Tao Kae roughly means (Chinese) Boss, Businessman or Tycoon, and variations of this can be found across Southeast Asia – spelt towkay/taukeh/tauke in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (although these are more probably borrowed from the closely-related Hokkien dialect) – and reflect immigrant Chinese populations’ prominence in the commerce of the region. The Tao Kae part is a linguistic loan derived from the Chinese words 頭家, pronounced in the Teochew dialect (which is the predominant Chinese dialect group in Thailand, especially around Bangkok – the language is no longer much spoken among the younger generation though). (He’s still relatively young for a billionaire – 37 as at mid-2022.)
The words Tao Kae Noi (เถ้าแก่น้อย) roughly translate to Little Boss, and Tao Kae Noi was the nickname of the brand’s Thai-Chinese founder Tob Itthipat Peeradechapan when he was a kid. Tao Kae Noi’s product, branding and history actually reflect this freewheeling multicultural swirl. The welcoming nature of the Thai people as well as the Land of Smiles’ popularity as a travel destination also mean the demographic mixing continues to this day. Historical reach, relative stability (due to military dominance in the region) and economic prosperity attracted many different peoples to the old kingdom of Siam, and the descendants of most who settled there eventually adopted Thai ways, Thai names and Thai culture. And it’s hinted that Dissaya has Middle Eastern (or maybe Indian?) roots (Ep.10 8.05). Meanwhile, the names Pat and Pran are Indic in origin while Ming is a staunch Chinese traditionalist (written up here). And Director Backaof’s late father was given a Catholic funeral (if I remember his Twitter/Instagram postings correctly). Just look at Bad Buddy itself – Nanon is part-Vietnamese, Ohm is Thai-Chinese, Drake is half white American, Love Pattranite is part-Japanese, while Milk Pansa has four ethnicities mixed in (Thai, Mon, Chinese and Danish – see the YouTube video linked here, timestamp 7.06). Below the surface, there are hints of a more heterogenous cultural history. While it’s true that Thai culture and the Thai language are population unifiers in the country, Bad Buddy has made me realize that the situation is more nuanced than I had originally thought.
This multicultural snack is also quite the metaphor for intercultural exchange in the 21st century, both in Thailand and on a more global scale.īefore BBS I was used to thinking of Thailand as a cultural monolith, where (almost) everybody is of Thai ethnicity (except for the Malay-dominated southern provinces), similar to the way Japan likes to think of itself. 😊👌 Gonna be on my meal rotation from now on! Recipe linked here if you’re interested.īut TKN nourishes the mind and soul as well as the body (bear with me on this one 😊). It does not store any personal data.Pasta with Tao Kae Noi, somewhat like aglio olio, but with even more of an umami kick from the seaweed. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
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