Most Popular Thai Foods

Top 10 Thai Food

Most Popular Thai Foods

Thailand’s food needs little introduction. From San Francisco to Sukhothai, its profusion of exotic flavours and fragrances make it among the most coveted of international cuisines. As a walk through Bangkok forcefully reminds, these flavours and fragrances are seemingly inexhaustible. However, whether it be juicy pieces of grilled pork on a stick or a fiery bowl of ‘Tom Yum’ soup, we all have to start somewhere. And what better place than our carefully selected Top 10 of Thai Food, which spans everything from staple backpacker favourites to Thai classics. Once you’ve tried them all, please vote for the one that really thrilled your taste buds.

Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

The quintessential Thai aroma! A bold, refreshing blend of fragrant lemongrass, chilli, galangal, lime leaves, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce shapes this classic soup, giving it its legendary herbal kick. Succulent fresh prawns and straw mushrooms lend it body. A versatile dish that can fit within virtually any meal, the distinctive smell reminds you of exotic perfume, while it’s invigorating sour-spicy-hot taste just screams ‘Thailand’!

Som Tum (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)

Hailing from the Northeast state of Isaan, this outlandish dish is both great divider – some can’t get enough of its bite, some can’t handle it – and greatly distinctive. Garlic, chilies, green beans, cherry tomatoes and shredded raw papaya get dramatically pulverized in a pestle and mortar, so releasing a rounded sweet-sour-spicy flavour that’s not easily forgotten. Regional variations throw peanuts, dry shrimp or salted crab into the mix, the latter having a gut-cleansing talent that catches many newcomers by surprise!

Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Soup)

A mild, tamer twist on Tom Yum, this iconic soup infuses fiery chilies, thinly sliced young galangal, crushed shallots, stalks of lemongrass and tender strips of chicken. However unlike its more watery cousin, lashings of coconut milk soften its spicy blow. Topped off with fresh lime leaves, it’s a sweet-smelling concoction, both creamy and compelling.

Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry)

Made with morsels of meat, red curry paste, smooth coconut milk and topped off with a sprinkling of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, this rich, aromatic curry always gets those taste buds tingling. At its best when the meat is stunningly tender, it could be likened to a beautiful woman: it’s mild, sweet and delicately fragrant. And like all true love affairs, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

 

Pad Thai (Thai style Fried Noodles)

From Cape Town to Khao San Road, the default international Thai dish! Dropped in a searing hot wok, fistfuls of small, thin or wide noodles (you choose) do a steamy minute-long dance alongside crunchy beansprouts, onion and egg, before disembarking for the nearest plate. A truly interactive eating experience, half its fun (and flavour) lies in then using a quartet of accompanying condiments – fish sauce, sugar, chilli powder and finely ground peanuts – to wake it from its slumbers.

Khao Pad (Fried Rice)

Fried rice, egg, onion, a few herbs – nothing more, nothing less. A popular lunch dish served typically with a wedge of lime and slices of cucumber, the secret of this unpretentious dish lies in its simplicity. The concept is this: you’re the one devouring it, so you dress it. To do so, Thais use everything from prawns, crab or chicken to basil, chili and left-over vegetables, in the process turning an unremarkable pauper into a gastronomic prince!

Gaeng Keow Wan Kai (Green Chicken Curry)

Morsels of fresh chicken. Cherry-sized eggplants. Tender bamboo shoots. Sprigs of Coriander. Generous handfuls of sweet basil. These humble elements form the body of this seminal curry. But how does it get so gloriously green you ask? Oh, that’ll be the spoons of green curry paste that’s stirred furiously into hot creamy coconut milk. Served alongside a bowl of fragrant Thai rice, Gaeng Keow Kan Gai is the extreme opposite.

Yam Nua (Spicy Beef Salad)

If there was such a thing as a ‘Salad Hall of Fame’, Thailand’s zesty own breed, or ‘yam’ as they are known here, would surely take pride of place. Unconvinced? Experience the fresh, fiery thrill of yam nua – with its sprightly mix of onion, coriander, spearmint, lime, dried chili and tender strips of beef – and you won’t be. It perfectly embodies the invigorating in-the-mouth-thrill of all Thai salads, the yummy-ness of yam.

Pak Boong (Morning Glory)

Found all across Southeast Asia, the leafy plant with hollow green stems and thin fragile leaves forms the main component of this super easy favourite. Cloves of garlic and birds eye chilies join it in a wok alongside oyster sauce, fish sauce and black fermented bean. A few lazy stirs, until the leaves are shrunk and soft, and it’s done! The result is an alluring favourite with an unobtrusive flavour, a staple for those who love their Thai food but not spice induced sweats.

