Thailand’s food needs little introduction. From San Francisco its profusion of exotic flavours and aromas make it one of the most coveted. These flavours and fragrances are apparently inexhaustible, as a walk forcefully reminds. Nevertheless, whether it be succulent pieces of grilled pork or an igneous bowl of ‘Tom Yum’ soup, we all have to start someplace. And what better area than our carefully selected Top 10 of Thai Food, which crosses everything from basic backpacker favourites to Thai classics. Once you have tried them all, please vote for the one that really thrilled your taste buds
The main food is rice. Everyone has eaten it since they were born. But we can not really eat rice so we have to have something to go with it. There are various dishes of food to go with rice. Most of those are hot and spicy and that is what Thai food is famous for.
Phat Thai
Devised in the 1930s by a Chinese-Thai chef, this dish of thin rice noodles stir-fried with egg, tofu and shrimp, and seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, tamarind, vinegar and dried chilli has subsequently reigned as the poster boy for Thai cuisine.
Tom yam
This herb- forward broth is often referred to in English-language menus as ‘sour Thai soup’. The shrimp version – tom yam kung – is the most lauded, and so: the mixture of greasy prawns and a lemony/spicy soup end in an amalgam that is distinctly Thai and uncommon but tasty.
Laap
Thailand’s northeast in one rustic dish; laap (larb or larp) takes the sort seasoned. Make sure to eat it with sticky rice, short, fat grains that are steamed and eaten by hand.
Khao soi
When in Thailand’s north, do not miss this unique, curry-based noodle soup. Commonly revolving around chicken or beef, sliced shallots, lime and crunchy pickled greens’ optional sides supply a pleasing contrast with the rich, spice-laden, coconut milk-based broth and soft, squiggly wheat-and-egg noodles.
Som tam
Although its origins lie in Thailand’s rural northeast, this dish of strips of crunchy unripe papaya bruised in a mortar and pestle with tomato, long beans, lime, chilli and fish sauce, has discovered a foothold in virtually every corner of the nation. Couple the dish with a basket of sticky rice.
Hailing from the Northeast state of Isaan, this outlandish dish is great divider – some can not get enough of its bite, some can’t manage it – and significantly distinctive. Garlic, chilies, green beans, cherry tomatoes and shredded raw papaya get drastically pulverized in mortar and a pestle, so releasing a rounded sweet-sour-hot flavour that is not easily forgotten. Regional editions throw peanuts, shrimp that is dry or salted crab into the mixture, the latter having a bowel-cleansing ability that catches many newcomers by surprise!
Tom Kha Kai
A light, tamer twist on Tom Yum, this iconic soup infuses fiery chilies, thinly sliced stalks of lemongrass, young galangal, smashed shallots and soft strips of chicken. Yet unlike its more watery cousin, its spicy blow dampen. Topped off with fresh lime leaves, it is a sweet smelling concoction, both creamy and persuasive.
Phat kaphrao
This street food staple blends meat flash-fried with holy basil (the eponymous kaphrao) and a generous serving of garlic and fresh chilli. Served over rice and often crowned with a fried egg, it’s the epitome -style one dish meal.
Green curry
For Thai food beginners, there’s probably no better starting point than this intersection of a piquant coconut milk that is rich and /herbal spice paste. Remember to do as the Thais and couple the curry with a plate of jasmine rice – it is not meant to be eaten on its own as a soup.
Yam
As a side dish or drinking bite, you’re bound to fall upon this ubiquitous Thai ‘salad’ that combines meat or seafood with a tart /piquant dressing and fresh herbs. A good opening is yam wun sen, slinky glass noodles paired with minced pork and shrimp.
Kai yang
Thai-style grilled chicken owes its fame to the folks of the nation’s northeast, who marinate the bird in a distinctive mixture of fish sauce, coriander root and garlic. Couple the bird with green and sticky rice papaya salad, and you have one of Thailand’s most celebrated meals.
Khao phat
For many Thai folks, fried rice is comfort food. The variations are infinite, and the dish is frequently the result of improvisation, but a basic is the simple but delightful khao phat puu, rice fried with substantial chunks of crab and egg.
Pak Boong
Found all across Southeast Asia, the leafy plant with leaves that are thin fragile and green stalks that are hollow forms the primary part of this superb simple favourite. Cloves of garlic and birds eye chilies join it in a wok alongside fish sauce, oyster sauce and black bean that is fermented. A couple stirs that is sluggish, until the leaves are shrunk and soft, and it is done! The result is an alluring favorite having an unobtrusive flavor, a basic for those that love their Thai food but not spice induced sweats.
