1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: the show, fellow Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so 3 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: much for tuning in. Let's hear it for the Man, 4 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: the Myth, the Legend, Max pad Tie. 5 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: Williams, Max pad see you Williams. 6 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: May uh the good deal Williams. 7 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 2: That's a good one. I like padra Hey, there you go. Yes, 8 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 2: that's not on topic. Max, that's not on brand. 9 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 1: Max Man Williams not none other than the one and 10 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: only mister Noel Brown. They call me Ben Bullen in 11 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: various parts of the world, and Noel, I think it's 12 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: fair to say that we love thy food, right, you 13 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: love a good lie food. 14 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: I love it. Yeah, no, sorry, that wasn't really an 15 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 2: escalation at all, no big fan. One of my favorite 16 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 2: things to cook. I got my start employment wise working 17 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 2: in a kitchen in a restaurant in my hometown, and 18 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: they had a handful of tie things on the menu, 19 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 2: including a pad tie, and that's where I kind of 20 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 2: cut my teeth cooking, and a lot of those things 21 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: have served me well to this day. I love making 22 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:44,199 Speaker 2: a green curry, veggie or meatd you know, whatever, whatever 23 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: you got I'm here for it. That's awesome. 24 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we hope that a lot of us tuning 25 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: in tonight also enjoy Thai food. If you have not 26 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: tried Thai cuisine, oh, friends and neighbors, you are missing out. 27 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: What are you doing? What do you do your life? 28 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: Get out there, get into it, to a Thai restaurant, 29 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: this this instant. Put this episode on pause and come back, 30 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 2: and then it'll be much more fun for you. 31 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, come back with some noodles. Come back with with 32 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: a flat noodle you like. I love a flat wide noodle. 33 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. 34 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: Uh. Thailand is located in Southeast Asia, and the cuisine 35 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: of the country, Thaie cuisine or ahan Thai, is regularly 36 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,119 Speaker 1: breeded as one of the best types of food on 37 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: the planet. In fact, several poles just recently found that 38 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: Thailand is the world's best country for food travel. 39 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 2: It just has such a vibrant mix of ingredients. You know, 40 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 2: you got your lime, bright flavors, you got your your 41 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 2: your curries, you got your spice, you got your crunch 42 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 2: from the peanuts, your noodles, bean sprouts, even even sometimes 43 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 2: you'll see basil and cilantro. It feels like such a 44 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 2: grab bag of ingredients from other types of world cuisines. 45 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 2: It's just it's my favorite. 46 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: You nailed it, man, and I'm nodding like, uh, take 47 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: me to church style or take me to the watt 48 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: the temple. Here is the issue, folks. This is a 49 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: country that has historically been at a cultural crossroads, which means, 50 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: like you were saying, Noel, there's nothing quite like Ty food. 51 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: We also want to give a big shout out to 52 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: all of our fellow ridiculous historian heat loving gormands, including 53 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: friend of the show Matt f who regularly requests the 54 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: hottest food possible whenever you and I eat Thai food 55 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: on the road. He's like a heat seeking missile. 56 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 2: That good. 57 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, is yes, that's another thing about it, man, Hi 58 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: hot well talking about Ty We'll get there, We'll get there, 59 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: We'll get there, well, Matt Surewell, oh boy, really, here's 60 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: the thing I was thinking about this earlier. 61 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 2: Man. 62 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: Wherever you and I go, in our many adventures on 63 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 1: the road, we always find a tie restaurant. Isn't that strange? 64 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: It is? I mean it will not once we get 65 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 2: into the deats today, but I will tell you that 66 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 2: I think you know I've been spending a good amount 67 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 2: of time in Germany over the last few years, in 68 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 2: Berlin specifically, and it has some of the best Thai 69 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 2: food I've ever had anywhere, period, full stop. Now, I've 70 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: never been to Thailand, so reserving judgment there. But in 71 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 2: New York City, you know, Los Angeles, other parts of 72 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 2: the world, Berlin has it beat. 73 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: Also, folks, just to peek behind the curtain. Not to 74 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: gas you up too much, Nol, but you are pretty 75 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: big deal in Germany, and I hope that you will 76 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: agree on air to take Maxim myself with you at 77 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: some point. 78 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: Oh, I'd love to. I wouldn't say a big deal. 79 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: I was, however, once a small German boy and that 80 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 2: has served me well in my travels to deutsch Land. 81 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 2: I love it there. I love Berlin. It's got such 82 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 2: a vibrant, you know, music scene, and cultural scene and 83 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 2: culinary scene that isn't just schnitzel and donors, which are 84 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 2: also great, but yeah, excellent Thie and Vietnamese food there 85 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: in Berlin, specifically in the neighborhood of friedrich Heim friedrichs 86 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: Hein not shy Hein, Yes, yes, all. 87 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 1: Right, take notes, folks, write that one down and this, 88 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: This mystified us originally as we were traveling around. You 89 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: might be familiar with Germany, you might be familiar with Thailand, 90 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: and you might realize that those two countries are very 91 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: far away from each other. So why is there such 92 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: a strong tradition of Thai cuisine across the planet. Thailand 93 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: has a population of well less than eighty million people, 94 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: and it's not a particularly wealthy country, but Thai food 95 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: and Thai restaurants are somehow a global phenomena. If you 96 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: go anywhere except Antarctica, the odds are that you're going 97 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: to be pretty close. 