Kai Med Ma Muang (Chicken with Cashew Nuts)

Pardon the pun, but tourists go nuts for this stir fried dish. Perhaps it’s the wildly contrasting textures of a dish that saut’s chicken alongside roasted cashews, sweet soy sauce, onions, chilies, pepper, carrot and mushrooms. Perhaps it’s the sweetening dash of honey that appeals. Do you really care? The important thing is that this dish works: it’s simple but scrumptious, a little bit tame and yet still totally Thai.

 

 

Thai recipes easy |Chicken Satay

Chicken Satay

Ingredients

• Turmeric 1 tsp ground
• Shallots 3-4 peeled and sliced thin
• Lemongrass 1 stalk sliced thin
• diagonally
• Galangal ¼” piece fresh
• Garlic 1 clove peeled and smashed
• Sea Salt ½ tsp
• Sugar 2 tsp
• Cooking oil 2 tbsp Canola or peanut
• Bamboo Skewers 20

Instructions

1. Prepare chicken by slicing into long thin strips approximately ¼ x 2 inches.

2. Stirring often, dry roast coriander seeds in a wok over medium heat.

3. Grind coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle.

4. Combine all spices in a bowl with shallot, lemon grass, galangal, and garlic.

5. Place chicken in spice mix and stir. Marinate covered for a minimum of one hour.

6. Prior to cooking, soak bamboo in water for 10 minutes.

7. Skewer 2 to 3 pieces of chicken per bamboo stick.

8. Grill over open flame until cooked.

Thai food recipes | Thai coconut chicken soup

Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut chicken soup)

One of the tastiest and easiest Thai foods to prepare, tom kha simply requires fresh lemongrass –dried galangal and packaged coconut milk will still produce a decent soup. While technically a soup, it is typically served with rice and eaten like a curry, ladled over the rice and then eaten.

Ingredients

• Dried Galangal Slices 2-3 pcs
• Lemon Grass (fresh) 2 pcs
• Garlic 1 clove
• Tamarind Paste 1 pinch
• Fresh Chilies 3-4
• Fish or Soy Sauce to taste
• Chicken ½ lb
• Coconut milk 13.5 oz can

Instructions

1. Boil 1 cup of water with galangal, lemon grass, garlic, and tamarind for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add chicken (pre-cut into 2” pieces) to boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk and return to boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

4. Add fish sauce (1tbsp), soy sauce, and 2 slices of white onion. Boil for one minute.

5. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Thai food recipes | Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls (Po Pia Thot)

While quite simple to make, getting the spring rolls to roll up and stay together takes a little practice. Fortunately these tasty treats are enjoyable to make regularly, so you are bound to get it right eventually.

 

Ingredients

• Spring Roll sheets 300g
• Glass noodles 25g
• Mung beans ¾ cup (boiled
• hulled
• and mashed)
• Cabbage 1 cup (shredded)
• White ground pepper ¼ tsp
• Bean Sprouts 1 cup
• Thin Soy Sauce 1 ½ tbsp
• Garlic 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Vegetable oil 1 tbsp (for frying garlic)
• Spring Roll “paste” 2 tbsp (prepared by mixing rice flour and water boiled
• to thicken)
• Ingredients for Sauce
• Vinegar ¼ cup
• Sugar ¼ cup
• Salt 1 tbsp
• Tapioca flour 2 tsp
• Red spur chili ½ chili (seeds removed and then smashed)

Instructions

1. Soak noodles in water to soften, cut into short pieces, and mix with mashed mungbeans, cabbage, bean sprouts, pepper, and soy sauce.

2. Fry garlic in oil over low heat, adding noodle mixture once garlic yellows. Stir fry until cooked and then remove from pan to cool.

3. After spreading out a spring roll sheet, place one spoonful of noodle mixture in middle of closest end. Roll over once and then fold sides of sheet inwards so as to close ends of spring roll while rolling.

4. Apply paste to end of sheet and roll closed.

5. After all rolls are prepared, fry in hot oil over low heat until crisp and brown.

6. Drain and serve with sauce, basil, cucumbers, and lettuce.

Method for Sauce:

1. Pound chilies with mortar and pestle.

2. Mix together remaining ingredients.

Thai Green Curry | Gang Keo Wan

Thai Green Curry | Gang Keo Wan

Typically gang keo wan (Thai green curry) is prepared with beef, though chicken, pork, or fish can be substituted. This dish also lends itself well to vegetarians, who may add different vegetables, such as carrot or zucchini. As a mild curry, the level of spiciness can be adjusted up or down to taste.

Ingredients

• Beef 400 g (around 1lb)
• Green Curry Paste 3 tbsp
• Coconut Milk 2 ½ cups
• Thai Eggplants 5 quartered
• Red Spur Chilies 2-3 sliced diagonally
• Kaffir Lime Leaves 2 torn
• Sweet Basil Leaf ¼ cup (optional)
• Fish or Soy Sauce 1 ½ tbsp
• Palm Sugar 1 ½ tsp
• Cooking Oil 1 tbsp (corn
• safflower
• or peanut oil)
• Sweet Basil Leaves and Red chili slices for garnish.

