Thai Food

Thai Food

Thai Food

Thai cuisine

Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Blending elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The spiciness of Thai cuisine is well known. As with other Asian cuisines, balance, detail and variety are of great significance to Thai chefs. Thai food is known for its balance of three to four fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty, and bitter.[1]
As an acknowledged expert of Thai cuisine, Australian chef David Thompson explains Thai food to a Western audience: "Thai food ain't about simplicity. It's about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it's got to have a smooth surface but it doesn't matter what's happening underneath. Simplicity isn't the dictum here, at all. Some westerners think it's a jumble of flavours, but to a Thai that's important, it's the complexity they delight in."

  
          Thai seafood, curry                 Kaeng phet pet yang: roast duck in red curry
Regional cuisines and historical influences[edit]

Thai cuisine is more accurately described as four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country: Northern, Northeastern (or Isan), Central, and Southern, each cuisine sharing similar foods or foods derived from those of neighboring countries and regions: Burma to the northwest, the Chinese province of Yunnan and Laos to the north, Vietnam and Cambodia to the east, Indonesia and Malaysia to the south of Thailand.[3][4][5] In addition to these four regional cuisines, there is also the Thai Royal Cuisine which can trace its history back to the cosmopolitan palace cuisine of the Ayutthaya kingdom (1351–1767 CE). Its refinement, cooking techniques and use of ingredients were of great influence to the cuisine of the Central Thai plains.[6][7][8] Western influences from the 17th century CE onwards have also led to dishes such as foi thong and sangkhaya.[9]
Thai cuisine and the culinary traditions and cuisines of Thailand's neighbors have mutually influenced one another over the course of many centuries. Regional variations tend to correlate to neighboring states (often sharing the same cultural background and ethnicity on both sides of the border) as well as climate and geography. Southern Thai curry tend to contain coconut milk and fresh turmeric, while northeastern dishes often include lime juice. The cuisine of Northeastern (or Isan) Thailand is similar to southern Lao cuisine whereas northern Thai cuisine shares many dishes with northern Lao cuisine and the cuisine of Shan state in Burma. Many popular dishes eaten in Thailand were originally Chinese dishes which were introduced to Thailand mainly by the Teochew people who make up the majority of the Thai Chinese.[10][11] Such dishes include chok (rice porridge), kuai-tiao rat na (fried rice-noodles) and khao kha mu (stewed pork with rice). The Chinese also introduced the use of a wok for cooking, the technique of deep-frying and stir-frying dishes, and noodles, oyster sauce and soybean products.[12] Dishes such as kaeng kari (yellow curry)[13] and kaeng matsaman (massaman curry) are Thai adaptations of dishes originating in the cuisine of India and the cuisine of Persia.
International recognition



Vegetable carving possibly originated in Thailand 700 years ago

Thai cuisine only became well-known worldwide from the 1960s onwards, when Thailand became a destination for international tourism and American troops arrived in large numbers during the Vietnam War period. The number of Thai restaurants went up from four in 1970s London to between two and three hundred in less than 25 years. The Thaksin administration of Thailand (2001-2006) launched the "Kitchen of the World" campaign to promote Thai cuisine internationally, with a yearly budget of 500 million baht. It provided loans and training for restaurateurs seeking to establish Thai restaurants overseas; established the "Thai Select" certification program which encouraged the use of ingredients imported from Thailand; and promoted integration between Thai investors, Thai Airways, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand with Thai restaurants overseas.[16]
One survey held in 2003 by the Kellogg School of Management and Sasin Institute showed that Thai cuisine ranked 4th when people were asked to name an ethnic cuisine, after Italian, French and Chinese cuisine. When asked "what is your favourite cuisine?", Thailand's cuisine came in at 6th place, behind the three aforementioned cuisines, and Indian and Japanese cuisine.[17]
In the list of the "World's 50 most delicious foods", compiled by CNN in 2011, som tam stands at place 46, nam tok mu at 19, tom yam kung on 8, and massaman curry stands on first place as most delicious food in the world.[18] In a reader's poll held a few months later by CNN, mu nam tok came in on place 36, Thai fried rice at 24, green curry stands on 19, massaman curry on place 10, and Thai som tam, pad Thai and tom yam kung hold places 6, 5 and 4.[19]
Thai chefs in the name of Thailand Culinary Academy achieve second place in the Gourmet Team Challenge (Practical) of the FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition 14 at Shanghai, China in 14–16 November 2012.
Thai chefs in the name of Thailand Culinary Academy win in the competition of IKA Culinary Olympic 2012 which was held in Erfurt, Germany between 5–10 October 2012. They received 4 golden medals and 1 silver medal.[20]
Two restaurants that are specialised in Thai cuisine, but owned by non-Thai chefs, have received Michelin stars: "Nahm" in London, run by David Thompson received its star in 2002, and "Kiin Kiin" in Copenhagen, run by chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong, received its in 2009. Currently, "Kiin Kiin" is the only Thai restaurant with a Michelin star.
In 2011, the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in Northwestern United States, was presented to Andy Ricker of restaurant "Pok Pok" in Portland, Oregon, and for Best Chef in Southwestern United States to Saipin Chutima of restaurant "Lotus of Siam" in Winchester, Nevada.

