Beans worth Blogging About
March 3rd, 2008
Tara and I frequent a Thai Restaurant about a half mile from our apartment. Without too much thought I placed an order for something on the menu called Sator Shrimp since I like shrimp and spice doesn’t bother me. The waiter asked if I had ever had sator before and warned that the dish had a strong smell. That piqued my interest so I stuck with the order. The dish wreaked of odorized propane gas and the flavor of sator defies description. I didn’t know a plant could taste like that even though I ate things like pine needles and radish leaves as a kid. I finished the dish because I was extremely entertained that someone somewhere actually planted sator beans with the intent of selling them as food. Each bite was like the culinary equivalent of the Jerry Springer Show. After the beans were in my stomach and the sensory-masking effect of curry wore off I began to notice the smell again. It was my breath; onions are to sator what tictacs are to onions.
Googling after dinner I found that sator (parkia speciosa) is informally know as a Stink Bean
I can’t even believe a plant like sator is legal to grow in the USA considering growing relatively benign plants like Cannabis can win their owner a prison sentence. We need laws to protect our children from sator now :)
on March 6th, 2008 at 11:57 PM
Hilarious! This is why I like you.
on March 7th, 2008 at 02:55 PM
I wonder if the sator bean is native to that area?
on March 7th, 2008 at 11:33 PM
The waiter said they are grown in southern Thailand which was confirmed by the Wikipedia article. But who confirms Wikipedia articles? Well, I can confirm at least the following passage.
hehe
on May 8th, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Sator is a bean like vegetable which grows in long pods . These pods are the ‘fruits’ from a flowering light branced tree. Sator does grow about anywhere in Asia besides Thailand. One point to be noted is that sator must not be eaten raw. neither is it enjoyed consumed by itself. This sator is used in many dishes thruout Asia, used as edible ‘spice’ . I grew up in Asia with this specialty . My American wife including down to my grandkids do love this pronounced side taste in dishes. Too often eating sator RAW may tamper with a person’s kidney performance. I do however eat this in raw state about once every two months, for its’ distinct taste lightly laced with SWEET soy sauce, over steamed jasmin rice with a scoop of ‘sambal ulek’ ( spiced hot pepper paste ). Sator is available in freshly frozen packages or in jars filled with brine (totally screwed up taste ), available in most Oriental type grocery strores. Last point to note : do not use sator in unparted halves as I open each one of them and find about one in thirty beans, a worm.
on May 13th, 2008 at 06:24 PM
Sam, you are hilarious! If you ever have the chance you may also want to try Durian Fruit. It grows in parts of South East Asia (specifically Malaysia, Burnei & Indonesia) & is actually forbidden from hotels & public transportation due to its strong odor. The odor is usually described as dirty socks or putrid feet. I am not sure if you can get in the states, but it would be great to try it once just for the experience! I saw a guy on the food network try a small bite of Durian & he almost vomited… Let me know if you get your hands on some & we can let Grandpa try it :) *Just tell him it’s from Norway & he will love it!
on January 14th, 2009 at 06:00 PM
it couldnt be any worse than the lutefisk they all consume at christmas !!!!!!!!!! ha ha
on January 14th, 2009 at 06:01 PM
it couldnt be any worse than the lutefisk they all consume at christmas !!!!!!!!!! ha ha
on April 5th, 2010 at 08:39 PM
yea you can find fresh durian in most asian supermarket, but they are very expensive ..aruond $50 for one fruit..
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