Thai cuisine

16 May 2010

Are ants sour? What do grasshoppers taste like? Is cantaloupe a lunch dish? You’ll find the answers to all these questions in Thailand. The flavour, aroma, and exoticism of the food will exhilarate your senses. Don’t be surprised at tourists taking photos of beautifully-served dishes.

Thailand | Thai cuisine is rich in colors and tastes (by missbossy )

You may have tried Thai food at home but it was quite likely cuisine modified to suit European tastes. The real Thailand is not only about lemon grass and coconut milk, but a real wealth of exotic tastes.

A wealth of tastes

Thai culinary tradition has been shaped by contact with other countries. Particularly noticeable are the Burmese, Laotian, Cambodian and Malaysian influences, and also some Chinese inspirations. Even curry - an immensely popular spice considered the symbol of Thai cuisine - arrived here from India in the 18th Century, and there are many recipes originating in the Muslim tradition. Tomatoes and chili peppers are here thanks to the Portuguese. A skilful combination of local and international ingredients enables Thai chefs to create dishes with extraordinarily distinctive, and unique flavours.

Thailand | Chicken in green curry (by Lummmy )

What do they eat in the regions of Thailand ?

Traditional Thai cuisine was very much about cheap and easily-available ingredients, resulting in big regional differences. In the north, the dishes are milder and include quite a lot of cabbage and pork but not much seafood. The further east you go, the more surprising the food may become, as you can come across such exotic specialties as fried insects (mainly ants, grasshoppers and locusts) or frogs in a spicy sauce. The food here is hot, with copious amounts of chilli added. The south is primarily the country of coconut – sweet coconut milk is an important ingredient in many dishes. Coconut oil, in turn, is used for frying, and gives the dishes a unique taste. Crabs, squid, prawns and lobsters can appear both in main courses as well as in salads. Irrespective of the region, the characteristic feature of Thai cuisine is the balance of the five fundamental taste senses (salt, sweet, bitter, sour, and savoury), which results in exotic combinations of, for example, the sweet and the spicy tastes.

Thailand | In many regions, food is very spicy(by atbaker )

100 ways to serve rice

Rice is the staple ingredient in Thai cooking – it appears on the table every day. There are several different kinds of rice, with varying lengths and shapes of grain. It can be prepared in a variety of ways: fried, boiled, steamed or served in the form of gruel. The simplest dish is a bowl of hot, steaming rice mixed with aromatic spices and fresh herbs. Rice is also the basis of filling meat dishes, made from chicken or pork with a thick, spicy sauce. Also, it is often served with soya or fish sauce, which gives it a distinctive, salty flavour. Rice also accompanies the most popular dish here – curry. Curry may either be a very thick sauce with lots of meat or watery, resembling soup. The two best-known varieties are yellow and green (fish) curry. Both of them are exceptionally spicy. A slightly milder dish is yam – pieces of meat, fish and vegetables arranged on lettuce leaves. The essential part of a meal is soup, spicy and sour prawn soup being the most popular. When it Thailand, you should try the exotic fruits that can be bought at every market. The choice is huge, Apart from the familiar bananas, watermelons and pineapples (which are exceptionally cheap and juicy here) you can also try guava, papaya, cantaloupe or longan fruit. Refreshing drinks based on fruit juice also enjoy great popularity.

Thailand | Thais pay great attention to proper table manners (by Martin Bartosch )

A visual feast

Food is an important element of Thai culture: families gather and important social meetings take place at the table. Thais pay close attention, therefore, to table settings and carefully follow the rules of etiquette. Even simple meals are accompanied by elaborate decorations or garnish made from fresh fruit and vegetables cut into fancy shapes. Table manners are also important. Thais use chopsticks but, unlike other Asian nations, only to eat noodles. With rice dishes, spoons and forks are used. Taking the fork into your right hand and putting food directly into your mouth is a big faux pas – it should only be used to put bites of food onto your spoon. Some dishes, e.g. thick sticky rice, is eaten with the fingers in the form of small balls dipped into sauce. You should remember, however, to use only your right hand. Tasty food can be sampled both from street vendors and small eateries. Your best bet is where the local people eat – you’ll discover the genuine Thai fare there.