Goong ten on the Plate in Thailand
Goong ten (กุ้งเต้น), is a traditional dish of the Issan people living along the Mekong River in Thailand. This unique dish involves live shrimp, which are mixed with various spices, providing a strange yet exciting culinary experience. The Issan people are known for eating raw meats, such as beef, pork, shrimp, and fish, all mixed with sour and spicy sauces.
What makes Goong ten particularly thrilling is that the live shrimp continue to jump on the plate as diners eat them. This dish is not typically found in restaurants but can be enjoyed on food streets, sidewalks, or in local markets. In Bangkok, you might spot vendors carrying small baskets, one filled with spices and herbs and the other with live shrimp covered by cloth or a fine net to prevent them from jumping out.
The vendor quickly cleans the shrimp, chops chilies, adds fish sauce, lime juice, slices herbs like mint, and a few slices of lemongrass and onions, then skillfully mixes everything so that the shrimp absorb the flavors while still remaining alive. For those who are hesitant to eat live shrimp, the common practice is to wrap them in fresh betel leaves. This way, diners can enjoy the dish without directly seeing the live shrimp.
Mark, a traveler who tried this dish on the streets of Bangkok, shared that “each shrimp is soaked in salty, spicy, and fragrant flavors from the spices and herbs.”
Sonny Side, a famous American food blogger with the YouTube channel Best Ever Food Review Show, once visited Chiang Mai and asked the locals why the shrimp had to be eaten alive. He learned that keeping the shrimp alive preserves their natural sweetness, juiciness, and firmness.
Diners can enjoy this shrimp salad immediately after it’s mixed or eat it with sticky rice, wrapped in betel leaves as Mark prefers. Street vendors, market stalls, or small food carts typically sell this dish for around 50 baht. The shrimp are often packaged in plastic bags or foam boxes, making it easy for customers to eat on the go.
