Bang Bo Stir-Fried Morning Glory with Shrimp Paste

Bang Bo Stir-Fried Morning Glory with Shrimp Paste: The hometown flavor deeply rooted in Mr.Hotsia's heart

Bang Bo, Samut Prakan is where I, Mr.Hotsia, grew up, learning the riverside lifestyle of Ban Rakas community and absorbing local flavors that can't be found anywhere else. Every trip back home to Bang Bo is not just a visit to my roots but an immersion in the tastes and cultural essence deeply embedded here, especially the dish calledBang Bo Stir-Fried Morning Glory with Shrimp Pastewhich I want to share in detail this time.

When people think of Samut Prakan, many imagine the bustling seaside city or the busy airport. But for me, “Bang Bo” is where the simple village lifestyle remains vivid. The once vast rice fields have shrunk, but the richness of canals and fish ponds, along with the historic riverside market of150-Year-Old Bang Phli Old Marketstill carries the scent of the past every time you stroll through to shop.

Among the fresh local ingredients, water morning glory grown along the canals is a distinctive feature of Bang Bo. The fresh, crisp, naturally sweet morning glory is chosen as the main ingredient for this dish. The stalks used are not too thick, allowing the stir-fry to keep its crunch and look appetizing in the traditional style of riverside people.

The shrimp paste used in Bang Bo’s stir-fried shrimp paste dish is not ordinary shrimp paste easily found in general markets. It is made from authentic Bang Bo snakehead fish, a fish I grew up with and know well why it is delicious and famous enough to be exported nationwide.Bang Bo Snakehead FishThese plump fish are raised in brackish water rich with red plankton, resulting in fragrant flesh with a unique sweet and creamy flavor. Shrimp paste made from snakehead fish has a special aroma and a richer taste than regular shrimp paste.

Combining the crispy morning glory with the intensely fragrant Bang Bo snakehead shrimp paste, stir-fried over high heat using traditional techniques I learned from my mother and father, the resulting dish is aromatic, balanced with a slight spiciness typical of Bang Bo — not too sweet or salty. The sauce lightly coats the vegetables without excess liquid, making it perfect to eat with hot steamed rice, so delicious you’ll want to scoop up extra sauce multiple times.

I clearly remember as a child when my father ground chili for the shrimp paste stir-fry, he would add thinly sliced kaffir lime peel to enhance a unique fragrant dimension. Several other Thai herbs were also added to the stir-fry ingredients, making our family’s shrimp paste stir-fry flavor unique and unmatched. It’s a pride I strive to preserve and adapt to modern times without losing the true roots of this dish.

During my travels across Thailand and neighboring countries, I often order holy basil stir-fry or shrimp paste stir-fry to compare flavors. But nowhere else makes me feel like I’m eating the authentic Bang Bo stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste. The perfect spicy heat, the fragrant shrimp paste aroma, and the fresh crispness of the morning glory convinced me to open the Spicy Holy Basil restaurant in Chiang Rai and create a holy basil sauce for those who want to try making it at home with my special recipe.Spicy Holy Basil Saucethat I proudly present.

If you want to experience the authentic Bang Bo style stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste, try visiting Bang Bo once. I recommend strolling through the old market likeBang Phli Old Marketor taking a boat tour to see the natural riverside lifestyle of Samrong Canal. Here you’ll witness villagers still using boats as their main transportation and for trading, just like how I grew up.

Besides stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste, Bang Bo is also famous for snakehead fish, which I have described in the articleBang Bo Snakehead Fishwhere you can taste crispy fried snakehead fish with a fragrant aroma or buy some as a rare and unique souvenir.

And if you want to add more color to your Bang Bo trip, read the storyMr.Hotsia’s Traditional Shrimp Trapping Competition in Bang Bowhere I had the chance to join locals in traditional shrimp trapping activities, getting to know their unique lifestyle and simple fun.

Finally, the Bang Bo stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste I shared is not just a dish but a symbol of memories, warmth, and the identity of my hometown that I, Mr.Hotsia, am proud to introduce to everyone. If you try it once, I believe you will fall in love with it just like me.