Cha-om

Cha-om, native to Southeast Asia, is a tropical shrub-like plant of the acacia family. Thais will pick the featherly leaves at the top where the tender new shoots emerge for cooking. This pungeont yet delicious ferny shoots are often cooked with beaten eggs in an omelette style called Cha-om Kai, which is to be dipped in fermented shrimp paste chilli sauce called Nahm Prik Kapi, or added to a sour-spicy prawn curry called Kaeng Som Cha-om Goong.