98 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 2: To a Thai restaurant one hundred percent. And this is 99 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 2: not for nothing. This is not for nothing. We started 100 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: asking ourselves. We put our noggets together and we said, hey, 101 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 2: how did this come about? How did this one relatively 102 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 2: small area of Asia become a dominant force in the 103 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 2: world of food? And the answer, we kid you not, folks, 104 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 2: is a conspiracy. I don't know what sound but what 105 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 2: sound cue? 106 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: Can we use? 107 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 2: Some sort of dump dum dumb? Perhaps, I don't know. 108 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: We leave it to mass aside, but it's true, this 109 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 2: is not something that would be too out of place, 110 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: and our sister shows stuff they don't want you to know, 111 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 2: which is now available on Netflix, two episodes a week. 112 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 2: Can you believe it? It's out, It's out there in 113 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: the world. I watched a little bit of it. It looks 114 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 2: really good. 115 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: Hey. 116 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: You video team that we work with here at iHeart 117 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 2: did a fantastic job sending us toys and lights, cameras, action, 118 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 2: all that kind of stuff. And it's very real now. 119 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: And the fine folks at Netflix have been really delightful 120 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 2: to work with. So if you're interested in seeing our 121 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: mugs plastered across the screen, do get ye to Netflix. 122 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: Yes, high v fourth and toss us, toss us a light, 123 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: toss us a double like a little thumbs up or 124 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: whatever the newmen cleature is. And you know what I'm thinking. 125 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: Our video team worked so hard that they doubtlessly had 126 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: a couple of late nights, which probably meant they ordered Thai. 127 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 2: Food, I would like to think. So it's a very 128 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 2: good delivery option wherever you are, right. 129 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: It's so fast, it's so versatile. Anyway, to understand how 130 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: this became a global thing and why it's part of 131 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: our ridiculous history exploration, we have to look at the 132 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: beginnings of what we call Thai food today, and Noel, 133 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: I think we would both not be surprised to learn 134 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: that Thai food dates back thousands and thousands of years 135 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: and has a lot in common with China. 136 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 2: Absolutely does. You can trace the origins of Thai food, 137 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 2: as you said, been back thousands of years when the 138 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 2: area that we now refer to as Thailand experienced a 139 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 2: huge influx of people from neighboring regions, including modern day China, 140 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: and just like nearly anywhere else in the world, the 141 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: folks living there worked with the available ingredients. 142 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, And the interesting part here is that, unlike 143 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: other parts of the world, Thailand was absolutely brimming with 144 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: all kinds of tasty cool stuff, especially produce. Right Historically, 145 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: the majority of meals would feature aquatic plants or animals, herbs, 146 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: herbs for days. There's a great deal of biodiversity, for sure, 147 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: which lends itself to a strong tradition of regional cuisine. 148 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: And unlike some of the perhaps less hospitable climates are there. 149 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 2: You go, well, yeah, yeah, for sure. What is it 150 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 2: called lutfisk? No, that's different. I'm talking about the shark. 151 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 2: The shark. That's the only way they can do it, 152 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 2: they's got to bury it in the ground until it Yeah, 153 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 2: it's interesting. No, no, no daning on Scandinavian cuisine. But 154 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 2: I was just recently in Denmark, and while they have 155 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:01,839 Speaker 2: some fabulous food options, the local regional cuisine not my bag. 156 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: Denmark has has a grand tradition of Indonesian cuisine. 157 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 2: So Thailand, on the other hand, unlike some of those 158 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: colder and more arid regions, has an absolute embarrassment of 159 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 2: delightful culinary riches and has. You know, since Thailanders were 160 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 2: Thai landing, it was also far from isolated, surrounded by 161 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 2: other regions with vibrant cuisines and cultures of their own, 162 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 2: places like India, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Yeah. 163 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, which goes back to your original point, right, because 164 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: now Thailand or the area that becomes modern day Thailand, 165 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: is amalgamating and sort of remixing all these dishes to 166 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: fit local taste, availability of ingredients. And there's also a 167 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: really interesting tradition of Buddhism, which means there's not a 168 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: huge emphasis on meat. And I thought you would love 169 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: this too, because you know, here in the West, we 170 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 1: often treat meat or your protein as the big tent item. 171 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: PLoP it on down like a chunk. That's your big 172 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 2: old piece of piece of beast. There. No, they treat 173 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 2: it with equal import and respect as they do to 174 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 2: other ingredients. Yeah. 175 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, so now it's like instead of meat being the 176 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: lead guitar in a song, it's an instrument that goes 177 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: into this complex kind of harmony. We've got four I 178 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: guess we could call them rough categories of traditional tie puisine. 