I have been travelling around Thailand for over 3 weeks and I have prepared for you a collection of the most interesting facts related to their kitchen and habits behind the table.ย
Before I arrived here, I read a lot of different articles on this topic, which I could finally check out for myself! Find out which of these have proved to be the truth!
#1ย
Thai cuisine is a combination of the flavours of China, India, Birma and Laos.
This is perfectly illustrated by spices and ingredients used in kitchen.
Thai cooking pursues to harmony in its dishes, which is why the dishes usually taste all the basic flavors - salty, sweet, bitter, hot and sour.ย
This combination guarantees that every dish has a deep and complex taste.
#2
On every step you'll find places where you can buy food!ย
Whether you're under a large shopping mall or at the end of a small village, there's always someone who want to sell you something delicious!
You will find here family taverns, small stands and even motorbikes with a basket from which you can buy food.ย
The dishes are usually cheap, delicious and fresh. Not surprisingly, many Thai homes do not even have a kitchen! It is usually more economical to eat outside than to spend time cooking at home. Especially in such hot weather.ย
#3
In Thai restaurants you will very often find a menu in picture form.
The pictures show the dishes you can see even before you place your order. From my experience I can say that usually what you see on the pictures is the same as what will be on your plate.ย
The menu is of course in Thai, but in most restaurants in larger cities you will also find an English version.
#4
In Thailand, you can bargain on markets or bazaars, and I have the impression that the people who live there even like it.ย
However, in a restaurant where prices are specified in the menu, an attempt to reduce them is considered rude.
So do not try to do this, just order your food and then pay as much as is written on the card.
#5
We take the dishes and return the plates always with our right hand! The left is treated as unclean and it shouldn't have contact with our food.ย
#6
Drinking straight from a can or bottle is seen as rude. That is why in every place you will get a cup (usually with ice and straw) to which you can pour your drink.ย
#7
In Thailand you don't use a knife to eat, instead you will get a spoon and a fork.
We don't need a knife because all the dishes are served in smaller, easy-to-eat pieces.ย
Of course, you can also use the chopsticks - you'll find them in every place.
#8
Thai cuisine is really nice seasoned! However, on each table you will find a set of additives that will allow you to get even more taste from your food!
You will find soy sauce, fish sauce, fresh chillies, chillies in vinegar, chillies powder and even sugar! Sprouts, nuts and fresh vegetables will often appear on the table as well.ย
#9
Fresh herbs will also appear on the table!ย
Among those known in Europe you will find a Thai basilica, coriander, chive and spring onion.
Of course, there are many more of them in Thailand, but unfortunately it is difficult to find English versions of their name. But for sure it is worth to try them because their taste could be very surprising!
#10
In Thailand you will find hundreds of chilli varieties, so it's no wonder that their cuisine is spicy.ย
This is for a specific reason - by adding chilli we can get rid of parasites, bacteria and fungi. They will naturally be eliminated by these small peppers. In this wet and stuffy climate, eating hot food is very reasonable.ย
Even if you are not a fan of spiciness, it is worth adding a small amount of chilli to your food from time to time. This will certainly help you stay healthy!ย
These are all the facts I wanted to share with you.
Let me know in comments which of them you already knew and which ones were a total surprise?
If you liked the article leave me follow, because I'm already preparing for you more content from my journey! ย
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Thank you! ๐
Hi, I'm so happy to stumble upon your post! I love Thai food and I agree with all the facts you shared :D Because I am from Malaysia, I can strongly relate with the food too, though Thai people tend to use more vegetables in their food and dishes. I could even say they are more health minded than Malaysians. Have you ever been to Malaysia? If yes, do you find similarities in the food?
Malaysia is my next stop, so I'm sure I'll try many of your dishes! ๐
I will be there on this Tuesday, stay for one month and stop in Kuala Lumpur at start.
And where do you live my friend? Maybe we will be able to meet and eat something good together! That would be awesome!
I live 20 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur. We can definitely meet up! I am not working on Tuesday and Wednesday, we should meetup! Let me know which part of KL you plan to visit!
I do not believe in such coincidence, so we simply have to meet! ๐
If you have a moment, please send me an e-mail at [email protected] - we will set the details!
Sure thang! Check your email in 10 minutes! :D
OK! :D
I just got back from Koh Samui and definitely noticed some of the things you said such as the additives and the many food stops. Personally pad Thai has always been my favorite, what has been some of your favorite dishes so far?
To be honest, its hard to choose only one dish! ๐
I love pad thai, pork satay, Pho soup, curry with pork and papaya salad.
Also, most snacks from street stands, all kinds of sea food and fruits!
And how did you like Koh Samui? Have you been there for a long time?
Unfortunately, I was only there for a week, we went for our graduation trip haha. Yeah we had a great time there! Mango sticky rice was new for me this trip and I just loved it (mango is in season right now as well!).
Have you been travelling to any other South East Asian countries?
Nice trip! Congrats for graduate! ๐
Unfortunately, I haven't found mango with rice anywhere yet, but today I'm going to the market in Phuket, so maybe I'll get it!
Thailand is the first Asian country that I have visited.
I also plan to see Malaysia, Cambodia and perhaps Laos. Later I would like to stay in Thailand for a longer time, but everything can still happen. ๐
Oh that's cool, well enjoy your time here! I haven't been to Laos but Cambodia and Malaysia have some beautiful food and scenery!
You also visited them? Im in Kuala Lumpur now and its so big that it makes me shy! ๐
nice post buddy. I am happy to see you are enjoying it so far! If you find one of the "Champ" noodle stands that is yellow (white normally means no pork products) ask for a "Bah-Mee-moo-naam-toke" It is my favorite Thai noodle dish and uses the yellow noodles and 3 kinds of pork with a mildly spicy sauce, add a bunch of crushed peanuts and basil leaves for extra flavor. Enjoy!
Thank you my friend! ๐
I fell in love with Thailand! People, food, weather, prices - how you can't like it? ๐
I'm going to look for this dish, I have a few more days and maybe I'll make it.
I know the yellow noodles and I think it is delicious! I ate it in Hokkien styles and it tasted awesome! It has a very nice texture.
Do you live in Thailand or you have travelled here?
I have lived there for nearly 15 years. :) it's not that i don't like it, but being allowed to legally live there, and not just visit, is a real pain.
My current host told me the same thing. He lives here for almost 20 years and has to renew his visa every year even though his wife is a Thai and they have a 7-year-old son.
For me, 'staying longer' is a matter of 2-3 months, so a simple visa will be enough. And how do you handle the bureaucracy?
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So true my friend, so true! All the best for you! ๐