Sadow is truly for the adventuresome.

Sadow is a big tree that grows throughout Thailand. It is one of a few trees that lose its leaves in January and then immediately flowers. The new flowers are picked with its branch attached. Other times of the years, young leaves are picked.

Before cooking, Sadow is probably the most bitter thing you can find. You can either blanch it or grill it. You blanch it in boiling water a couple of times to reduce the bitterness. The drained water from the blanching is strong enough that you can use it as a natural, effective bug repellent on plants. To grill it, you just place it on a warm grill.

To eat Sadow, you take the base of the stem in one hand and then pull the individual stems through the pinched finger and thumb of your other hand. This way you can pull off the leaves, berries, flowers, and tender tips.

Sadow is served with grilled shrimp or grilled catfish and sweet and sour tamarind sauce. When you eat it with sweet and sour sauce, the tastes collide with the bitterness of sadow violently. Sadow is only for those who dare to enjoy strong flavors and contrasts and, in Thailand, is not served to kids.