One of the great pleasure of being in Thailand is that
there is a great abundance of eating places and the
cost of eating is rather cheap when compared to those
in Western countries. As Thailand is a major agricultural
country, grains, vegetables, meat and all kinds of foodstuff
are produced here at very reasonable prices. Besides,
aquatic and marine animals are easily acquired from
the sea and many rivers. These factors together with
the gift of cooking of Thai people make Thailand a paradise
for every food lover.
Wherever you are in Thailand, you'll surely find a good
number and variety of eating places -- perhaps much
more than you've ever expected. And that's why many
Western visitors said that one of their pleasures while
being in Thailand is EATING! When asked why? They simply
said -- Because it is delicious and cheap!
Thai
Food
The unique feature of Thai cuisine is the mixture of 4
basic tastes -- salty, sweet, sour and pungent. Many dishes
can even be described as pungent and spicy with lots of
garlic, chilies, and fresh herbs. Thai food not only tastes
good, but is also healthy due to its low fat and high
fibre and the nutritious properties of its herbal ingredients.
Click
to read the full story of "Thai Food the Harmony
of Flavours and Health"
Anyway, Thai
food can be basically divided into four groups according
to its region of origin -- central, northern, northeastern
(Isan) and southern.
Thai
food in the central part is a combination of various
tastes -- hot, salty, sweet and greasy. People in the
central and southern regions eat steamed rice with side
dishes, such as curries, shrimp paste dip with fresh vegetables,
fried dishes and soups. While many dishes of the central
region receive the influence of Chinese cuisine, the southern
ones are influenced by Malay cuisine.
Another difference is that the southern dishes consist
mainly of sea fish. Its taste is sour, salty and very
hot since people like to use turmeric in cooking. Khanom
chin (Thai rice vermicelli) is a popular native food
of the South, which is taken with vegetables and a hot
and spicy curry.
On the other hand, the northern and northeastern people
prefer eating steamed glutinous rice to non-glutinous
rice. Most
northern dishes are generally milder than those of
the other regions. Sugar, coconut cream and spices are
less used.
Khantok Dinner |
Its well known style of eating is Khantok
Dinner comprising sticky rice, curries and nam phrik ong (a sauce of minced pork, tomatoes
and chilies) all of which are placed in a wooden
tray around which all guests sit and eat with hand. |
Som Tam (bottom) & Grilled
Chicken (top)
|
The taste of the Northeastern
(Isan) food is stronger, more salty, sour and hot
than elsewhere in the country and some dishes receive
the influence of Laos. One unique characteristic
of Isan food is that pla ra (fermented fish)
constitutes a main dish in almost every meal. It
is plainly eaten with glutinous rice or added to
other dishes. |
Som Tam (green papaya salad), one of the most
popular dishes in Thailand, is also an original northeastern
food and is normally eaten with glutinous rice and grilled
chicken.
Basically, eating Thai food is a communal affair joined
by two or more people sharing different dishes. So the
greater the number of diners, the greater the number
of dishes shared. These dishes are eaten together allowing
the diners to enjoy the harmonious tastes of the whole
meal. A typical Thai meal should consist of a soup,
a fried dish, a hot salad (yam), a curry dish
or a dip with fried fish and fresh vegetables. Besides,
Thai food is normally served with a variety of condiments
and sauces, e.g. fish sauce with chilies and vinegar
with chilies.
If you are trying hot Thai food for the first time, you should take plenty of You should also avoid eating
chilies, especially the small red or green ones called phrik khi nu, which is a main ingredient in curries,
hot salad and spicy fried dishes. Thai food is eaten
with a fork and spoon and no knife as all ingredients
are cut in slices or small chunks.
Seafood
Thailand is not only a kingdom of fruits but also a kingdom
of seafood. Anyone who has experienced Thai seafood will
readily agree to its great variety, savoury taste and
sweet smell.
 |
A secret of seafood
deliciousness lies in its freshness. As Thailand
has a long coastline and Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket
and many other cities are close to the sea, fresh
supplies of fishes, crabs, prawns, lobsters, oysters
and other shellfishes are always available and all
eaters will find them most palatable no matter whether
they are gourmets or just ordinary diners. |
Seafood dishes normally are offered at most Chinese restaurants.
In Bangkok, the areas where there are a lot of seafood
restaurants are Yaowarat (Chinatown) and Silom.
Western
& Asian Foods
Most coffee shops in tourist hotels serve an approximation
of European food, some also Chinese and Japanese. For
more authentic dishes, you can try the nationality restaurants,
mostly located in the leading hotels and in the busy shopping
areas. There you will find the food and desserts in their
original tastes.
Western cuisines available in Bangkok and provincial
tourist centres are American, English, French, German,
Hungarian, Italian, Scandinavian, Swiss and Russian.
Asian cuisines include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese,
Indian, Muslim and Arabic.
Chinese
Food
Thailand is an ideal place for enjoying genuine Chinese
food that tastes exactly like that of its country of origin.
The Chinese culinary art was first brought to Thailand
by the Chinese who migrated to this country in large numbers
in the late Ayutthaya period over 200 years ago. As a
result of the long history of contact between the two
peoples, the Thai and the Chinese cultures are now well
mixed in many aspects, including the art of cooking.
Chinese food is commonly served in restaurants and
hotels in every part of Thailand, especially in Bangkok,
Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Indeed, Thailand is
the only place outside China (and Taiwan and Hong Kong)
that can provide tourists with such a wide choice of
delicious Chinese dishes. Bangkok's Chinatown (Yaowarat
Road) is one of the best places for Chinese food, both
in expensive restaurants and at cheap but quality food
stalls which are specially abundant at night.
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