Ambrosia

There is a specialness to the meeting place; to the ordained melding point of ideas and desires. Plucked from the high slopes of Santikhiri (Peace Hill) in northwestern Thailand, Ambrosia breakfast is testament to the interconnection of three kingdoms: insect, plant and animal. Tender tea shoots are bitten by jassids, which cause the plant to release an alluring scent, attracting predators of the insect. Producer Mr. Lu’s task is to court the jassids to his garden—a delicate balance—and pluck the bitten shoots. To those hesitant of the notion of bug-bitten leaves, there’s a famous Thai quip: “Mai pen rai,” meaning, simply, “nevermind.”