Thai food is one of the world’s most popular and diverse foods. There are so many tasty foods to choose from it can be hard to know where to start! This blog post will introduce you to some of the most popular Thai dishes and tell you what Thai cuisine is all about. It will also provide tips on how to cook them at home!
An Introduction to Thai Cuisine
Siamese food originates in the middle of the 13th century, during the time of the Thai Kingdom of Sukhothai. It is a mix of Chinese, Indian, and Southeast Asian influences.
Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Siamese cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. Thai food balances the five fundamental taste senses in each dish or meal: sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy. In addition to these essential taste senses, Siamese cooking incorporates aromatic herbs and spices such as galangal, coriander/cilantro, lemon grass, Thai basil, ginger, turmeric root and garlic. A Thai meal is also the art of balancing different flavours together to create a harmonious blend. The most popular Siamese dishes include:
- Curries: These are typically made with a curry paste cooked together with coconut milk and other ingredients, such as meat or vegetables. The most common curry pastes are green, red, yellow, and panang. These are typically served with steamed rice or noodles.
- Stir-Fries: Stir-fries are typically made with a combination of meat or vegetables and a variety of Thai spices and sauces. The most common stir-fry ingredients include garlic, ginger, onion, bell pepper, carrot, broccoli, and bamboo shoots. Siamese stir-fries are often served with steamed rice or noodles. Thais typically use a wok for stir-frying, allowing quick cooking at high temperatures. The key to a good Thai stir-fry is not overcooking the ingredients – they should cook just long enough to be crisp and full of flavour.
- Thai Noodles: Thai noodles are made from various flours, including rice, wheat and egg. They are served with toppings, such as vegetables, meat or seafood. Thai noodles are usually served with Thai curry or stir-fry.
- Pad Thai: It is seasoned with tamarind sauce, fish sauce, chilli pepper, and palm sugar and garnished with peanuts, cilantro, and lime. Pad Thai is made with rice noodles soaked in water for a few minutes before being stir-fried with vegetables and protein.
- Tom Yum Soup: Tom Yum Soup is typically made with chicken or shrimp, vegetables, and various Thai spices and herbs. The most common Thai spices and herbs used in Tom Yum Soup include lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chilli peppers, and cilantro. Tom Yum Soup is typically served with steamed rice or noodles.
Tips to Cook Thai Food at Home
If you want to cook Thai food at home, here are a few tips to get you started:
- Many dishes are quite simple to make. However, once you get easy with the basics, you can start experimenting with more complex recipes.
- Thai food relies heavily on fresh, high-quality ingredients. It is one of the reasons why it tastes so good! So use fresh herbs, vegetables and meats.
- Thai cooking often involves a lot of prep work, such as chopping and slicing ingredients. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time. With practice, you’ll be able to prep your ingredients faster and easier.
Now that you know more about this food, it’s time to start cooking!
Conclusion
Thai dishes are delicious, healthy and easy to make. Thai cuisine offers a wide variety of dishes to choose from, so there’s typically made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and often involve a lot of prep work. Thai cooking is a great way to experiment with new flavours and spices.