An Education on Thai Relishes and Creamy-Salty-Sweet Lon at NYC’s Kru

Last month, I dunked a shaved purple radish into a salty, sweet, smoky, porky bowl of dip at Kru in Brooklyn, having no idea that, up until that moment, I’d completely missed out on an ancient and fundamental category of Thai cuisine. Relishes. 

“Relishes are a core of Thai cooking. When we eat family-style, without the core, how is it going to be a complete experience?” says Chef...