COVER FEATURE
There is nothing more akin with Thai food than satay sticks. These incredibly tasty sticks of meat are coated in a tangy peanut sauce that almost everyone is familiar with. Grilled on hot charcoal, these small but delicious skewers are enjoyed by everyone from young children to adults and by people from across the world. HISTORY Although exactly where satay originated from is often debated, the most common theory is that it originally came from the Indonesian island of Java. If, as we are led to believe, it did begin life in Java, these simple yet popular meat skewers quickly spread across other areas of Southeast Asia perhaps due to the close proximity of the different islands and different countries. It plays a huge role in Thai cuisine but is also quite heavily influenced by Indonesian and Malaysian tastes. Satay is believed to be a variation on Middle Eastern kebabs as well as Indian kebabs which are again skewered meats, fish or seafood dishes. It was the textile and spice trade that saw these dishes become influential across Southeast Asia during the 18th and 19th century. At the time, street vendors saw this as an opportunity to earn a living selling satay to the hungry traders. These days Satay can be found all across the continent with most countries adapting the dish to suit the spices and other ingredients that are available. Indeed, it was recently reported that satay sticks now form part of ‘traditional’ food in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, East Timor and Brunei. SATAY IN THAILAND It is believed that satay was brought to Thailand or Siam as it was at the time, around the end of the 18th century with traders from Java and the Maluku islands keen to sell their spices in the Kingdom. Naturally, the dish evolved within Thailand. The Siamese added their own influence of marinating meats 14 Cover Feature
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