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Thai · VI The Beverage Tradition

Nam sapparot (pineapple juice)

Central Thailand and Bangkok

‹ The Beverage Tradition

I

Origin

Nam sapparot is the juice of the pineapple, Ananas comosus, pressed or blended and served cold. It belongs to the Thai tradition of fruit drinks sold from street carts, market stalls and roadside stands, where fruit is sold by the glass as readily as by the piece. The pineapple is native to South America and came to Thailand only after European contact in the early modern period; it is now prepared daily by market vendors and home cooks.

II

Description

A cold, pale gold juice of ripe pineapple, Ananas comosus, with the flesh cut free of the skin, the eyes and the fibrous core. The fruit is blended or pressed and strained to a clean, lightly viscous drink, and it is served over ice. Many vendors add a small pinch of salt, which rounds the acidity and brings the sweetness forward; a measure of sugar syrup is added only when the fruit lacks sweetness. The juice is bright, tart and fragrant, and carries a light froth when freshly made.

III

The Thread

—Both rest on the same principle: a ripe fruit pressed or blended and served at once, so that its volatile fragrance is not lost. The Thai glass takes a pinch of salt and plenty of ice, where the French is usually served with neither. French
—Both are cold pineapple drinks made from the whole ripe flesh, so that the fruit's acidity is balanced by sweetness. The Mexican drink is diluted with water and sweetened as a matter of course, whereas the Thai juice is served closer to the fruit itself. Mexican
—Both belong to a tradition of cooling fruit drinks sold in the street to meet the heat, where sweetness and acidity are balanced in the glass. Sharbat is commonly built on a syrup base with spice or flower essence, while nam sapparot relies on the fruit alone. Indian
IV

Flavour Context

Nam sapparot is drunk by itself in the heat of the day and beside fried and grilled dishes, where its acidity cuts through oil and its sweetness answers salt and chilli. It stands well beside the sharp, salty and spiced food of the Thai table because the fruit's acid refreshes the palate between mouthfuls. Served very cold, it tempers the heat of chilli without masking the savoury flavours.

Pillars V — VII
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