Thai Cuisine

Thai cuisine is extremely popular internationally and enjoys an excellent reputation.

Thai cuisine has the particularity of subtly combining flavors by mixing bitter, sweet, salty, and spicy ingredients. It's also particularly good for health, as the preparation of different dishes involves the use of a multitude of fresh aromatic herbs and various vegetables.

Eating in Thailand is a very important ritual with a special social dimension. The people of the Land of Smiles have the habit of not eating alone and always share the different dishes during a meal.

In Thailand, mainly a fork and spoon are used for eating (rarely or never a knife as everything is pre-cut during the preparation of the dish). Chopsticks are seldom used (less and less) and mainly serve to eat noodles.

Thai Cuisine: regional specialties

Thailand can be arbitrarily divided into four major culinary regions. Each of these regions is characterized by original Thai cuisine based on locally produced ingredients as well as on history and past cultural influences.

For example, the cuisine of southern Thailand is greatly influenced by India and Malaysia with the use of coconut milk and curries. In Isaan, the cuisine is imbued with know-how from neighboring Laos: extensive use of chili and sticky rice as an accompaniment.
   

Here is a list of different local specialties of Thai cuisine by region. Feel free to taste them; sometimes you'll be delighted, and sometimes you'll reach for a big glass of water after the first bite!

Thai Cuisine: northern dishes

• Naem: pork sausages with green chili. They are usually served with rice.
• Geng Hang Lay: A Burmese curry without chili with pork and tamarind, normally eaten with sticky rice.
• Khao Soi: Egg noodles served with a curry sauce, meat, onions, and lime.

Thai Cuisine: Isaan dishes

• Som Tam: spicy papaya salad. The sweet version is served with peanuts and crushed shrimp (Som Tam Thai). The savory version is served with crushed crabs and macerated fish sauce (Som Tam Phoo Pha Ra).
• Laap: minced meat flavored with chili, onions, mint, and lime juice.
• Nam Tok: This dish is prepared in the same way as Laap but uses barbecue-grilled meat cut into thin strips.
• Gai Yang: Marinated and grilled chicken.

Thai Cuisine: central dishes

• Tom Yam: A spicy or sour soup flavored with lemongrass with chicken or seafood.
• Tom Kha: A Tom Yam with Coconut Milk.
• Geng Kiao Wan: A sweet green curry made with green chilies, Thai basil, and meat or fish balls.

Thai Cuisine: southern dishes

• Geng Som: A spicy curry with red chilies with a characteristic orange color.
• Roti: a cross between a pancake and a tortilla, eaten sweet or savory with various ingredients.
• Massaman: A sweet curry made with meat, coconut cream, and peanuts.
• Khao Yam: a spicy fruit and vegetable salad served with fish sauce.

Fruits and Desserts in Thai Cuisine

Thai cuisine is not lacking in desserts and various exotic fruits. Visit a street shop specializing in desserts and taste everything. The colors are vivid, and the flavors are exquisite!

And there you have it! In a few paragraphs, you've built yourself a nice little Thai culinary culture that only needs to be maintained and developed.

Thais love eating. They eat at all hours of the day and night in conviviality. Once you've tasted their delicious cuisine, you'll understand why!