Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is also Chair of the government’s Soft Power Committee, recently announced the promotion of mu kratha (also spelled as mookata in English) as Thailand’s latest soft power dish.
For those who may not be familiar, mu kratha is basically cooked sliced meat, be it pork or beef as well as seafood and chicken and vegetables on a mountain-shaped pan, or skillet, with Thai sukiyaki sauce and lots of chili and garlic. It is mostly a communal dish as one would hardly dine alone.
The announcement has led to many debates over the past week. Some say it is superficial and not tangible, others say the dish is more Korean (bulgoki) or Japanese (yakiniku) than Thai. Others say the notion of “soft power” has been distorted in Thai language.
Defending her idea, Paetongtarn was quoted in a PPTV article on Nov. 19 she wants to promote the dish and make it cleaner, more delicious and more accessible to foreigners as it is relatively cheaper than the Korean or Japanese versions.
“We have a good product,” Paetongtarn said while visiting Uttaradit province. She adds that each province has its own version, and this means these provinces can take part and participate.
My take is that mu kratha has evolved, or mutated, so much from its Korean-Japanese origin over the past few decades it is now basically a Thai dish. When I was in Singapore earlier this month, I chanced upon a Thai mu kratha place at Clarke Quay, and it was popular. It is clear that even outside Thailand, they are being recognized as such – as distinct from the Korean or Japanese cousins.
Basically, mu kratha is as Thai as Japanese kare risu (Japanese curry rice) as it is already Japanized. It is as Thai as Korean ramen is Korean – no longer a mere copy of Japanese or Chinese egg noodles. I have no qualm about cultural mutation and adaptation, it is a way of life that should even be celebrated, and mu kratha has become something distinctly Thai over the past three to four decades.
Now, what the soft power committee can do is to set up a jury of culinary experts (get some foreigners on board as well please so we can better know what they like and dislike), perhaps hold a national mu kratha competition and highlight what is unique about mu kratha as compared to the Japanese and Korean versions.
Such competition would energize many mu kratha restaurants and encourage them to come up with new ideas to make the dish even more delicious. The competition can be held at regional level, culminating in the national one in Bangkok with a mu kratha fair where foreigners can sample and enjoy.
Thai embassies, consulates, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand can also promote the dish but be wary that in predominantly Muslim countries, no pork should be used and probably the word “mu” or pig and pork itself is offensive. Embassies can list places where one can savor moo kratha in various major foreign cities. The government could also give some modest financial support to those running mu kratha restaurants abroad or interview them on the Embassy’s and Tourism Authority of Thailand’s social media sites.
Culinary matters aside, the success or failure in promoting mu kratha will be used to judge Paethongtarn, whose ambition is to become prime minister in the future. I wish her the best of luck in this endeavor.
