Thai cuisine gives emphasis to casually prepared dishes replete of strong aromatic and spicy elements. It demonstrates an inherent complex and meticulous taste, as well as texture and bursts of color. The ingredients are known to be health enhancers, combined with care, and assembled into rich dishes. Thai food connoisseurs and experts often note that Thai gastronomy discards simplicity, although, in its essence, it is minimalistic.
All this sensory harmony has been registered in the famous and prestigious “World’s 50 Best Foods” list. There are seven Thai dishes ranked in this CNN Travel list:
- #4: Tom yum goong
- #5: Pad Thai
- #6: Som tam
- #10: Massaman curry
- #19: Green curry
- #24: Thai fried rice
- and finally # 36: Nam tok mu
In this website, you will discover that Thai dishes mean assembling apparently incongruent elements into a well-presented melodic symphony.
Thai Food Influences
As a whole, Thai gastronomy can be categorized in parallel with the five biggest regional factions:
- The Bangkok region; known for its colorful street food and with Chinese (Teochew) and Portuguese influences.
- Central Thailand; this region is known for the wet rice-growing plains. The regional dishes incorporate coconut milk, which is perhaps the major ingredient after rice.
- Northeastern Thailand or Isan; here the cuisine is culturally similar to Laos gastronomy, with hints of Khmer food.
- Northern Thailand; the gastronomical choices share similarities and affinities with northeastern Thailand cuisine.
- Southern Thailand; bordering Malaysia and surrounded on two sides by tropical sea and many islands, southern Thailand cuisine is rich, due to its many influences.
From Thailand to Your Table
Due to its simple complexity and many influences, Thai food has a lot to absorb and understand. Whether you are a Thai food expert, food lover or just a curious traveler, you can always benefit from some guidance and tips to better understand the roots of this spectacular cuisine.
The combinations of raw ingredients in Thai cuisine is virtually infinite; therefore, the topics we can cover are diverse, but of course, we include the most known Thai food fundamentals.
The Street Food Experience
The eminence of Thai street food is world-famous and Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is frequently referred to as the street food capital of the world. The street food culture in Bangkok is known for the variety of food choice and the vast number of merchants.
Vegetarian Dishes
Although only a small percentage of Thailand’s population are vegetarian, and in fact, most Thai food will contain some kind of animal-based ingredient, traditional dishes can be adjusted for vegetarians using substitutes. Before vegetarian practices grew in trend and importance, Thais already celebrated the Nine Emperor Gods Festival or the vegetarian food festival.
Rice and Noodle Dishes
Rice and noodles are the hallmarks of Thai cuisine. From sticky to non-glutenous, rice on its own is a power-ingredient which the locals call “food”, as if you don’t need anything else to survive. Also, noodles can be a variant of rice but are also frequently made of flour, wheat flour or mung bean flour. You will undoubtedly find all the relevant information in this section of the website.
Breakfast Dishes
To start up your day in style, you need good food; however, Thai breakfast dishes do not have a special place in Thai cuisine. The number of Thai dishes for breakfast is, therefore, restricted, but still comprises the super-food they are so proud of; rice. Commonly, the dishes served for breakfast are the same ones Thais eat for lunch or dinner. Discover more in this section.
There are many other aspects to explore in the dynamic Thai dishes such as the sauces, fruits, and spices, and even the serving habits or ice creams and insects.
Come, the food is ready!