2,000-year-old curry found in Vietnam

[Duncan Head]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/22/2000-year-old-curry-scientists-discover-evidence-of-ancient-recipe-in-south-east-asia

Grinding tools with traces of spices found at Óc Eo in ancient Funan.

[Imperial Dave]

It's mine. I ordered it ages ago but never showed up!

[Nick Harbud]

It does not surprise me.  They were probably looking for new weapons to try out on their foes.  In this part of southeast asian the local cuisine has long been weaponised.  Some of the more powerful chilis are known to cause temporary deafness and the early morning afterburner can be truly debilitating.

[Imperial Dave]

The vaal ambush

[Mark G]

Was it red Thai or green Thai?

[Duncan Head]

Was it red Thai or green Thai?

Red Thai at night...

Actually no chillies (nor I think any hot pepper), so neither. Óc Eo and Funan would (probably) be proto-Khmer, and I gather that Khmer cuisine uses less chilli but is fond of galangal and turmeric, which fits the spices found.

[Mark G]

Mmmm galangal and turmeric.

[Imperial Dave]

turmeric especially

[Nick Harbud]

Certainly modern day Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine is nowhere near as hot as that from Thailand.  This may explain why Thais successfully pushed out other regimes from the Khorat plateau.

 

[Imperial Dave]

 

[Erpingham]

It would be surprising to find 2000 year old chillies in Vietnam.