by Lydia Seiter – Chemical Engineering Junior, Studying Abroad
This weekend, I spent time exploring Chiang Mai with my Thai friends, Joanne and Nam. I met Joanne in the “American Corner” room at Chiang Mai University, where there are American books and magazines to make us American students feel at home. I then met Joanne’s roommate, Nam, at the Hilltribe Discovery Museum, on a field trip for my ethnic studies class. We spent time together this weekend, visiting temples and many local restaurants. Joanne and Nam have been so friendly and welcoming to me, and have shown me so many places in Chiang Mai that I never would have discovered on my own. For example: Anchan Noodle Restaurant!
This restaurant is a special place where all the food is made from “anchan” – a blue flower, also known as Asian pigeonwings, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea and Darwin pea. Flour noodles are dyed cerulean, rice is colored sapphire, and delicious sodas gleam azure. The most amazing part was the science experiment of squeezing a fresh lime into the anchan soda – the change in pH, due to the acidic citrus, caused the blue beverage to turn purple!!!
Though the food and drink was bright blue, the flower did not have an overwhelming taste – it was a very mild hint of flavor. But the sights and experience of eating a totally blue meal was a rare novelty, especially knowing that the rich, vibrant color was completely natural, not made from any artificial chemicals or dyes.