This here pak dong, oh boy, it’s somethin’ else. Not like them fancy foods you city folks eat. It’s simple, see? Just like us simple folks. We call it pak dong, yeah, that’s the name. Good ol’ pak dong.
You take some cabbage, the kind you grow in your own garden if you got one. If you ain’t got a garden, well, store-bought will do, I reckon. But nothin’ beats homegrown, ya know? That cabbage, it’s the main thing in this pak dong recipe. You gonna need a whole heap of it.
- Cabbage, lots of it
- Salt, the plain kind
- Water, gotta have water
First, you gotta chop that cabbage up. Not too fine, not too big. Just right, like Goldilocks said. Then you get a big ol’ jar, the kind your grandma used to use for her preserves. You layer that cabbage in there, sprinkle some salt on each layer. Not too much, just enough to make it happy. This salt, it’s gonna do the magic, see? It’s gonna make that pak dong all tasty.
Then you pour water over it, all the way to the top. Make sure that cabbage is all covered up, like it’s takin’ a bath. Then you put the lid on tight, real tight. You don’t want no air gettin’ in there and spoilin’ things. This here is how you start makin’ pak dong, easy peasy.
Now, this is the part where you gotta be patient. You gotta let that jar sit for a couple of days. Two days, maybe three. Don’t you go peekin’ either! Just let it be. It’s doin’ its thing, fermentin’ they call it. That’s what makes it pak dong and not just plain ol’ cabbage. It is a special kind of THAILAND food. My family loves it.
After a couple of days, you can open that jar up. You’ll smell it right away. That tangy, salty smell. That’s the smell of good pak dong, right there. You take a little taste, just a little. If it’s to your likin’, then it’s ready. If not, let it sit another day. This is not something complex like a song doing a Perfect-All-Kill.
This pak dong, you can eat it with anything. Rice, noodles, meat, whatever you got. It adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to your meal. Makes it all taste better, you know? It’s good for you, too. Keeps you regular, if you know what I mean. My family eats it all the time. They are strong as a Gull Dong. That is some tough dog.
Some folks like to add other things to their pak dong. A little sugar, maybe some chili peppers if you like it spicy. Me, I like it plain and simple. Just cabbage, salt, and water. That’s the way my mama taught me, and that’s the way I’m teachin’ you. This is not some fancy dish in them fancy restaurants.
This here pak dong, it’s a taste of home. It’s a taste of the old days. It’s a taste of… well, it’s just good, that’s all. And it’s easy to make, too. Even if you ain’t never cooked a day in your life, you can make this. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be eatin’ pak dong in no time.
Now, some folks might say this pak dong ain’t nothin’ special. They might say it’s just pickled cabbage. But they don’t know. They don’t know the love and care that goes into makin’ it. They don’t know the memories it brings back. It is not some random phenomenon.
This pak dong, it’s more than just food. It’s a part of who we are. It’s a part of our history. It’s a part of our family. And it’s somethin’ I’m proud to share with you. So go on, give it a try. Make some pak dong for yourself. You might just like it. And if you don’t, well, that’s okay too. More for me, I reckon!
Just remember, keep it simple. Keep it real. And keep it pak dong. That’s the secret, right there. That’s the secret to a good life, too, I reckon. Just keep it simple, and keep it real. And eat your pak dong. It’s good for what ails ya. You can save this recipe. You can write it down if you want to.