Fruits

The durian shown here is of the Long Laplae variety,
one of the most expensive durians available in Thailand


Mangkhut, mangosteen

Fruit forms a large part of the Thai diet and are customarily served after a meal. Although many of the exotic fruits of Thailand may have been sometimes unavailable in Western countries, many Asian markets import such fruits as rambutan and lychees. In Thailand one can find papaya, jackfruit, mango, mangosteen, langsat, longan, pomelo, pineapple, rose apples, durian, Burmese grapes and other native fruits. Chantaburi in Thailand each year holds the World Durian Festival in early May. This single province is responsible for half of the durian production of Thailand and a quarter of the world production.[32][33][34] The Langsat festival is held each year in Uttaradit province around the middle to end of September. The langsat (Lansium domesticum), for which Uttaradit is famous, is a fruit that is similar in taste to the longan.[35]
The fruit of the tamarind is used to make sour dishes, and palm sugar, made from the sap of certain Borassus palms, is used to sweeten dishes. From the coconut palm comes coconut sugar, coconut vinegar, and coconut milk. The juice of a green coconut can be served as a drink and the young flesh can be eaten.[citation needed]
Apples, grapes, pears and strawberries, which do not traditionally grow in Thailand, have become increasingly popular in recent years.[when?] They are being grown locally in the cooler highlands and mountains of Thailand, mainly in the North, but now most are imported from China.[citation needed]

Individual dishes

 
              Phat si-io                                        Khao man kai



          Phat thai kung

Khanom chin nam ngiao - A speciality of Northern Thailand, it is Thai fermented rice noodles served with pork blood tofu in a sauce made with pork broth and tomato, crushed fried dry chilies, pork blood, dry fermented soy bean, and dried red kapok flowers.[39]
Khanom chin namya - round boiled rice noodles topped with a fish based sauce and eaten with fresh leaves and vegetables.
Khao khluk kapi - rice stir-fried with shrimp paste, served with sweetened pork and vegetables.
Khao man kai - rice steamed in chicken stock with garlic, with boiled chicken, chicken stock and a dipping sauce.
Khao phat - One of the most common rice dishes in Thailand. Usually with chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, crab or coconut or pineapple, or vegetarian (che (Thai: เจ).
Khao phat American - American fried rice that can be found only in Thailand.
Khao phat kai - fried rice with chicken.
Khao phat mu - fried rice with pork.
Khao phat pu - fried rice with crab meat.
Khao phat kung - fried rice with shrimp.
Khao phat naem - fried rice with fermented sausage (naem, Thai: แหนม), a typically dish from the Northeast)
Khao soi - crispy wheat noodles in sweet chicken curry soup (a Northern dish).
Kuai-tiao nam - rice-noodle soup can be eaten at any time of day; served with many combinations of proteins, vegetables, and spicy condiments. The word kuai-tiao, although originally designating only one type of noodle, the sen yai (wide rice noodles), is used colloquially for all rice noodles in general.
Mi krop - deep fried rice vermicelli with a sweet and sour sauce.
Phat khi mao - noodles stir-fried with Thai basil.
Phat si-io - rice noodles (often kuai tiao) stir-fried with si-io dam (thick sweet soy sauce) and nam pla (fish sauce) and pork or chicken.
Phat thai - rice noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg combined with chicken, seafood, or tofu. It is listed at number 5 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll compiled by CNNGo in 2011.
Kuai-tiao rat na - wide rice noodles in gravy, with beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, or seafood.