179 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: And it's going to make sense when you hear. 180 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 2: It, folks, especially when you combine the strong cultural influence 181 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 2: of Buddhism that adds to that lack of emphasis towards 182 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: meat as being the center of the attraction and ben 183 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 2: real quick aside, have you been watching or have you 184 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 2: watched Culinary Class Wars on Netflix? 185 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: I've heard of it. I haven't checked it out. Actually 186 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: I thought of you, but as you know, I'm in 187 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: a place right now where I don't get the best 188 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: Netflix choices. But it's also. 189 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, you can know. Yeah, sometimes VPNs are not the 190 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 2: catch all fixer upper that they used to be. A 191 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 2: lot of these apps now detect you're using one, and 192 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 2: they will not play nice. But the thing that's so 193 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 2: cool about Culinary Class Wars is believe it's based in Korea, 194 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 2: but it has representation from all of these other types 195 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 2: of cuisine, from Chinese to Japanese to even like you know, 196 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 2: fusion type cuisines. And speaking of the Buddhist influence, one 197 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 2: thing that I learned about that maybe would be an 198 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 2: interesting episode on its own sometime is the culture of 199 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 2: temple food. There is a very specific culture around food 200 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 2: prepared by monks at these sacred places of worship, which 201 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 2: of course are to lean entirely vegetarian. And one of 202 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 2: my favorite contestants in the new season of Clinic Class Wars, 203 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,599 Speaker 2: I forget her name, but she's referred to as the 204 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 2: Venerable and then whatever her name was, And she's this 205 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 2: delightful little monk and consistently kicks the butts of some 206 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: of these meat heavy dishes with her wonderful, purely vegetarian 207 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 2: and occasionally vegan offerings. 208 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: Beautiful, beautiful, and we see it often for any current 209 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: vegans or vegetarians in the crowd. I had put my 210 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: time in as a vegan in the past. I was 211 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: vegetarian for several years and I gotta tell you, vegetarian 212 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: food can slap. It's all about the sauces, it's all 213 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: about the spices. It's probably better for you. 214 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 2: It's definitely great. I will cook vegetarian cuisine just out 215 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,199 Speaker 2: of love of it, not for any kind of health reasons. 216 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 2: I quite often, if I'm making a Thai dish, will 217 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 2: leave the meat out, or if I'm making a nice chili, 218 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,959 Speaker 2: will do like a meatless chili, just because so many 219 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 2: wonderful ingredients that have so much flavor that they can 220 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: add that are meatless. Yeah, nice papaya salad for instance, right, Yeah, 221 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 2: green papaya salad. Not to say that I don't love 222 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 2: a larb ben, I love a larb. I love a 223 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 2: lob that's like sort of like a meat salad kind 224 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 2: of thing with like, yeah, mince minced mincet, like pork 225 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 2: or beat. I think it's usually pork, and it has 226 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: lots of lime in it, and it's just such a vibrant, wonderful, 227 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: bright flavor. 228 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: And the fish sauce is a big deal. And I'm 229 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: glad we're mentioning salads because that's one of the primary 230 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: four loose categories of Tai cuisine. It's called yam spicy salads. 231 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: Then you got tam pounded foods, you know, with a 232 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: mortar and pestle. 233 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 2: That would be like a green papaya salad where you 234 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 2: use a mortar and pestle to smash all that stuff 235 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 2: up or to make to make your pastes as well. 236 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, just so your some thumb and stuff. Then 237 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: you have kang Those are pretty much the curries, very 238 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: heavy Indian influence. And then you have the tom boiled dishes. 239 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: This brings in soup as well. You've got deep frying, 240 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: stir frying, steaming. Those all come from Chinese culture. India 241 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: got there first. Weirdly enough, in fifteen eleven, European cultures 242 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: entered the menu because the Portuguese arrived and the people 243 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: of modern day Thailand just started folding in Portuguese influences 244 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: as well, similar in some. 245 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 2: Ways to Vietnam. 246 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, the origin story of the bond me right. 247 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 2: Ever, sent was gonna say the same thing, which is 248 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 2: like got French baguettes and you know, various other more 249 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 2: indigenous ingredients. But it really does show the influence of 250 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 2: those good old colonizers. Yeah. 251 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the way to see it sure, mad Hey, 252 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,119 Speaker 1: we're talking about diplomacy here, gastro diplomacy. 253 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 2: I just figured I would set the tone. 254 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: You nailed it. You nailed it by Fred. So it's 255 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: strange because we consider all of this ancient history. In 256 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: a very real way. We could say that Thai cuisine 257 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: has been global since the sixteenth century, but it doesn't 258 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: quite answer our original question, which you've set up so 259 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: beautifully here, Noel, why are Thai restaurants everywhere? The answer 260 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: is gastro diplomacy. 261 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 2: Well, can I also say been leading into this, I 262 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 2: definitely remember a time where there weren't Thai restaurants everywhere, right, Yeah, yeah, 263 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 2: And it may well be that I was young and 264 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 2: wasn't aware of that as a cuisine as an option, 265 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 2: maybe until I started working in that restaurant in my twenties, 266 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 2: but I'm pretty sure I'm right that. Like you know, 267 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 2: I distinctly remember going to lots of Chinese food places 268 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 2: growing up, and Japanese you know, hibachi type places, but 269 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 2: I do not remember there being nearly as many Thai 270 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 2: restaurants as there are today. 