Thai cuisine was virtually unknown outside of Thailand until the middle of the 20th century. The national art of cooking owes a lot to neighboring countries: China, India, Cambodia and even European countries, but despite this, it retains its originality and originality. Thais use all kinds of meat, fish, many vegetables and fruits in their cuisine.
A characteristic feature of Thai cuisine is the combination of five tastes in dishes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy. The tangy taste is created by fresh or dried chili; sweet – coconut milk, sugar cane, sugar palm, ripe pineapple; salty – fish sauce; sour – lemon, lime, lemongrass, unripe mango or pineapple, vinegar, ma-euk (an eggplant type plant with sour fruits); bitter – fresh herbs, ma-ra (bitter cucumber). It is often difficult to decide what the dish tastes like – sour or sweet, or maybe sweet and salty. Sometimes it may take about forty types of spices and spices to prepare a typical Thai dinner.
In Thai cuisine there are no strictly defined rules for cooking, there are only common features. But there are three main ingredients that are found in literally every dish – rice, chili sauce and coconut milk.
According to TOP-MEDICAL-SCHOOLS, rice is a favorite food of Thais. The word “eat” in Thai means “eat rice”. Rice is both a side dish, a main dish, and even a dessert; There are countless ways to prepare it. In addition, he saves the vulnerable stomachs of Europeans from the burning exoticism of Thai cuisine – spicy dishes are not washed down with water, but simply seized with a handful of rice. There are two varieties and methods of cooking rice: white fluffy rice (khao suay), which is especially loved in Central and Southern Thailand, and glutinous rice (khao nieo), which is preferred by residents of the northern and northeastern regions of the country. Europeans especially like the less exotic fried rice, a dish that combines rice with other ingredients: fish, crabs, eggs and vegetables.
Chile can be called the essence of Thai cuisine. It was brought to Thailand in the 7th century by a Portuguese missionary, and now more than 10 varieties of it are found in Thailand. Famed for its spiciness, it is used in curries, soups, salads and is often served as an accompaniment to meals.
Coconut milk replaces our usual dairy products and is used for stewing and boiling. It is widely used for cooking meat and fish dishes, softening the sharp taste of other ingredients.
In addition to rice, noodles are a very common dish. There are three types of noodles: thin rice noodles, thick rice noodles, and egg noodles. It is served as a side dish, used in salads or cooked with various additives. The most popular types of “pasta” are fried pasta with sweet and sour sauce, boiled noodles with broth; lightly fried rice noodles with meat sauce, eggs, shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions; long thin rice noodles with sauce and salad, spicy salad with cold noodles.
Soup is an essential part of any lunch or dinner. The most popular soups are Tom Yam Kung (spicy and sour soup with shrimp and mushrooms) and Tom Kha Kai (spicy and sour coconut milk soup with chicken). Tom Yam Kung is a hallmark of Thai cuisine, although it may seem too spicy if you are not used to it. In Thailand, this soup is served in special samovars: in the center there is an open pipe with hot coals, and at the bottom there is a blower. The only difference is that it is slightly flattened – to make it easier to scoop soup with a spoon.
Meat in Thai cuisine is often combined with vegetables, rice, noodles, fish or shellfish. Of the meat products, pork is the most common, which is present in most meat dishes. Beef is less common. Often several types of meat are used in one dish. A prominent place in the Thai menu is occupied by poultry, especially chicken meat. Duck dishes are also popular.
Thailand is a paradise for fruit lovers; many of them are grown here all year round. In addition to the familiar mangoes, pineapples, watermelons, pomegranates, dates, oranges, grapefruits and bananas, here you can taste such exotic fruits as papaya, tamarind, jackfruit, lychee, jujube, longan, langsat, passionfruit, pomelo, rambutan, sugar apple, tangerine, foolishness. About 20 types of bananas grow in Thailand: from sweet fragrant small ones to large ones with a thick golden peel, which are used for cooking. If Thais eat bananas fresh, then they are green and with spices. Medium-ripe bananas are cut into pieces and dried in the sun. And already ripened bananas are deep-fried, boiled in coconut milk or syrup.
The people of Thailand do not have much love for sweets. It is mainly made from a mixture of eggs, bananas, coconuts and glutinous rice.
As a rule, Thais drink ice water or iced tea with food. Alcoholic drinks are not combined with spicy spices, so they are rarely served at the table. Most Thais drink beer.
It should be borne in mind that tourists who are not accustomed to oriental cuisine may experience fever and allergies from local dishes, so you should not get carried away with them. In the resort areas there are many restaurants with European cuisine, as well as Japanese, Indian, Arabic and Mexican.
