Thai Tempura 'Hed-Tod-Na-Nhod' (Na-Nhod Fried Mushroom)

The classic "batter-fried" food in Japan is tempura -- it's not strange to you all right? But do you know that this Japanese Tempura in fact was introduced by Europeans living in Southern Japan (Spanish and Portuguese) in the late sixteenth century. At this century, the tempura is also famous in Thailand ... and now, Thai People has already developed our own Thai Tempura by using vegetables, mushrooms, and also flowers.

The produced location is in Southern Part of Thailand called 'Na-Nhod' which is one of subdistricts (tambon) of Mueng Phatthalung (ตำบลนาโหนด อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดพัทลุง). However, this is a local product made by local people but with some help from National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA / สวทช) to increase capacity via new technology & innovation.

When I said 'Local Product', it means the local agricultural produced from within Phatthalung province. In fact, this project was happened when the product was over produced (imbalance between demand vs. supply) !!! The owner has his own mushroom farm and could not figure out how to do with fresh mushroom. One of the solution which made him earning well was to make it as 'fried mushroom' ... and it become 'Hed-Tod-Na-Nhod' or 'Na-Nhod Fried Mushroom' nowadays ... Not only that, now products also includes some green veggies, colourful flowers, and other head veggies under the ground.

Now, the product come up as 3 sets -- selling at 40Bht per pack with sweet chilli sauce for dipping available inside.
Mixed Vegetable set (Green Pack) : Grey Oyster Mushroom เห็ดนางฟ้า, Jew's Ear Mushroom เห็ดหูหนู, Carrot แครอท, Spinach ผักโขม, Mint สะระแหน่
Mixed Flower set (Purple Pack) : Grey Oyster Mushroom เห็ดนางฟ้า, Paper Flower ดอกเฟื่องฟ้า, Blue Pea ดอกอัญชัญ, Roselle ดอกกระเจี๊ยบ
Mixed Mushroom set (Blue Pack) : Grey Oyster Mushroom เห็ดนางฟ้า, Oyster Mushroom เห็ดนางรม, Jew's Ear Mushroom เห็ดหูหนู

You can notice that mushroom is always in every set -- of course the major supply is mushroom as the owner has his own fresh mushroom farm, remember? ... and the below picture in the middle is the picture of mushroom farm ... and the other two was real finished product of Vegetable Set.





Similar to tempura, the product must be with deep-fried coating with something similar to the tempura batter (but in Thai Style). However, with some technique that need to bake into the oven again before packing. This baking process is to get rid the oil on !!!

Now from the local product selling in only souvenir shop in Phatthalung Province, it become more and more known ... such as the pack that I show you, I bought from Foodland Supermarket ... you can find this product available in Convenience Store and other supermarket (and Hypermarket) as well.

Hed Lam-Thong Na-Nhod Farm
Tel : 074-641-082 / (089) 870-2332
Website : www.thaitempura.com

I would like to thank to the owner & thaitempura.com as I put some of their pictures in this blog to show the real material & some of the process to you all ...