271 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is the thing, Okay, This global popularity is 272 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: not organic, and it is not accidental. We've mentioned the 273 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: phrase a couple of times. Gastro Diplomacy is the idea 274 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 1: that the easiest way to win hearts, minds, global support, 275 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:41,199 Speaker 1: and tourism dollars is not to send a military to 276 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: a foreign country. Hm, it's to go through the stomach 277 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: of the people who live there. And you nailed it 278 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: with saying that you don't remember right in your younger days, 279 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: you don't remember a bunch of Thai restaurants because this 280 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:01,199 Speaker 1: gastro diplomacy of Thailand didn't really begin in until the 281 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: early two thousands. And shout out to our friend of 282 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: the show and guest Ross Bettish who persuaded us to 283 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: move our limit of ridiculous history up a little bit 284 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: the nineties. This is the two thousands. 285 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 2: And also a shout out to friend of the show 286 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 2: Alex French for taking us on a culinary journey. It's 287 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 2: one of my favorite restaurants and all of New York City, 288 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 2: which is called way La, which is a mega We've 289 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:33,679 Speaker 2: been there a couple times together. Ben. It is a 290 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 2: kind of mega plused up fusionie Thai restaurant that does 291 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 2: things in a traditional way sometimes but also does some 292 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 2: interesting spins on it, and I find it to be 293 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 2: one of my favorite restaurants that I've ever been to. 294 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 2: So if you're ever in New York City, it's in 295 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,640 Speaker 2: the Lower East Side, right on the edge of Chinatown. 296 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 2: Do check out Wayla. Really love those. 297 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: Guys, love them too, man. We've got to do the 298 00:18:55,640 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 1: story just for the respect of Alex French, writing partner 299 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,719 Speaker 1: of mine on a couple of different projects, and also 300 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: I think a huge friend of ours and a friend 301 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,640 Speaker 1: of the show. Noel, you use the word journey. Can 302 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 1: you please share our can you? Can you please share 303 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: our story about Alex, our buddy. 304 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 2: Alex definitely exercised a bit of a foodie flex when 305 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 2: ordering for the table. Uh that some might might look 306 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 2: askance that, but I think it's a it's a it's 307 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 2: a brilliant move and you were skeptical at first, yielded 308 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 2: excellent results. He just asked the delightful server to take 309 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 2: us on a journey. 310 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: And Nolan and I both had these what uh these 311 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: these incredible like almost telepathic uh looks at each other 312 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: when we thought, what the hell is this guy doing? Uh? 313 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: We thought the We thought the server and the staff 314 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: would be mad, but lo and behold. The guy just 315 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: nodded at our pal, Alex French, and then gave us 316 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: one of the most amazing meals of our lives. 317 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 2: Well, because a place like that typically the staff are 318 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 2: invested in the quality of the place. They are invested in, 319 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,440 Speaker 2: you know, the nuances of the different dishes, and they're 320 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 2: proud of it. So it gives them an opportunity to 321 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: exercise a little kind of creative agency. And we were 322 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 2: all utterly there for it. 323 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: We were, And I've got to tell you, I don't 324 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: believe you or I could have pulled that move off 325 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: on our own. Alex French has been a long time 326 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: foodie and food critic for places like GQ, so he can. 327 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:44,959 Speaker 2: Get away with it. He sure can. Let's see gastro 328 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 2: to plums. Oh, you know, this reminds me of It's 329 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 2: actually a pretty good companion episode to our recent exploration 330 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 2: of ping pong as being another kind of form of 331 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 2: diplomacy sport policy. I guess, right, with China and parts 332 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 2: of Asia sort of exporting their players and their love 333 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 2: of the game, you know, to the rest of the world. 334 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: Beautiful. 335 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I started in England. 336 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 1: Right right, And do check out that episode that was 337 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: a banger, and I was still That was one of 338 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: the episodes where after we recorded it, I found myself 339 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: tempted to buy a table tennis kit. 340 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, once I get my garage cleared out, I 341 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 2: may well actually do that. Currently, we should do economy fun. 342 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 2: It would be so much fun. Like I said, we 343 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,959 Speaker 2: can definitely get our practice in with Frank and his 344 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 2: new table tennis. Yes. 345 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: And the term gastro diplomacy is so recent. I think 346 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: it was first popularized in an article by the Economists 347 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: back in two thousand and two, specifically discussing Thailand as 348 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: conspiracies go, this is wholesome and delicious. There was a 349 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: previous administration from like two thousand and one to two 350 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: thousand and six called the Thoscan Administration, and they launched 351 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: this program called Kitchen of the World, and they said, 352 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: we're going to treat Thai food purposely as a cultural export. 