Kham Phaka
Nation, food and revolution
“The fact that this time I accepted the role of chef to prepare the chicken message. Because I want to create a service to promote chicken farming for the poultry industry in Thailand. and do it while having fun and with the desire to make chicken farming in Thailand progressive. I personally do not want or expect any kind of fame or honor.”
Luang Suwanwajakasikit
According to the book Revolution on the tip of the tongue Regulate the taste. Food in Thai society after 1932, Chatchai Muksong
Because it’s a long vacation. I thought I’d take this opportunity to recommend a book that I think every Thai should read.
that is a book “Revolution on the tip of the tongue”, which has a long name “Regulate the taste. Food in Thai society after 1932
Why I think every Thai should read this book Because when I finish reading We will have a flash of light and awareness about ourselves as Thais and the food that is in our daily lives.
That we often take it for granted, that is, we see it as something we already possess or to which it already belongs. It is a Thai characteristic that has existed for a long time. Unknown to them, many things, or almost everything, that constitute “Thai characteristics” and the “Thai” way of life are all new things that were developed just after 1932.
how to raise and consume chicken meat and eggs
In 1932 Thailand had a population of 13 million people, of which 10 million worked in the agricultural sector, so the government of the time focused on promoting agriculture, believing that maintaining agriculture was maintaining prosperity and prosperity. happiness of the population.
Agricultural maintenance For the government after the change of government, what is it?
From the book The Revolution on the Tip of the Tongue It gives us the idea that the agriculture practiced by 10 million Thais occurs “randomly”, without innovation. no technology
Simply put, The life of the native Thais of the countryside There is a backward state, let’s not forget that for many countries 1932 was 1932. In 1932 it was the “modern” era, there was electricity and conveniences. There is a university. There is experimental agricultural research. There is progress in science.
But in the countryside, Siamese still make a primitive living, with no toilets or sanitation systems. No animals are raised for food or raised as an agricultural occupation. Chicken farming is a local breed of chickens raised randomly.
And it appears that Siamese who were not royalty, nobles or merchants were malnourished, starved of food and did not consume protein and meat according to modern nutritional principles. Because the chickens raised by the villagers are not raised for daily consumption. They are bred to be used in rituals to worship ghosts.
You can only eat pork a few times a year. The protein source is likely to be any river fish you can find.
Even soybean cultivation Planting soybean sprouts These are all projects started by the government after 1932.
A very important project of the post-1932 government, especially the Field Marshal’s government. P. Pibulsongkram is “promoting animal husbandry through breeding and modern methods” by addressing other countries at the same time. They all have modern livestock. Be it America, Canada, Australia, Philippines and Japan.
At first, the government focused on promoting chicken farming. Both broilers and laying hens Because raising chickens gives results quickly and does not require a long period of time. Answer income questions and increase the nutritional level of Thais in a timely manner
And please imagine Thais of that era who were thin, small, stunted and probably short-lived. The mortality rate of newborns is very high. Caused by not eating foods that are beneficial to the body
Let’s keep imagining it If we were the government The country must be managed so that it is prosperous and has the potential to compete with other countries. We must have strong, brilliant citizens with good brains and big, muscular bodies. Women should be pompous and elegant.
But the citizens of Siam on the day the People’s Party came to lead the country were all tired and sickly citizens who could neither read nor write. Have a quality of life A lifestyle similar to that of a forest barbarian.
Therefore, projects on food, agriculture, health and physical education are the most important “nation-building” projects.
Under the modern agricultural development project Physical education project, sports, sports is the magic medicine, takes away the pile of desires, transforms people into people. Promotion project Public relations on nutrition, agricultural fairs, beauty pageants for women and men, and efforts to create standards for traditional marriage. “Thai cosmopolitanism” is like wearing a sarong sewn like a skirt. So there is an upgrade implication. “All Thais should be dignified and have dignity” fully and equally because we are all “Thais are equal.”
For me this implication is little discussed. But reading “Revolution on the Tip of the Tongue” books will make us see very clearly the relationship between taste, food, civilization, nation building and creating dignified and healthy citizens.
