Thai food is without a doubt a millenary treasure of Asian gastronomy because even though it is delicious, it is meticulously designed to satisfy not only the taste, but sight and smell too.
The principle of thai’s food is harmony among its flavor, color and scent. This is a perfect blend that’s balanced with the light, strong, or even spicy scented dressings.
Also, this special gastronomic style further from cooking, is inspired in the buddhist theory of energy. This is reflected in the way they try to avoid big pieces of meat that will be crushed and then wrapped in scented herbs.
Even though, thai food is mainly influenced by the traditional practices of the region, it also has a deutsch, french, japanese and portuguese background. These last ones introduced the spiciness in XV century after they discovered it in South America.
Like Asian gastronomy, the main ingredient is rice; steamed, fried, cooked or in soup. Nevertheless in thai food, something that cannot be missed is curry .
Another typical ingredients are:
- Garlic
- Pepper
- Noodles
- Coconut milk
- Pork meat
- Chicken
- Soy
So… What to order in a thai food restaurant? Up next you’ll find out about the dishes you must try while you’re travelling through Thailand:
Phat Thai
This dish was invented in the beginnings of the XX century by a thai-chinese cook, who mixed rice noodles battered with egg, cheese and shrimps. Besides, he created a special sauce by extracting fish-flavors and it didn’t took too long for it to become in one of the traditional dressings in this gastronomic style.
Som Tam
This is a stew created in ancient Thailand, furthermore, it has been changed across the years. It’s basically green papaya strips mashed up with fresh tomatoes, lima beans, chile and lemon, all dressed with fish sauce. It may be kind-of-exotic but it is one of the greatest combinations in this fine cuisine.
Laap
This countryside dish was created in north Thailand where it’s also known as Larb or Larp. It is made-up of chopped meat spiced-up with toasted rice, lemon juice, fish sauce and aromatic herbs.
If you try it, don’t forget to ask for steamed rice to go with it.
Tom Yum
This is an exquisite broth scented with fine herbs, it is also known as “thai sour soup”. There are several versions, one with shrimps that has become a hit because it mixes delicious shrimps wrapped in cheese crust.
Green Curry
Without a doubt this is the perfect dish for thai food starters. It is a mix among pasta, spicy species, fine herbs and a fine touch of coconut milk.
Even though thai food may be a little extravagant because of flavors and combinations, it offers healthy and tons of options in ingredients and forms of preparation.
Meals are usually shared among 2 or more people because all dishes are brought to table at the same time. This way you may share all stews, except rice because it is served in personal portions and is supposed to be eaten with your hands.
Now that you know the basics of thai food, you will be able to ask for better combinations among thai flavors and variety.