353 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 1: We're going to acquire soft power similar to you know, 354 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: Asiatic countries and Ping pong. We're going to do something 355 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: kind of like how the United States used Hollywood to 356 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: popularize American culture post World War two. 357 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they put their money where their mouth was. 358 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 2: They you know, funded it quite heavily. In the first 359 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 2: couple of years. They allotted a yearly budget a five 360 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 2: hundred million bot to provide loans and training to Thie 361 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 2: nationals or people of Thai descent who wanted to start 362 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 2: a Thai restaurant not there in their country but abroad. Yeah. 363 00:22:54,040 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: So for comparison, folks, if you know your if you 364 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: know where your ancestors are from, which not everybody does, 365 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: imagine that country, that origin country of your ancestors came 366 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: to you and said, hey, we want you to kind 367 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 1: of work for us and start a restaurant. Like Noel, 368 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:21,680 Speaker 1: you have a Swedish heritage, correct, I think. 369 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 2: I was vaguely Nordic if I remember. Correct. That one 370 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 2: of the earliest days of ancestry dot com. So it 371 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 2: was a pretty underwhelming result. I think now it's more complex, 372 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 2: mapping of the human genome and all that stuff and 373 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 2: all of the new data. I'd probably get a little 374 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 2: bit more info if I spit a second time. 375 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: So I'm for the sake of argument, let's imagine that 376 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 1: you got a letter from the government of Sweden that said, 377 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: Noel Brown, as a son of Sweden, we need you 378 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: to help US with diplomacy. We want you to start 379 00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: a Swedish restaurant. We're going to give you interest free loans, 380 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: We're going to train you to cook traditional Swedish cuisine. 381 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, we'll give you a discount 382 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,880 Speaker 1: on ingredients. That's what the government of Thailand did. They 383 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: even made a certification program called Thai Select to popularize 384 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: ingredients imported from Thailand, not just making them more affordable, 385 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: but more available. And at the time, going back to 386 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: your earlier example, a lot of these ingredients were either 387 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: tremendously expensive or they were just stuff you had no 388 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: chance of finding outside of Southeast Asia. 389 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, and some of these, you know, are not the 390 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 2: easiest things to find today. We're really lucky here in 391 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 2: Atlanta to be blessed with the incredible footy corridor of 392 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 2: Beufford Highway where you can find things like kafir, lime 393 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 2: leaves and Thai chilis and stuff. But you're not always 394 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 2: going to find things like that at your local grocery store, 395 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 2: even in the international food section. Right. 396 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 1: And additionally, the government of Thailand uses its massive reach 397 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: to rope in high value investors domestically and abroad. They 398 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: even get this, guys. They even leveraged Thailand's aviation industry. 399 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: Thai Airways would transport these materials and this equipment abroad, 400 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:29,159 Speaker 1: and then the Tourism Authority of Thailand got tapped to 401 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 1: emphasize how cool Thai cuisine is. They were basically going 402 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:40,159 Speaker 1: around the planet and Madmen style making a pitch. They 403 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: would say, you can experience Thailand right in your own hometown. 404 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,199 Speaker 1: This is brilliant. It leads to another program called the 405 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: Global Thaie Program. At this time in two thousand and two, 406 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:58,239 Speaker 1: there are maybe five thousand, five hundred Thai restaurants in 407 00:25:58,359 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: foreign countries. 408 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 2: Around the world. Not that many, right, No, No, it 409 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 2: certainly not. I mean, you know, Chinese restaurants would be 410 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 2: certainly in them. 411 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: You know what millions, I mean, there were a lot more, say, 412 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, like we know that the Chinese restaurants 413 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: have been a staple of American cuisine for many, many, 414 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: many years, and they've probably only grown. So, yeah, this 415 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: is a fraction they drop in the bucket. Yeah, and 416 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,719 Speaker 1: that makes sense because there are a lot of people 417 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: of Chinese descent in the United States, right and the 418 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 1: country of China itself is huge. It's one of the 419 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: most populous countries on the planet. Thailand is very different. 420 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,640 Speaker 1: A lot of people may never make it to Thailand, 421 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people may never learn the language of Thailand. 422 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,360 Speaker 1: But now it's making a splash on dinner plates, on bulls, 423 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: on palettes all the world round. They are literally winning 424 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: hearts and minds, and the numbers prove it. 425 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 2: And I'm sorry, millions is absurd, but you know, in 426 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 2: the close to one hundred thousand according to some figures 427 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 2: of Chinese restaurants in the United States. So we're going 428 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 2: to get to how Thaie stacks up to that in 429 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 2: just a little bit. So the Thai government wanted to 430 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,439 Speaker 2: up this number significantly from in the five hundreds to 431 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 2: around eight thousand, and by twenty eleven their efforts were 432 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 2: paying off, with more than ten thousand Thai restaurants located 433 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 2: around the world. This does not count the many more 434 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 2: Asian fusion restaurants like I think White Law would would 435 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 2: fall into that, even though they also do traditional tie 436 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 2: by that point, so we're not including more fusion e 437 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 2: type restaurants in that number. 438 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, now we're talking about restaurants that might have a 439 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: few Thai dishes on the menu. So, like you were saying, 440 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:52,439 Speaker 1: learning about pad Thaie, which we'll we'll get to in 441 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: a moment, because that's our that's one of our best 442 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: examples for the class. 