Central Thai shared dishes

  
Ho mok pla, fish curry pâté                 Thot man pla krai, served with fried basi


Phat khana mu krop


Chuchi pla kaphong - snapper in chuchi curry sauce (thick red curry sauce)
Ho mok pla - a pâté or soufflé of fish, spices, coconut milk and egg, steamed in a banana leaf cup and topped with thick coconut cream before serving.
Kai phat khing - chicken stir-fried with sliced ginger.
Kaeng khiao wan - called "green curry" in English, it is a coconut curry made with fresh green chillies and flavoured with Thai basil, and chicken or fish meatballs. This dish can be one of the spiciest of Thai curries.
Kaeng phanaeng - a mild creamy coconut curry with beef (Phanaeng nuea), chicken, or pork. It includes some roasted dried spices similar to Kaeng matsaman.
Kaeng phet (lit. 'spicy curry') - also known as red curry in English, it is a coconut curry made with copious amounts of dried red chillies in the curry paste.
Kaeng som (Thai: แกงส้ม) - a hot and sour soup/curry usually eaten together with rice
Kai phat met mamuang himmaphan - The Thai Chinese version of the Sichuan style chicken with cashews known as Kung Pao chicken, fried with whole dried chilies.
Miang kham - dried shrimp and other ingredients wrapped in cha plu leaves; often eaten as a snack or a starter.
Phak bung fai daeng - stir fried morning-glory with yellow bean paste.
Phat khana mu krop - khana (gailan) stir fried with crispy pork.
Phat kaphrao - beef, pork, prawns or chicken stir fried with Thai holy basil, chillies and garlic; for instance kai phat kaphrao (Thai: ไก่ผัดกะเพรา), with minced chicken.
Phat phak ruam - stir fried combination of vegetables depending on availability and preference.
Phat phrik - usually beef stir fried with chilli, called Nuea phat phrik (Thai: เนื้อผัดพริก).
Pla nueng manao - steamed fish with a spicy lime juice dressing.
Pla sam rot - literally "Three flavours fish": deep fried fish with a sweet, tangy and spicy tamarind sauce.
Pu cha - a mixture of cooked crab meat, pork, garlic and pepper, deep fried inside the crab shells and served with a simple spicy sauce, such as Sri Rachaa sauce, sweet-hot garlic sauce, nam phrik phao (Thai: น้ำพริกเผา, roasted chilli paste), nam chim buai (Thai: น้ำจิ้มบ๊วย, plum sauce), or in a red curry paste, with chopped green onions. It is sometimes also served as deep fried patties instead of being fried in the crab shell.
Suki - a Thai variant of the Chinese hot pot.
Thot man - deep fried fishcake made from knifefish (Thot man pla krai, Thai: ทอดมันปลากราย) or shrimp (Thot man kung, Thai: ทอดมันกุ้ง).
Tom chuet wun sen or Kaeng chuet wunsen - a clear soup with vegetables and wunsen (cellophane noodles made from mung bean).
Tom kha kai - hot spicy soup with coconut milk, galangal and chicken.
Tom yam - hot & sour soup with meat. With shrimp it is called Tom yam goong or Tom yam kung (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง), with seafood (typically shrimp, squid, fish) Tom yam thale (Thai: ต้มยำทะเล), with chicken Tom yam kai (Thai: ต้มยำไก่).
Yam - general name for many different kinds of sour Thai salads, such as those made with glass noodles (Yam wunsen, Thai: ยำวุ้นเส้น), with seafood (Yam thale, Thai: ยำทะเล), or grilled beef (Yam nuea Thai: ยำเนื้อ). The dressing of a "Yam" will normally consist of shallots, fish sauce, tomato, lime juice, sugar, chilies and Thai celery (khuenchai, Thai: ขึ้นฉ่าย) or coriander.
Yam pla duk fu - crispy fried catfish with a spicy, sweet-and-sour, green mango salad.

Northeastern shared dishes

  
Som tam (papaya salad), kai yang        Lap mu (Isan and Lao pork salad)
 (grilled chicken) and khao niao
(sticky rice) is a traditional Isan and
 Lao combination


Mu yang with Nam chim chaeo: grilled
neck of pork with a chili dip