The title of this cookbook, spotted at Asia Books in Bangkok, provided me with a mini-vacation.

I stopped.
I laughed.
I took a photograph.

Here’s the thing… Poo is the chef’s nickname; it means crab in Thai.

It’s a very common practice for Thai parents to give nicknames to their children. Here are some nicknames I have encountered: Casino; Vegas; Pear/Pare; Apple; Jit; Jet; Noon; Bell; Golf and Ice. Here is a Thai blogger’s take on the evolution of Thai nicknames.

When I googled this cookbook, I learned that Khun Poo has just won this year’s Diagram Prize for the oddest book title of the year. You can read more about this year’s competition here. Upon receiving the award, Chef Saiyuud Diwong said, “Thank you everyone. I am lucky to have such a funny nickname, it helps my business a lot!”