FOOD NEWS
The Mystery Behind The Naming Of Thai 'Son-In-Law' Eggs
By Elias Nash
Kai look keuy is a staple in the Thai street food scene — hard-boiled eggs finished off in hot oil and topped with a sweet and sour sauce made from palm sugar, oil, shallots, fish sauce, coriander, and tamarind. According to Atlas Obscura, the name of this dish translates in English as 'son-in-law eggs,' and there is a rather gruesome story behind this moniker.
The origin of the name is not entirely clear, but Atlas Obscura says the most popular explanation comes from a legend concerning a vengeful mother-in-law who learned about her son-in-law’s mistreatment of her daughter. According to the legend, she invited her son-in-law over, served him a pair of fried eggs, and threatened that if he didn’t change his ways, a certain other pair of anatomical orbs would be fried next.
Bangkok-based blogger Xinyi Liang tells another story about a petty man and his son-in-law competing in an omelet challenge. The man, who sought to embarrass his son-in-law, went first and sabotaged his son-in-law by boiling the remaining eggs. When the son-in-law found out, he improvised by frying the eggs and whipping up a sauce from the ingredients he had on hand — ultimately winning the competition.