PRODUCT INFO
Cha-om, a tropical member of the acacia family (Acacia pennata) native to mainland Southeast Asia, is a well-loved herby vegetable among Thais, Cambodians and Laotians. The parts that are eaten are the ferny young leaf shoots and tender tips before the stems turn tough and thorny. It has a particular fragrance that may seem unpleasant at first to the unaccustomed, but when it's cooked up, it's so tasty that most people can't stop eating it and the aroma is just part of the package and soon becomes quite likable.
USES
The most common way cha-om is cooked is with beaten eggs, like in an omelette, which is then cut into squares or rectangles to serve with pungent nahm prik (hot chilli sauces, usually with fermented shrimp paste - nahm prik kapi in Thai) and fried fish (usually Asian mackerel, or pla too).
SEASONS
Cha-om is available year-round.
