A Short Guide to Thai Food

Thai food can be spicy, but there is more to Thai cuisine than hot curries. Traditional Thai cuisine uses a variety of herbs and spices, and one of the key ideas is harmony. A lot of attention goes to detail and using different flavors and textures, and every meal should include all the five flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, hot, and sour. Different regions have their own cuisines and specialties.
The Basics of Thai Cuisine
Rice is served at almost every meal in Thailand. Rice comes in many different varieties: jasmine rice, brown rice, red rice or sticky rice for desserts. Curries are always served with rice, as its bland flavour balances the curry's spiciness. Some Thai curries are indeed very hot, but some are milder. Red curry is the spiciest, green curry is medium spicy, and Massaman curry is a milder curry made with coconut milk, potatoes and peanuts.

Famous Thai dishes include tom yam kung, a sour and spicy shrimp soup that is flavoured with galangal (ginger) and lemongrass; tom kha, a coconut-flavored soup; and som tam, a spicy green papaya salad. Thai salad is usually spicy and gets its flavour from lime, chilli and fish sauce.

Fish sauce adds a salty flavour to a dish and it is added to most foods, even dishes that are otherwise vegetarian. Pla ra is a fermented version of fish sauce that is especially common in northern Thailand. Nam prik is the famous Thai chilli paste that is made with herbs, spices, lime, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste. As well to chilli, Thai cuisine uses a lot of fresh herbs such as kaffir lime leaves, fresh coriander, lemon grass and galangal root. Many ingredients in Thai food also have medicinal benefits.

Although rice is the main staple food, there are many noodle dishes. Phad Thai (fried noodles) is a typical and much loved street food dish. Noodles come in different thicknesses and they are usually made of rice, although egg noodles are sometimes used too. Thai noodles are eaten with chopsticks, unlike other dishes that are eaten with a fork and a spoon.

It is not always easy to know if a dish is vegetarian, because many dishes that seem vegetarian contain fish sauce. There are many strictly vegan and vegetarian restaurants in big cities, tourist destinations and temples.
Regional Specialties
Each region has its own style of cooking and specialities. For example, the food in Isaan in northeast Thailand is influenced by Lao cuisine, and in the southern regions, food is often influenced by Malaysian cuisine. One northern Thailand speciality is khao soi: a creamy egg noodle curry that is made with coconut milk, garnished with fresh coriander leaves and served with chilli paste, pickles and slices of red onion.

Stewing, grilling and baking are traditional cooking methods in Thailand, but the influence of Chinese cuisine made stir-frying and deep-frying popular. Thai cuisine often takes outside influences and mixes them with local ideas, adapting foreign dishes to suit Thai tastes and substituting ingredients with local alternatives.

Eating Is a Social Occasion
A Thai meal includes a variety of dishes: soup, curry, salad, rice, a steamed dish, a fried dish and sauces for dipping. All dishes are served at the same time, not as separate courses.
A Thai meal is also a social occasion. Dishes are placed on the table and everyone takes a few spoonfuls from every dish. Food is eaten with a spoon and a fork: use the spoon to bring food to your mouth. Thai food is always served in small, bite-sized pieces so that there is no need for a knife.

Desserts and Drinks
Traditional Thai desserts are made with sticky rice, coconut milk, fruits and sweet syrups. Some desserts, such as sticky rice with mango, are also sold as snacks that you can buy in individual portions from street stalls. Sweet cakes and pastries are also popular. Drinks include local beer, fruit juices and iced tea or iced coffee.

Thailand grows a huge variety of tropical fruit: mango, papaya, rambutan, dragonfruit, lychees, jackfruit, pomelo, pineapple and many others. You can find fruit at local markets, blended into smoothies or juices, or sold at street stalls in small portions that are cut into pieces and ready to eat.

Eating Out in Thailand
While you can eat excellent meals in restaurants, you should also try street food in Thailand. Most cities have street food carts and shacks on almost every corner, and markets are great places to try street food. The best way to find good street food is to go where a lot of local people are eating.
First-time visitors often worry about the hygiene at street food stalls. Food that is freshly prepared and cooked is usually safe to eat. Food that is left to stand in the heat may not be healthy. Food that is cooked thoroughly or fried in front of you is safer than raw food. Eating at street food stalls is one of the joys of visiting Thailand, so make sure to try at least some street food on your Thailand vacation.

Thai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the world. If you are visiting Thailand and want to try making some of your favourite Thai dishes, there are many cooking courses for tourists. Thai herbs, spices and chilli paste also make great souvenirs to bring home from your vacation.
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