In the 1930s the government promoted Widely support chicken farming Distribute chicken breeds Let government officials lead by example. Organize a chicken breeding competition Laying hen competition To prove that foreign chicken breeds can really be raised in Thailand. Try to support their growth according to academic principles. It’s not a free-range way to earn your food haphazardly.
What I want to pay attention to is that it reflects the government’s attitude towards the people, that is, it does not consider Thais stupid. But I see that opportunities are missing. lack of promotion
After the change of government, the government believes that people have the potential to “develop” and can learn, and does not consider “modern knowledge” to be the exclusive property of elites.
Year 1949, Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram Establish a horticulture and animal husbandry committee for the benefit of families.
Work in integration between the Ministry of Education, Trade, Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Fisheries, Livestock and Public Health.
And as soon as a vaccine against chicken epidemics was invented The government immediately imported the vaccines for use.
Field Marshal P. said: “Raising chickens in this way also creates health for the nation. Because eggs are the best food paired with fresh milk. When people have eggs and milk to eat regularly. Hygiene will improve.”
Not only that, in 1950 the budget was also approved. Promote chicken farming for the Chicken Organization for another 9 million baht, with the Chicken Settlement Cooperative Project. Promote chicken farming to reduce the cost of living. It’s a new income, a new career, including help with capital, land and loan funds for those who already raise chickens so they can expand their business.
Besides raising chickens A very interesting thing is Supporting villagers in growing chili peppers in 6 provinces: Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Surat Thani.
In 1950, plans were made to export ducks, chickens and eggs to foreign countries such as Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The exciting thing is All of this happened in the space of a few years. This shows the seriousness of the government of the time in transforming Siam from a haphazard country. To a country that has agricultural potential that can be exported and generate income for the country. Since our export products were rice, sugarcane and rubber.
The problems that the government after the change of government must urgently solve and publicize to raise awareness among people and make it a national agenda are:
“Increase the strength of the nation by eating food according to science”
“By the strength of the nation’s power to multiply the number of citizens In order to reduce the death rate and advance… the time has come for the Thai nation to erase various ancient traditions. which retards the progress of the nation and the country and above all the abolition of ancient customs. which forces us to eat a lot of rice and little. From now on, let’s move on to eating a moderate amount of rice and eating a lot of food. “Con” here means various meats, eggs, fish, beans, shrimp, not chili paste or red curry” (Revolution with the End of the Tongue, page 52)
The government’s concern about malnutrition led to an announcement to the effect “Thailand needs Proteinism to build the nation” and an agency was established. The “Consumer Wellbeing Division” is responsible for promoting subjects related to consumer science. Promote the health of people in the nation
Consumer science that the government wants to promote, such as “Eat well, eat on time and know the value of various foods. Don’t eat to be satisfied, but eat to feel good” (p. 53)
The doctor who plays an important role in this matter is Dr. Yong Chutima, who holds the position of head of the Food Promotion Division. He analyzed Siamese food.
“Rice is a standing food, with salted fish, salted shrimp or a little salted meat as flavor enhancers to help swallow the rice. There may also be boiled vegetables, steamed vegetables or fresh vegetables. But the quantity is very little” (page 54), which is why we try to convince people to add more eggs, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit.
By reading historical information like this, we know that slogans like “In the water there are fish, in the fields there is rice” paint a picture of fertile Thailand. Beautiful images of the countryside, with rice, fish and lots of fruit and vegetables. All this does not correspond to what happened in history.
What is true is that most Siamese natives were physically weak. They are malnourished, small in stature, stunted, not strong and have a short life expectancy.
Nature can be abundant. but I have no knowledge of any technology Or even a sense of “Our lives can be better than this.”
because he was imprisoned with the thought We were born this way to live this way and die this way.
Happiness and wealth do not come from “Government work” but on the “national birth” which cannot be changed.
The book “The revolution with the tip of the tongue” is therefore not a book on the history of food.
But it is a book about the history of nation-building.
Read about agricultural and nutrition policies that mean creating wealth, stability and strength for citizens in the “new era” of the Thai nation. It’s really worth reading.
Because this is a guide to understanding. “Thainess” which I think is the most important but is the most overlooked.
I would like to elevate it to book of the year 2023.
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– Matichon Weekly Matichon Sudsapda (@matichonweekly) July 27, 2022
2024-01-09 02:20:44
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