443 00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 2: So there were certainly the one most people know about. 444 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: Right. Yeah, in the West, for sure, there were restaurants 445 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 1: that were solely Thai restaurants, and then there were many 446 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: more restaurants that were also serving Thai dishes using Thai ingredients. 447 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: And the boffins and the eggheads and the Nbas start 448 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: studying this success. Folks at the Kellogg School of Management 449 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: partner with Asasan Institute, and they say, holy smokes, it 450 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: turns out that Thai cuisine, because of this conspiracy, has 451 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: become one of the most recognizable cuisines on the planet. 452 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 2: When people were asked what their favorite ethnic cuisine was, 453 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 2: typically you'd see folks talking about Italian food, French food, Chinese, Indian, 454 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 2: and Japanese. But suddenly Thai entered the conversation, and that 455 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 2: trend continues very much into the modern day. The Georgia 456 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 2: Political Review had this to say about the Thai food explosion. 457 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 2: Despite high people making up just zero point one percent 458 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 2: of the United States population, there are ten thousand Thai 459 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 2: restaurants across the country, making the cuisine one of the 460 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 2: most popular choices among Americans. Boom, you know. 461 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: It's there's no other way to say it. This is 462 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 1: a successful conspiracy. The Global Thaie program transformed this country's 463 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: cuisine from being othered and exoticized to becoming a part 464 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: of mainstream American culture. It was a clear indication of 465 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: gastro diplomacy at work and the at work and working 466 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: at work and working, yes, sir. Now, to be clear, 467 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: some of the most popular Thai food in the West 468 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: is a result of these programs, and the stuff you 469 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: get in your local Thai restaurant may not be exactly 470 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: what you would get in Thailand. I think a good 471 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: analogy would be for us to say us to go 472 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: to comic books or Marvel films. Think about government nerds 473 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: in a secret lab. They're trying to build a super 474 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: soldier dish that the locals will love. In this analogy, 475 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: like pad Thai is our Captain America. 476 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,960 Speaker 2: Maybe a little less nefarious than the Weapon X program, 477 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 2: though right, I love that reference. Pad Thai is a 478 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 2: lot like americanized Chinese food. You know, you go to 479 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 2: a Chinese restaurant, and you see things like General Soa 480 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 2: chicken and Sessme chicken and stuff, a lot of deep 481 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 2: fried things. But if you go to more authentic Chinese restaurants, 482 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 2: you're not going to see those as much or as highlighted. 483 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 2: And if you go over to China, you're certainly not 484 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 2: going to see a lot of those except for places 485 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 2: that maybe cater to American tourists. 486 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 1: M Yeah, and pad thai is really interesting because it's 487 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: kind of like jazz. You know, it's got key established ingredients, right, 488 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: canonical stuff. Typically you'll have some meat, tamarind for the sourness, palm, 489 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: sugar fish sauce, eggs, dried shrimp, garlic. You gotta have 490 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: garlic tofu peanuts, rice and roles, bean sprouts, et cetera. 491 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: But it is so open to interpretation that it leads 492 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: to all sorts of variations. That's why the pad thaie 493 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: we eat in Missouri or in San Francisco can taste 494 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: so incredibly different from the same dish in Singapore or 495 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: in Munich or what's that neighborhood you named in Berlin, 496 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:45,479 Speaker 1: Friedrich Time or Friederic Thime or Santiago, Chile. It's nuts 497 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 1: and you nailed it too, because pad Thai originally is 498 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: a Chinese invention, but as there's a really strong argument 499 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: that pad thaie is. 500 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 2: The it's like. 501 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: Waving the flag of Thailand. It is diplomacy. 502 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and while you know, the jazz of it all 503 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 2: is going to yield different results depending on where you go, 504 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 2: all of the flavors are distinctly thaie and highlighting the 505 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 2: cuisine of Thailand, you know, without like bastardizing it in 506 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 2: some kind of you know, gross way. 507 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a story behind pat tai. It was mainly 508 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: despite the Chinese origin. It was mainly invented and popularized 509 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: way back in the late nineteen thirties in Thailand because 510 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: there was a rice shortage, so people wanted to promote 511 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: rice noodles. They used fifty percent less grain. It's like 512 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: the story of Fanta. Oh yeah, and well yeah, I 513 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: mean we talked about this. 514 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 2: Fanta was a direct result of shortages, wartime shortages of 515 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 2: certain ingredients. So they used like apple scraps to make 516 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 2: a type of bridge that was branded as Fanta. But 517 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 2: it was meant to be like a cola alternative, and 518 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 2: it certainly wasn't originally like the orange Fanta that we 519 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 2: know today. But there's just I don't know. I'm always 520 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 2: fascinated by scarcities leading to things that ultimately become something 521 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 2: else in and of themselves. 522 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: Would you say you're fantinated? 523 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 2: I am. 524 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, jump in, next, jump in, save me from 525 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: that pun. 526 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 3: No, no, you already got the drum, but no Fanta. 