Why does a sausage taste sour?
Because it is made by fermenting pork and rice. It is a sausage that enjoys the tang from fermentation, and the actual strength of the sourness depends on the product and the cooking method.
Sai Krok Isan
Sai Krok Isan · ไส้กรอกอีสาน
If you want to taste the tangy fermented food of Isan, try sai krok Isan. It is a sausage made by mixing pork, rice, garlic and more and letting it ferment. The sourness that comes from fermentation is added to the rich taste of the meat. If you have tried sai ua, the northern sausage, you could compare the taste of the two.
Sai krok Isan yai · Takeaway · CC BY-SA 3.0
Resized for display · Photo provided under CC BY-SA 3.0
What does it taste like?
Its character is the richness of pork and the tang that comes from fermentation. The strength of the sourness differs with the degree of fermentation and the cooking method. The raw chillies served with it can be hot, so try them on the side a little at a time.
Try the raw chillies served with it on the side, a little at a time.
Dish basics
- Dish name
- Sai Krok Isan · Sai Krok Isan
- Thai name
- ไส้กรอกอีสาน
- Type
- Sides and grilled dishes
- Region
- North-east · Isan · A fermented sausage of Isan
- Main ingredients
- Pork, rice, garlic and more are mixed and fermented. The sourness can change with the fermentation and cooking method.
The dish and its region
Sai krok Isan is an Isan dish made by fermenting pork and rice. It is not a dish eaten only in Khon Kaen. Compared with the northern sai ua, which enjoys herb aroma, you can feel how the ingredients and taste of sausage differ by region.
How to order and eat it
- Order sai ua, which uses herbs, and sai krok Isan, the fermented sausage, as separate dishes.
- Try the cooked sausage a little at a time. Tasting first tells you how strong the fermented tang is.
- If raw chillies come with it, rather than eating them all at once, try them on the side a little at a time.
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from sai ua?
Sai ua is a northern sausage grilled with herbs, while sai krok Isan is an Isan sausage in which pork and rice are fermented. Try both and you can compare the herb aroma with the sour taste of fermentation.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources and references
If you want to read more about these dishes and regions, these sources are a good place to start. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one eatery to another.
View official sources · 1
Sharing image credit: Takeaway · CC BY-SA 3.0