Deliciously Saucy: the Culturally rich stories behind Thai sauces

Walk through the condiment aisle of any Thai supermarket and you might well be surprised at the number of sauces on offer. But even more surprising is that countless other unique sauces, each with limited production, never make it to these modern shelves.

Behind every delicious Thai dish are key ingredients that create depth of flavor and reflect a region's unique culture.

The secret to many household recipes is a small amount of a flavorful condiment, a sauce that varies from one region to the next. Some dishes are simply incomplete without a specific sauce—Isaan cuisine is defined by pla ra ; Southern dishes rely on budu.

As Thai food gains a stronger presence internationally, this wide array of sauces has also become a significant source of foreign income.

Even if you consider yourself a foodie, it's unlikely you've tried—or even seen—all the sauces available in Thailand. Some are produced only for export, while many others have limited local production.

In Thai kitchen, sauces are at the heart of every dish.///Photo courtesy of CEA

Now, a great opportunity to explore this world has arrived: the “Thai Local Sauce: Aroi Yo” exhibition. It invites you on a journey through edible culture, exploring the rich cultural and economic stories behind Thailand's sauces.

A compact yet powerful showcase of Thai sauces welcomes you at the exhibition spread over the Lobby of the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) in Bangkok.

Here, you will certainly get lost in the array of sauces - most of which are rarely seen, especially by those not into cooking. The curator team at the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization) has researched them well and highlighted well-rounded aspects of the condiment.

“This exhibition continues our research into local assets following last year’s focus on local whiskies and Thai ghost stories,” curator Monnapa Panichkriangkrai told TPBS World.

Curator Monnapa Panichkriangkrai shares the stories behind Thailand’s sauces.//Photo courtesy of CEA

“We found just a few familiar brands on the market that made over 10 billion baht from exports! However, each area of Thailand has its own best sauce and we have tried our best to present them all. We have even left a space where visitors can suggest any specific brands we might have missed.”

The abundance of Thai sauces excites visitors from the very start, with a “Flavor Map of Thailand” that showcases diverse local brands on a map and includes a directory. Seventy brands are displayed on the map, showing their origin and varieties.

“We also leave room for visitors to add local brands we may have missed by writing on a notepad,” said the curator.

Discover local sauces praised by foodies for their incredible tastes.//Photo courtesy of CEA

The exhibition is a feast for the eyes, too. The labels on each bottle are highly interesting, incorporating beliefs, ways of life, culture, and even history into the brand.

Some designs even feature witty details. For example, during the era of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkram, who used a rooster as his symbol, the logo became popular with local sauce producers.

Beliefs also play a role; many producers use auspicious symbols on their products like a crane for longevity, a fat baby for a well-fed family, or a sailboat for wealth from trade.

The labels of many brands also have a straightforward design and use their own names such as Mae Ruean, Mae Boonlum and Mae Pranee. It’s a model still used by today’s producers, and can be found on pla ra brands from celebrities that include Mike, Mum, Ingfa Miss Grand and Sunaree among others.

Exploring the colourful brand story and legendary sauces is part of the zone entitled “Sauce, Source” which also invites visitors to understand the abundance of ingredients such as fish, soybeans and plants – with cultural exchanges - that create unique Thai flavors.

In Thai kitchen, sauces are at the heart of every dish.///Photo courtesy of CEA

Fish is the key ingredient in pla ra nampla (fish sauce) and budu - but the process and local wisdom behind them are different.

Visitors can also spend some time in the nearby “Neighbor Mart” that TDC has recently opened and this also has another branch at Siam Center. The shop brings together products based on Thailand’s complex creative creators from wooden furniture and souvenirs to design products and sauces.

Here, visitors can also buy sought-after brand fish sauces in trial sizes, or local-fermented vinegar brands that are not available in supermarkets. The curator team has selected 15 local sauces as souvenirs and these are for sale during the exhibition period.

Visitors can take home one of the 15 selected local sauces available at the Neighbor Mart store.///Photo courtesy of CEA

If viewing the exhibited items doesn’t excite you enough, you can experience the sauces in a creative way at a pop-up corner of “Baan Pat & Jeanne” ice cream shop that has invented four special flavors using Thai sauces, including dark soy sauce, fish sauce, fermented bean curd and vinegar.

“The most challenging one was the fermented bean curd but I enjoyed creating the taste and was satisfied with the outcome,” said Pat, a co-owner of the shop.

In addition to viewing, tasting and shopping; visitors can join the MBTI quiz (My Bottle Type Is) at the Neighbor Mart. A fun quiz will guide you to discover the sauce that matches your personality.

This reflects Thai food lovers well, as they like to personalize their taste by seasoning their dishes. With this abundance of sauces and unlimited tastes to experiment with, it's no surprise that the Thai culinary scene continues to grow in terms of both economy and creativity.

Unique ice cream flavors created using sauces like fermented bean curd and dark soy sauce. //Photo courtesy of CEA

If you go:

The Pat & Jeanne pop-up shop offers unique ice cream flavors made with Thai sauces./Photo by Veena Thoopkrajae

The Thai Local Sauce: Aroi Yo exhibition is at the Front Lobby, Floor 1 of TCDC | Free Admission and runs through 23 November. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 7pm.

TCDC Bangkok is located at the Central Post Office on Charoen Krung Road. Parking is available at NT Bangrak Building (20 baht/hour).