Phad Kaphrao on top of steamed rice, in particular with fried egg, is unarguably one of the most popular a la carte dishes among Thai people. But as recipes from each restaurant vary, Thai netizens are debating what should or should not be put into the pan, besides holy basil.
The debate took off with a Facebook public page titled “Bring Back Phad Kaphrao with no Cowpea, Baby Corn and Onion,” claiming that the vegetables added to the dish destroy the authentic taste of Phad Kaphrao (stir-fried with holy basil). Within 24 hours, the page garnered over 12,000 supporters.
The page owner, whose name is not disclosed, told Matichon that he set up the site merely to satirize the another page which aims to “bring back PTT,” the national oil conglomerate. He claimed that the page campaigned without solid information, subsequently reducing its importance to something akin to a debate over simple, lunchtime fare.
“Bring Back Phad Kaphrao with no Cowpea, Baby Corn and Onion” has proven successful, opening up a dialogue among Thai netizens who share the same preference.
“Some people may like cowpea, baby corn and onion but they should not be mixed with holy basil,” said Facebook user Krichsri Nooknan.
“Sometimes I wonder if I order Phad Kaphrao with pork or stir-fried mixed vegetables,” commented Stigmata Arm.
Some Phad Kaphrao fans even expressed their disappointment at seeing restaurants unnecessarily adding carrot, sweet pepper or even straw mushroom to the dish. The conversation intensified when another Facebook user set up a page titled “Say No to ‘Bring Back Phad Kaphrao with no Cowpea, Baby Corn and Onion’ page.” [Update: the Say No page just dissolved itself.]
Some Photoshopped images have given their satirical imagery a political bent. One showed a photo of opposition party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva with the political campaign message “Stop Cowpea. Stop Baby Corn. Stop Onion.” The other was a photo of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara with his famous quote adjusted to read, “If you tremble with indignation at every Phad Kaphrao with cowpea, then you are a comrade of mine.”
Are you with Che on that?