527 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 528 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 3: To Nor's point, Fanta was actually a creation in nineteen 529 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 3: forty in Nazi Germany because of embargoes, so they couldn't 530 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 3: get the actual Coca cola syrup in there, so they 531 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 3: had to create something new. Oh phonous backs, he drumm 532 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 3: in the knowledge just for you. 533 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 2: So good there, we got you. And it's still really 534 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 2: popular in Europe today. I mean we have it over here, 535 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 2: but it's not nearly as popular as it is, you 536 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 2: know in say Berlin, Fata Eurovision in it can exactly 537 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 2: and honestly, I mean the Fanta over there hits a 538 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 2: little different. I don't know why. The bottles are shaped 539 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 2: a little different, and I swear the flavor is slightly 540 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 2: different and a little bit more refreshing. And we're not 541 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 2: saying that Patsai isn't fantastic. It absolutely is delicious wherever 542 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 2: you get it. I mean not to say that there 543 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 2: aren't some places that you get it where it is 544 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 2: bland as I'll get out, and it's not inherently a 545 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 2: spicy dish. But you also need to understand, or it's 546 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 2: cool to understand the backgrounds, the scarcity that led to 547 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 2: the creation of it as a Thai dish and the 548 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 2: far from accidental spreading of it as sort of a 549 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,800 Speaker 2: centerpiece of typ cuisine abroad. Yeah. 550 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: Back in the late nineteen thirties, the Thai Prime Minister 551 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 1: at the time, Plate Pibin Soulcrum. He emphasized the importance 552 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: of this dish as a a piece of nationalism, a representation. 553 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,640 Speaker 2: Before the initiative that we're talking about. This was still 554 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,839 Speaker 2: like them saying we need a national dish, and this 555 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,680 Speaker 2: is going to be the most palatable and recognizable that 556 00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 2: we could maybe come up with. 557 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the It's kind of like figuring out a 558 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: good hook or a good chord progression and saying you 559 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:25,280 Speaker 1: can play all the let's send this to garage bands 560 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,359 Speaker 1: across America and let them play that hook with their 561 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: own instruments and see if they dig it. 562 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 2: And We've got a little bit of a wartime twist 563 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 2: on this story as well. The pad Thai also created 564 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:43,759 Speaker 2: a sense of Thai nationalism during World War Two as 565 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 2: a cheap street food option that a lot of Thai 566 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:48,759 Speaker 2: families really relied on. 567 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, And as a result, now the flavors and 568 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: the role of pad tie. By the way, pad just 569 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: means fried is weird because it isn't super fried. 570 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,400 Speaker 2: No it's not really, But the. 571 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:11,799 Speaker 1: Name, the taste, the unique canonical ingredients, and the fact 572 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,800 Speaker 1: that you can jazz on it makes this a dish 573 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: that connects people to Thai culture directly. And folks, we 574 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: know this may sound a little bit sketchy. This is 575 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:27,880 Speaker 1: not our intent. We're arguing instead, it's a peak example 576 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 1: of ridiculous history. This is a country without a huge army, 577 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:36,799 Speaker 1: without a huge navy, without tons of financial heft like 578 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:41,440 Speaker 1: say the United Kingdom, Colonial Powers or the United States. 579 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: Somehow this country managed to become a global superstar through 580 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 1: food alone. 581 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 2: Strengths. 582 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: Play to your strengths. That's a great point. We also 583 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:58,319 Speaker 1: have a great quote. I think it's obvious that we 584 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 1: all love Anthony bourdet or at least no, you and 585 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:05,760 Speaker 1: I love Anthony bourdein Max Max. Do you like Anthony 586 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 1: Bourdin It's okay to say no. 587 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 3: I don't know a ton about him, but a lot 588 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 3: of people I like really like him. 589 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,600 Speaker 2: So he's just he's a classic bonvivance, you know. He 590 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,319 Speaker 2: was a classic like dude, just going out there and 591 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 2: trying stuff and trying his best to live his most 592 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,960 Speaker 2: authentic life. Sadly, he had an inn life that didn't 593 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 2: translate to the you know, version of himself that was 594 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 2: on TV. While seemingly very authentic, and I'm not saying 595 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 2: it wasn't. You never really know when people are suffering 596 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 2: in silence, and he certainly seems to be doing that. 597 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 2: So missed that guy. Really, we were all big fans. 598 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 1: Just an absolute legend, beautiful writer, a phenomenal chef as well. 599 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 1: And he spent a lot of time talking about Thailand. 600 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 1: And he noted something the government of Thailand noted when 601 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,919 Speaker 1: they conspired to commit gastro diplomacy. 602 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 2: I'm sorry make it it sound, but that sounds like 603 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 2: commit mad most foul. 604 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: No, gastro diplomacy is great. I think it's the most 605 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: delightful thing. Yeah, he clocked this universal observation food is 606 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: one of the only things that unites all human beings, 607 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 1: so much so that Anthony Bourdin himself once noted food 608 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:34,120 Speaker 1: is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, 609 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,240 Speaker 1: but not in like the creepy way right ethnic feeling. 610 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:42,920 Speaker 1: Your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. 