NANG PAKKAD KAEW (lettuce wraps)
The Thai leisure class once whiled away hours with betel nut chewing, wrapping betel nut slices into packages of chaplu leaves spread ' with reddish lime paste, which imparts a
natural tingling buzz. Although chewing betel nut has gone out of favour, and with it its attendant ritual and assorted paraphernalia, the taste for miang is still as strong as ever.
Assembled in a similar manner to betel nut, miang refers to a vast range of ingredients wrapped into a bite-sized portion. The filling can range from steamed plaa to (mackerel) to thin slices of meat, accompanied by diced young ginger, shallots, unpeeled lemon,
fresh chillies and peanuts. The wrap is usually provided by any young leaf — in addition to the ubiquitous chaplu leaves, kale, tong-tang and lettuce are common. In a nod to Vietnamese cuisine, noodle sheets are sometimes used. To complete the balance of sour, salty and sweet, with a little bit of spiciness, the fillings are bound with a sticky herb sauce. Each diner wraps his or her own.
