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Aroy Mak Mak

Stink Bean

สะตอ

Sator: bright green beans from the south, bitter and pungent, stir-fried with shrimp paste.

Stink Bean

Sator, also called petai or stink bean, grows in long twisted pods on tall trees in southern Thailand. The bright green beans have a bitter, garlicky flavour and a smell that lingers, and they are much loved in the south.

Pronunciationsa-tor
FlavourBitter, nutty and garlicky, with a lingering smell
Used inPad sator with shrimp paste, southern curries, with nam prik
SubstituteBroad beans for texture, without the flavour

How it is used

Stir-fried with prawns or pork and a lot of shrimp paste and chilli in pad sator kapi goong, the classic southern dish. The beans are also eaten raw or blanched with nam prik, and added to southern curries.

Preparing it

Pop the beans out of the pods and peel off the thin skin if it is tough. Halve large beans so they cook evenly. Frozen beans are already shelled.

Buying and storing

Sold in pods, shelled or frozen in Southeast Asian grocers. Pods keep for a few days in the fridge; shelled beans are best frozen.

Cook’s tip

If you are new to sator, start with a few beans in a dish with plenty of shrimp paste and chilli. The strong seasoning balances its bitterness.

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