611 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:47,319 Speaker 1: It is inseparable from those from the get go. 612 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,799 Speaker 2: And what an amazing way to share those things with 613 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:56,399 Speaker 2: others through flavor and actual sustenance. You know, I mean, 614 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 2: there's really nothing like it. It's truly a way of 615 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 2: sharing your cult sure and your pride and you know 616 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:05,240 Speaker 2: your history and your heritage in a way that people 617 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:06,320 Speaker 2: can literally stomach. 618 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,439 Speaker 1: There we go, well done. It humanizes all of us. 619 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 1: If you want to learn about a culture a world away, 620 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:16,959 Speaker 1: you can read all the books you like, you can 621 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:20,240 Speaker 1: listen to all the podcasts you love, you can watch 622 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:23,359 Speaker 1: all the films that country has ever made. You can 623 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:27,399 Speaker 1: study it in college or university. But as Thailand has 624 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 1: proved beyond all measure of success, if you want to 625 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 1: really know a place, you got to eat what they eat. 626 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 2: I mean, you got to eat. 627 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 1: Yes, this episode is technically not brought to you by Checkers. 628 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 2: A slogan, but we hope it. 629 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 1: Made you hungry and hungry as the country or as 630 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 1: in the sensation. We know that other people, other nations 631 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 1: picked up on this concept of gastro diplomacy and soft 632 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: power or a lot of the countries that we named earlier, 633 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: they saw the success of Thailand and then they started 634 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: instituting similar programs. 635 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 2: There's like a whole laundry list, oh for sure, Korea, Taiwan, 636 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 2: several Nordic nations have given it their best shot, to 637 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 2: varying degrees of success. 638 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:22,920 Speaker 1: Why is Scander David? 639 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 2: I just don't know that it's really hit, That's all 640 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,359 Speaker 2: I'm saying. It hasn't really hit the way Thai or Japanese, 641 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 2: you know, or even Peruvian we do. We are starting 642 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:33,239 Speaker 2: to see, I'm not saying starting to see like it 643 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:35,040 Speaker 2: hasn't been, you know, a thing for for some time. 644 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 2: But there are a lot more Peruvian restaurants, Like there's 645 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 2: one at the damn airport here in Atlanta. 646 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,480 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Peruvian food is great. We 647 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 1: also see Israel getting into the game. This is a 648 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:54,480 Speaker 1: perfect way to communicate with people past diplomatic red tape, 649 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: and with that before we Uh, before we go all 650 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 1: fanboy over the regional differences between cuisines of Thailand, we 651 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:09,720 Speaker 1: want to hear from you. Tell us your favorite foods 652 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:13,799 Speaker 1: to no On and wherever you find yourself in this 653 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,839 Speaker 1: wide world. We'd love to hear what you think is 654 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 1: the top notch cuisine of your neck of the global woods. 655 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:26,720 Speaker 2: And what spice level do you enjoy your typhoon as? 656 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:31,600 Speaker 2: Is it mild, medium hot or tie hot right right? 657 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: Or long for long spicy which is not spicy. It's mild. 658 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,960 Speaker 1: Long means foreigner. You know who doesn't like spicy food? 659 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:44,760 Speaker 2: Who is the Germans? Oh? And me? And that's the condition. 660 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 2: But also, yeah, it's a bolid thing. 661 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 3: And I've never been to eat spicy food. I was 662 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,840 Speaker 3: at a my friend's party birthday party a couple of 663 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 3: years ago, and I was eating some mild wings. If 664 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 3: my friend Rob looked at me, goes, are you ok? Max, 665 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 3: I'm like, I want to eat anything with spice, and 666 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 3: it just kills me. I'm like, with faces on, you 667 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:03,560 Speaker 3: get the sweats, you get all blushy, and it's like 668 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 3: the weakest stuff possible too. It's so pathetic. 669 00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, famous, the German people are not acclimated to spicy. 670 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 1: Foods, another reason for us to join Noel in his 671 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 1: adventures over in Germany. A big, big thanks to our 672 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 1: super producer, mister Max mild Williams. 673 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:30,840 Speaker 2: Indeed, huge thanks to you, Ben for this incredible research, 674 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 2: and also to Jonathan Strickland, the diabolical quizter that he is. 675 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:39,280 Speaker 1: Where do you think he is on spicy food? 676 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:41,800 Speaker 2: I think he doesn't? He also have a condition. 677 00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:46,400 Speaker 1: He does, he is deathly allergic to shellfish. 678 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 2: That's it. Don't already stands on spicy food. Can't really 679 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:51,080 Speaker 2: picture him doing a hot ones though. 680 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 1: Let's just prank him. We'll text him after this episode. Well, 681 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 1: let's put it in a work email and just not 682 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: explained the context and ask him where he's at with 683 00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 1: spicy food. Absolutely and big thanks to our composer Alex Williams. 684 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:13,720 Speaker 1: Big thanks to Eve's Jeff Christopher hasiotis here in spirit 685 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 1: and who else? 686 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:18,239 Speaker 2: No oh Man, all the hits, Rachel Big Spinach Lands, 687 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 2: the Red Dudes over at Ridiculous Crime. Gosh, who else 688 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,440 Speaker 2: we got? Oh a j Mohamas Jacobs Huzzler. 689 00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:29,840 Speaker 1: Love that guy and we love you folks. Thank you 690 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in We've got a run of 691 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: more fascinating sports episodes, as well as a long awaited 692 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 1: food episode. We're not gonna spoil just yet, but scatter, 693 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:46,600 Speaker 1: cover and smother yourselves. 694 00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:47,400 Speaker 2: Wow. 695 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:49,240 Speaker 1: That came out weird. 696 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:51,800 Speaker 2: If you know, you know, We'll see you next time. Books. 697 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:01,600 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 698 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:04,760 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.