Mi krop (Thai: หมี่กรอบ, pronounced [mìː krɔ̀ːp]), also spelled mee krob, is a Thai dish consisting of deep-fried rice vermicelli noodles with a sweet and sour sauce. Mi krop means "crisp noodles". The citrusy, sour note in the sauce often comes from the peel of som sa, a Thai citrus fruit similar to citron.[2]

Mi krop
Mi krop of Talat Phlu
Alternative namesMi krop sawoei sawan (หมี่กรอบเสวยสวรรค์; lit: "crisp noodles to god") name given by King Rama V[1]
Mi krop ror ha (หมี่กรอบ ร.5; lit: "Rama V's crisp noodles")[1]
TypeNoodle
Place of originThailand
Region or stateSoutheast Asia
Associated cuisineThailand
Main ingredientsRice noodles, sauce

The dish consists of crispy fried thin rice noodles mixed with fried tofu, fried shrimp, pork, or a combination, and sauced with a mixture of lemon or lime juice, fish sauce, tomato paste, kaffir lime leaves, chilis, and sugar.[3] The dish can be garnished with scallions, bean sprouts, cilantro, chilis, and fried egg strips.[4]

The dish has a legend, when King Rama V visited the people by boat in the Talad Phlu area and smell the noodles that a Chinese immigrant named "Chin Li" (จีนหลี) stir-frying at that time. He stopped the boat, ate it, and very much liked it. This led to the dish receiving another name: Mi krop ror ha.[1]

In Bangkok, there are two restaurants notable for their Mi krop: Talat Phlu in the Thon Buri side, and Phra Nakhon near the Giant Swing and Bangkok City Hall. Both use old recipes from the reign of King Rama V.[5][1]

The dish was mentioned by Carrie Bradshaw in an episode of Sex and the City. It is listed as one of several items Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory gets on The Gang's weekly Thai food night. Eric Cartman mentions the dish in the South Park episode "It Hits the Fan", although he expresses a strong dislike for it.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d "'หมี่กรอบจีนหลี' สูตรนี้..ขายดีตั้งแต่อดีต". Daily News (in Thai). 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  2. ^ "Mi Krop – Thai fried noodles with pork and shrimp". Bonduelle. Archived from the original on 2015-04-14. Retrieved 22 Mar 2015.
  3. ^ "Mee krob | Traditional Noodle Dish From Thailand | TasteAtlas". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  4. ^ "Mee krob | Traditional Noodle Dish From Thailand | TasteAtlas". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  5. ^ "(ชมคลิป) หมี่กรอบร.๕ สูตรโบราณ อร่อยนึกว่าอยู่ในวัง ร้านมิตรโกหย่วน!!". Khao Sod (in Thai). 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  6. ^ "Mee krob anyone? Thais try to revive ailing cuisine". Reuters. 2008-12-09. Retrieved 2022-02-05.