Instructions

1. Prepare beef by slicing into strips around 1/3” (3cm) in width.

2. Over medium heat, sauté green curry paste in oil until fragrant.

3. Reduce heat and gradually add 1 ½ cups coconut milk until green oil appears.

4. Add beef and kaffir lime leaves, cooking for 3 minutes or until beef is cooked.

5. Transfer to a pot and gradual bring to a boil with remaining coconut milk, palm sugar, and fish sauce.

6. Once boiling add eggplants and cook until tender.

7. Once eggplants are cooked, turn off heat and add sweet basil and red chilies.

 

Thai Food Recipes

Thai Food Recipes

 

As exotic as Thai food tastes and as expansive as your typical Thai restaurant’s menu is, Thai food is not particularly difficult to prepare.  In fact, Thai food recipes are quite straightforward (provided you can get the proper ingredients or suitable substitutes.  Although many Thai ingredients may be difficult to obtain outside of Thailand, many recipes indicate substitutes and with some experimentation you may find a creative substitute that makes the dish a unique creation of your own.  Armed with the ingredients and a recipe, the only other things you should have are the proper instruments, such as a wok and a mortar and pestle (if you wish to make your own chili paste or spicy salad.) Browse Popular Recipe of Thai Culinary from the list below

Thai Gourmet Specialties

Thai Gourmet Specialties

While “Thai food” has gained international recognition, Thai cuisine can actually be broken down by the region from which it originated.  Each of Thailand’s different regions has developed its own style and is responsible for dishes that are quite different from those of other regions.  Thai food from Issarn, in the northeast of Thailand, shares many similarities with cuisine from neighboring Laos, though the Thai versions of the dishes, such as Som Tam, are a lot heavier on the chili.  Southern curries on the other hand, are less spicy, with a greater Malaysian influence, and feature more coconut and turmeric.  And while Thai people love fish, whether from the river or the sea, Thailand’s beaches are the prime destinations to sample the best Thai seafood dishes.

Thai Beer & beverages

Thai Beer & beverages

While tap water is not generally recommended for consumption, ice is generally safe in Thailand and bottled water is ubiquitous and cheap.  If you are concerned, you can always stick with Thai beer, its nearly as cheap and the high alcohol content of Thai beer ensures that any germs aren’t likely to survive; Singha (pronounced “Sing”) and Chang (which means elephant) are the two most popular.

Fruit smoothies and fruit juice are both very popular: smoothies made with fresh fruit and sugar syrup are blended with ice that is generally safe to consume.  Coconut milk is another safe option as the coconut is simply cracked open from the top and served whole with a straw.

Thai ice tea is served with condensed milk, which gives it a pinkish orange color and sweet flavor.  Thai ice coffee (oliang) is a strong black pick me up far superior to the Nescafe that is so often served as “coffee” in many restaurants.  Otherwise, there are many Starbucks throughout the Kingdom, particularly in Bangkok, if you really need a quick coffee fix.

Finally, red bull energy drink was invented in Thailand and can be procured at 7-11 and mom and pop minimarts for 10 baht.  There are other local brands, but taste and potency vary widely.

Thailand food | Thai fruit

Thai fruit

Thailand is undoubtedly a nation of fruits; fruit vendors sell dozens of different chilled fruits on street corners throughout the kingdom, selling sliced ponelamai (fruit) for as little as 10 baht per serving.  Thai fruits include the familiar: banana, pineapple, watermelon, and papaya, as well as the exotic: dragon fruit, chompu, durian, and jackfruit.

Dragon fruit is a large, odd looking fruit, with pink spiky skin, though beneath the extravagant exterior is a tender white meat akin to a mellow, juicy kiwi fruit.  Chompu is a refreshing pear-shaped fruit that tastes something like a watery apple.  The pungent smelling durian and its mellower cousin the jack fruit require an acquired palate, their flavors and textures revered by some and reviled by others; in fact so strong is the smell of the durian that it’s not infrequent to see “no durian” signs inside many buildings!

Mangos are served both ripe and juicy and unripe and excruciatingly tart, a taste that Thai’s typically balance by dipping in a mixture of sugar and chili.

There are literally dozens of other exotic Thai fruits, available seasonally, and always reasonably priced.  Buy a bunch and share with friends; they make economical and healthy snacks.

Thai foods | Source or Paste

Source or Paste

Thai chili paste, or nam prik, is the base of many Thai dishes, though variations of it are also served as dips.  Thai Chili pastes are made by muddling chili, garlic, shrimp paste, lime, and other spices (depending on region of origin).  As a dip, it is served along with raw vegetables and occasionally pork rinds.