traders must look out for customers as well as watch out for police Bangkok Post Story By Anjira Assavanonda The traffic lights at Chakrapadipong intersection turned red, giving the signal to an army of men waiting on the sidewalk to storm the streets clutching bunches of plastic bags containing kluai-kaek (deep fried batter-dipped bananas). Wearing aprons of different colours, the men raced through the space between the stationary vehicles, raising the bags so motorists could see them. Some drivers rolled down the window, others honked horns to attract their attention. The men rushed to the humming cars, handing them plastic bags, and taking their money - 10 baht per bag. Within seconds, the transaction is over and motorists resume their journey as the light turns green and the banana sellers return to the roadside, hopefully clutching money from their sales. For years, this scene has been familiar to motorists passing the Chakrapadipong area, famous for its tasty original deep-fried bananas which are made in nearby shophouses. Today the street delivery service still goes on despite a crackdown by district authorities launched this month. The crackdown follows complaints from some motorists to Pomprap Sattruphai district office about the street trading which has expanded to nine intersections this year, with the number of kluai-kaek delivery boys growing rapidly... ...."It's quite a tiring job going into the street, looking for customers while also having to watch out for police. That's not fun at all," he said. He is aware that street trading is against the law, but it's the only job that enables him to feed his family. Namfon said he cannot quit, although he risks being caught and fined by police, who chase him every day. "Their duty is to arrest us. Our duty is to run away - to avoid being fined," he said ... ................................................... SECRET RECIPES, RIVAL STALLS Coloured aprons tell brands apart Before the Chakrapadipong area became known as kluai-kaek street with over a dozen vendors occupying the area, there was just one shop, which started up the business there 40 years ago. The first kluai-kaek stall, which was located in a small soi close to the Chakrapadipong intersection, was shared by two sisters, Kim Yui and Kim Long. The siblings had an agreement _ Kim Yui looked after the stall on Sundays, and the rest of the week it was Kim Long's responsibility. The two families split soon after the death of Kim Long, whose two daughters-in-law carry on the brand. Kim Yui's son, Paiboon Chuprasertwong, took up the business of his elderly mother. As no agreement was reached over stall sharing, Paiboon moved to a small shophouse next to the alley and set up his own business. Kim Long's daughters-in-law also split later. The younger daughter-in-law, Bang-orn Nil-ewa, still runs the original stall in the alley and opened another bigger shop on the opposite side of the road. The other, Wimolrat Nil-ewa, moved to a new shophouse only a few minutes' walk from the old stall. The three operators all claim special and ''authentic'' recipes................... ................................................................... NO INDIAN CONNECTION ''Fried bananas first appeared during the reign of King Rama II'' Bangkok Post The name kluai-kaek, which literally means Indian banana, may suggest that the snacks are of Indian origin. But that is far from the truth. Arunrung Phothong Humphreys, an official at the Foreign Affairs Ministry's South Asia Division who has worked at the Thai embassy in New Delhi, said she had never seen any kluai-kaek during her tenure in the Indian capital between 2003-2005. A kluai-kaek delivery boy is looking for prospective clients. — PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD ''I sort of wondered why there was no such snack despite the name which is so suggestive,'' she said, adding that the deep-fried batter-dipped bananas known as kluai-kaek are one of her favourite snacks. Mrs Arunrung said most Indian snacks and sweets were made from flour, sugar and yoghurt, while bananas were generally only eaten as a fruit and not used in cooking. ''Indians do not process bananas, both for food or snacks,'' she said.................. All three full stories at http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/index.php OIT Only in Thailand Quote
