Mam Yai Goong

Amphoe Phon, Thailand

Mam Yai Goong (ร้านหม่ำยายกุ้ง) sits on the Mittraphap Highway in Amphoe Phon, Khon Kaen, in the district that functions as the sausage capital of Isan. The shop makes both sai krok isan (ไส้กรอกอีสาน) and mam (หม่ำ), a related fermented sausage with a stronger cure. Sausages are hung in long strands and grilled to order over charcoal while customers wait. Most buyers stop at the roadside, choose their strands, and leave with vacuum-packed bags for the journey home to Bangkok or further north. A handful of tables at the back offer the chance to eat on the spot with sticky rice, fresh ginger coins, and bird's eye chillies. The grills run from before sunrise. The sai krok isan here is short-linked, well-fermented, and sold by the dozen. Amphoe Phon's reputation rests on producers like this one, which supply the rest of Thailand through travellers and market intermediaries.

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Sausages served here

Sai Krok Isan

Isan, Thailand

Sai krok isan is a fermented pork and rice sausage from Thailand's northeast, the Isan region. Coiled in short links and sold by the strand from charcoal grills, it is the dominant street food of the region and one of the most recognisable sausages in Southeast Asia. The defining characteristic is controlled fermentation: raw pork, cooked sticky rice, garlic, salt, and black pepper are mixed and left to ferment for two to four days in warm weather. The rice feeds lactic acid bacteria that sour the sausage from the inside out. The result is a plump, slightly wrinkled link with a mild tang and deep pork flavour. Charcoal heat tightens the casing and crisps the exterior while the interior stays moist and yielding. The sausage is eaten in small bites, wrapped in raw cabbage leaf or eaten alongside sliced fresh ginger and bird's eye chillies — the raw vegetables cut the fat.

porkfermentedThai