DIY Krapao box set on sale from ฿189
When it comes to Thailand’s national dish, Tom Yum Goong or Pad Thai may come to mind. But most locals will tell you that our real national dish is Pad Krapao.
Knowing that people are very particular about their food, Baiprao, a small local shop that specialises in Krapao delivery, introduced a DIY Krapao box set that will allow their customers to cook their own basil stir-fried rice dishes. However, this has also drawn its own share of controversy when a viral TikTok video left Thai netizens divided on the box set.
So what exactly is in this box that’s gotten 6 million people looking?
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DIY Krapao box set sold for ฿189
฿189 (~USD5.05) for a simple, quick dish is absurd by Thai standards. But the box justifies this lofty price point by packing a whole kitchen into the box so the customer can appreciate the food through cooking.
The box includes a fully functional mini charcoal grill along with matches. You have cooking oil. You have the garlic minced for you and chilis chopped up. You can even balance the proportion of minced pork and basil to your liking.
Image Credit: Baiprao
They provide you with a spoon specifically for cooking that is separate from the eating utensils. Even the sauce is there for you.
Since this is delivered to you, if you’re one of those people who secretly enjoy corn, onions, or any of the taboo ingredients in your Krapao then no one has to know your dirty secrets. The only missing ingredient is the fried egg but Baiprao gets a pass for not adding some of the more controversial stuff.
Considering all that, perhaps it isn’t too pricey at ฿189 (~USD5.05) for the Minced Pork Box Set or ฿229 (~USD6.14) for the Ground Beef Box Set. It certainly lifts Krapao from regular grub to a special occasion.
Which is why it wasn’t surprising when a post showing the box set went viral on TikTok.
Viral TikTok video leaves Thai netizens divided
The post which has garnered over 6.3 million views over the past week on TikTok fully demonstrates how to use the DIY box. Many locals enjoyed the novelty and left positive comments. Others expressed a desire to try the box themselves.
Screenshot: @aiiirsuro
Translation: This is like when we played shopkeeper as kids.
Screenshot: @aiiirsuro
Translation: This makes me as excited as I was when I was a child playing shopkeeper. Forget the price. What I’m getting out of this is happiness.
Not all comments were positive as many criticized the box for the amount of waste.
Screenshot: @aiiirsuro
Translation: Personally, I think this is pointless waste. It is a burden for both the customer and our planet.
Finally, that leaves the matter of whether this box is worth your time.
Make your own Krapao if you have the time
We understand that many working Thais are hard-pressed to find time to indulge in DIY cooking due to their tight schedules. This Krapao box set certainly goes against the grain as it requires time invested into cooking the dish.
But we believe there’s always an intangible value in making it yourself. Besides, Krapao is a classic dish that’s pretty hard to screw up. With all the ingredients portioned for you, it’ll take a master to produce something gnarly. But if you do, be sure to post it on social media for hilarious responses. Just look at when both Thais and Swedes had a great time after the Swedish embassy apologised for their ‘blasphemous‘ version of Krapao on Facebook.
Screenshot: Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok
If you’re looking for something to literally spice up your lunch, however, ฿189 (~USD5.05) for a fairly tasty meal and a fun activity rolled into one is worth a try in our books.
Cover images adapted from (Clockwise from Top Left): @aiiirsuro, @aiiirsuro, @aiiirsuro
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