Yawt Klin Maeng Daa Naa : Thai "Pimp Juice" [Pics]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I had the opportunity to sample the Northeastern Thai-style "dip," náam phrík maeng daa naa, at my friend Ed's house, earlier this year. This relatively exotic dish is largely comprised of a specific type of water bug (Belostomatidae) which is found in abundance in that part of Thailand. When roasted and eaten on their own, or when minced and combined with a number of other ingredients, these bugs have a taste and a texture that many Thais find greatly appealing. But, from what I have been able to gather, the *real* allure of these critters lies in their scent, which has often been described to me as wonderfully floral.

Interestingly enough, the scent itself is bottled for use in the kitchen and can be purchased right here in Chicago. It was at Ed's home, in fact, that I first saw this product put to use. Ed's father is quite fond of the stuff, and I remember once watching in awe as he pulled a tiny vial of it from his shirt pocket and dressed his food. Of course, I also remember the bit of Thai culinary arcanum that Ed shared with me as I looked on:

Ed: You know what "maeng daa" is, right?

Me: Yeah, the name of the bug.

Ed: Yeah, but you know what else, right?

Me: No. What?

Ed: "Maeng daa" is Thai slang for "pimp." It's what we call a certain kind of lazy guy that makes his woman work for him.

Me: So?

Ed: So... what my dad's got right there is the Thai version of Pimp Juice™! (snicker)

Before a week had passed I picked up a bottle for myself, more for the novelty factor than anything else. That was until…

…my birthday last week, when Ed’s mother, and the creator of the aforementioned náam phrík maeng daa naa, made me a batch of náam phrík plaa thuu, or Northeastern Thai-style “dip” with grilled mackerel.* After taking delivery of a small package containing the dip and a few Thai eggplants, I received a phone call from Ed with specific directions for “preparing” the dip for service:

Me: Hello?

Ed: You got the "pimp juice"?

Me: Yeah, I have it. Yellow label. Same as your dad’s.

Ed: OK, put just a couple drops in there and mix it in really good.

Me: Where? In the stuff your mom made?!

Ed: Listen, don’t put any more than that. This stuff is strong. One or two drops.

Me: OK. I got it.

Ed: Dude, let me know how it goes. My mom is kinda worried.

Me: Why?

Ed: I told you, this stuff is really strong.

Me: Tell her I’ll be alright. I’ll let you know how it goes...


yâwt klìn maeng daa naa : the original "pimp juice"**


"just a drop will do ya!"


náam phrík plaa thuu (version 2.0)


is your monitor equipped with smell-o-vision™?

The next morning I received another phone call from Ed:

Me: Hello?

Ed: So, how was it?

Me: "Strong" was right, but it was very good stuff!

Ed: Oh, man, my mom is gonna be so relieved...



You can find the Maesri™ product outlined above at:

Hoa Nam
1101 West Argyle
773.275.9157

E.M.

* The exact recipe was kept secret, but I do know that it involved grilling mackerel, garlic, and phrík chíi fáa, or “sky pointing chile" (from her own crop).

** This particular product is synthetically derived, but apparently there are versions which naturally derive from the insects themselves.

Eric M wrote:You can find the Maesri™ product outlined above at:

Hoa Nam
1101 West Argyle
773.275.9157

Also can be found at Maxwell St.