Nang Loeng Market

Bangkok, Thailand

Nang Loeng (ตลาดนางเลิ้ง) is one of the oldest surviving markets in Bangkok, established in the Rattanakosin era and still operating from its original covered structure off Nakhon Sawan Road in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. It draws a lunchtime crowd of civil servants and residents from the historic quarter. The market runs on a morning and early afternoon schedule and closes well before evening. Among the vendors inside, a stall called Mae Lek specialises in sai krok pla naem, a Bangkok variant of Isan fermented sausage that incorporates shredded snakehead fish crumble alongside the pork. The dish arrives with a mound of fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, a coin or two of fresh ginger, and a couple of small chillies, all wrapped in a cabbage leaf. Other sai krok isan vendors at Nang Loeng grill standard pork-and-rice versions over charcoal trays at the market entrance. The market is a reliable place to eat a genuine old-Bangkok version of the Isan sausage in an environment that has changed little since the mid-20th century.

Click to activate map

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