| Thailand is a country that is best being explored | | | | because fresh herbs tend to cool the body down |
| with all your senses - specially your tastebuds | | | | in comparison to dried herbs, which often have |
| though! Because Thai people love their food. And | | | | "heating properties". |
| if you have an adventurous tongue, then you'll | | | | Eating in Thailand: A Shared Experience |
| appreciate the diversity that Thai food has to | | | | There is a distinct difference between the eating |
| offer too. | | | | habits of Thai people and people from European |
| The most popular Thai dishes | | | | or American descent. Western people tend to |
| Some of the most favourite dishes among | | | | order separate dishes, even when eating together. |
| foreign visitors to Thailand are Pad Thai (fried | | | | Thai people on the other hand order several |
| noodles), Tom Yam Kung (a sour-spicy shrimp | | | | dishes which will then be positioned in the middle |
| soup), Tom Ka Gai (a chicken curry with coconut | | | | of the table. Everybody gets his own plate of |
| milk) and the Massaman Curry (a speciality from | | | | rice, and then everybody eats from these |
| southern Thailand). | | | | foodladen plates. It is not common to load your |
| Ingredients of Thai Cuisine | | | | own food on your own table. Instead, you always |
| The probably most noticable ingredient of Thai | | | | take another spoonful from the shared plate, mix |
| cooking is: chili. Even though it's not an original Thai | | | | it with some rice, and eat it, and take another |
| ingredient - it has just been introduced to Thailand | | | | spoonful from the shared plates. Loading up food |
| a couple of hundred years ago by Portugese | | | | on your on plate is considered impolite for Thai |
| traders who brought it from South America - it's | | | | people. |
| hard to imagine Thai cooking without chillis | | | | Vegetarian Food in Thailand? |
| nowadays. | | | | Many people are under the impression that |
| Fortunately for you, most Thai people nowadays | | | | Thailand is a country where there are lots of |
| know that Westerners prefer a milder taste and | | | | vegetarians. However, this is not the case. Even |
| often have a hard time dealing with original Thai | | | | most vegetarian dishes (like fried mixed |
| spiciness and will prepare dishes "mai ped" (not | | | | vegetables) are prepared with either fish sauce or |
| spicy) if cooking for European or American | | | | oyster sauce (both of which are made from |
| visitors. | | | | either fermented fish or oyster essence). If you |
| Coconut milk is another popular ingredient. It's | | | | communicate that you are vegetarian however, |
| being made by pressing with flesh of coconuts | | | | they will prepare vegetarian food for you, but |
| with water, and gives a meal a nice, mild, soft, | | | | you should then learn to communicate that in Thai |
| round note that counterbalances the spiciness. | | | | before arriving in Thailand. |
| Lemongrass is also a commonly used ingredient | | | | Beancurd is most often also just another |
| because it makes a dish taste pleasantly fresh. | | | | condiment in a dish, and seldom the main |
| Different sorts of herbs like Thai basilicum, ginger, | | | | ingredient. Even though it is commonly used in |
| galangal, tumeric and cilantro are also commonly | | | | Thailand, it most often is just added to a dish that |
| used. Note that in Thai cuisine, herbs are almost | | | | contains meat for bigger variety. |
| always used fresh, not dried. This is partly | | | | |