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.
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.
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.
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.Thai Food : Seafood 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.
