Thailand Food

Hot Stuff. Thai cuisine’s fascination with the chili pepper has been known to cause stomach discomfort or other unsavory digestive problems for the unaccustomed traveler. To avoid potentially painful dining experiences, stay away from smaller, hotter peppers and learn the phrase mai pet (“not hot”) or pet nit noy (“a little hot”).

Thai food is actually a collection of influences and spices from Asia, India, South America, and Europe. The Chinese brought the technique of frying to Southeast Asia and many Thai dishes originated in India.

Traditional Thai food varies from region to region. Although it is a sea-based cuisine, with many of its ingredients (fish, vegetables, and herbs) taken directly from river regions and oceans, Thailand’s staple food, just like its Asian neighbors, is rice. “To eat” in Thai is literally “eat rice,” or kin khao . Even this staple has variations. Those in Central Thailand usually eat plain rice, whereas the Northern Thai specialty is sticky rice, or khao niaw , a glutinous grain, which is eaten with everything. A traditional Thai meal is composed of a harmony of spices, tastes, and textures. It always includes a fish plate, a vegetable dish, a curry with condiments, and soup. By the time they leave the country, backpackers will inevitably have eaten their weight in pad thai, claimed to be Thailand’s national dish. Pan-fried noodles, garlic, bean sprouts, ground peanuts, eggs, dried red chili, and shallots are the defining ingredients in this common dish. Fried and veggie-stuffed spring rolls, or po pia thot, are similarly ubiquitous. Green curry, made of lemongrass, coriander root, garlic, green chilis, and galanga, is mixed with meat or fish for another standard meal. Those new to Thai food often become obsessed with som tam, a shredded salad from northeastern Thailand, which contains shredded raw papaya, diced long beans, dried shrimp, and toasted peanuts, combined with palm sugar, lemon juice, fish sauce, and hot chilies.

Drinks

Most meals are served with drinking water, but Thais will often purchase purified bottled water as tap water in places like Bangkok is generally unsafe to drink. When asking for ice, make sure it is made with purified drinking water. Thai coffee ( kaafae thom or kaafae thung ), both Indian and Chinese teas, and iced lime juice with sugar ( naam manao ) are quite popular in Thailand. Thais drink most fruit juices with a little salt mixed in, so specify mai sai kleu (“without salt”) if this sounds unappealing. And don’t be surprised if your iced drink is handed to you in a plastic bag; unlike spill-prone plastic cups, the bag is perfect for that motorbike ride through the crowded Thai streets. Thai beer and rice whiskey are also widely consumed. Singha beer, whose original, bitter recipe was developed in 1934 by nobleman Phya Bhirom Bhakdi, is by far the most common. For the very brave, there is “white liquor” ( lao khao ), which is made from sticky rice and contains 35% alcohol. Liquors made from herbs, spices, roots, seeds, and fruits can be found throughout the country, often homemade, but be wary: some illegal concoctions have close to 95% alcohol.