It is well known that Thai food is hot and spicy. Almost all Thai food is cooked with basic ingredients as garlic, chilies, lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander leaf and fermented fish sauce or shrimp paste to make it salty. Don't be surprised if it is some food spicy and sweet at the same time :-) .
Other common seasoning in Thai food include black pepper, ground peanut, tamarind juice, ginger and coconut milk.
Actually, Thai food is different from region to region. Example, glutinous or sticky rice is more popular that steamed rice in the North and North-east of Thailand. Sticky rice is served with boiled vegetables, "Nam Phrik Oong" (minced pork, tomato and chili sauce) and soups or curries.
Just "Nam Phrik" means chili sause and they have many kinds of it. The North is also well known for sausage called "Naem" which consists of fermented minced pork. It has a sour flavor and they sale it wrapped in cellophane and banana leaf.
Food is mild or hot, salty and sour and sometimes sweet. In some rural areas, certain insects are also eaten (crickets, silk worm larvae, red ant larvae...).
I tried salted crickets and they are like snacks :-). Silk worm larvae are soft and I really like it (they have lot of proteins). In Pattaya I also tried scorpion, but there is no taste and some parts of it are difficult to masticate (no need to try).
Food in the North-east is hot, salty and sour at the same time. Their favorite food include "Som Tam" - papaya salad, "Koi" - sour chopped meat salad and "Larp" - sour minced meat salad. For "Koi" and "Larp" they can use beef or pork, but for "Koi" I think they don't cook that meat or they cook it just a few minutes. Their meals generally consist of sticky rice and "Nam Phrik Pla Raa" (fermented fish and chili sauce) with lot of vegetables including those found growing wild. I eat papaya salad almost every day, it is so delicious.
(peeled green papaya, garlic, fresh of dried red chilies, long green bean, dried shrimps, tomato, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, roasted unsalted peanuts)
But if you don't like spicy you should say: Mai pad le mai sai prik (no spicy and don't put chili). If you say just Mai pad (no spicy) most of them will put chili and salad will be very spicy. Even if they don't put chili, but they don't wash container for preparing the salad you will feel little bit spicy. I usually say "Pad nit noy" - means little bit spicy.
In the central region of Thailand, food is hot, salty, sweet and sour at the same time. Rice is served with different types of "Nam Phrik" and soups. Example famous "Tom Yam Kung" (prawn soup with lemon grass).
In the South food is very hot, salty and sour. The most spicy food in Thailand is on the south. Curries are popular and they make it with a lot of spices and condiments. Generally they don't eat a lot of meat. Their food also consist a lot of sea food (my favorite is grilled squid).
Though the major portion of Thai food is described as being spiced and chili hot, it currently enjoys worldwide popularity, especially the exotic, already mentioned "Tom Yam Kung", uniquely piquant prawn soup that is renowned for its simplicity, creativity, artistic flair and delicious taste. (Ingredients: lemon grass, torn leech lime leaves, shrimps, hot chili, coriander leaves, fish sauce, lemon... sometimes they put lot of mushrooms and can be with coconut milk).
Anyway, in Thailand you can buy food everywhere, they sale it on every step.
Thai desserts are often made from sticky rice or coconut milk, flour, egg and coconut sugar while a variety of fruits is available all the year round.
About fruit and about Thai desserts, I will write some other time. Now it is a time for more pictures of Thai food.
Special kind of shells with fresh pepper, basil leaves, galin gale
Served with preserved mustard green, garlic, lime, dry pork fat
(Rice noodles, eggs, dried shrimps, white radish, ground roasted peanuts, garlic, tamarind juice, tofu, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar - can be with chicken or pork or prawns)
(Shrimps, tuna, squid, croutons, onion, tomato and lettuce with vinegar)
(Shrimps, carrots, onion, paprika, squid...)
That's it for now, hope you enjoyed :-) .
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