Thai Restaurants Guides & Resources

What cuisine do Thai restaurants have?

Thai food is known for its balance of the five fundamental flavours (sweet, spicy, salty, sour and bitter). It can be described as mildly spiced with delicate use of fresh herbs such as cilantro, lemongrass and galangal root, which are used in very large parts of Thai dishes. Thailand consists of four regions with different royal Thai cuisine styles: ### Northern Thailand Northern Thai food has been influenced by the cuisines of China, and Myanmar. Examples include khao soi. ### Central Thailand The foods of India and Malaysia have influenced this region. ### East Thailand The food in this region is known for its use of freshwater fish, crabs and fresh prawns, while freshwater fish are also commonly caught. ### Southern Thailand Southern Thai cuisine is incredibly distinctive in the south of the country, where satay is eaten with a spicy dipping sauce made from sugar cane. ## What types of curry do Thai people like? Thai curries are served at all times of the day and can include stir-fried chicken, minced pork, spicy beef salad or seafood varieties. Some may also be stir-fried in oil, while others are boiled in water. Coconut curry is among the most popular types in Thailand. It is made with creamy coconut milk blended with spices like coriander root, lemongrass, garlic and cumin seeds. ## What dishes do Thai people like to eat? Some other well-known dishes which can be found abundantly in Thailand are fish cakes, spicy green papaya salad, pad Thai (rice noodles), tom yum goong (hot and sour soup), green curry rice (khao phat ka-phrao), tom kha gai (chicken soup with galangal and coconut milk) as well as a variety of green mango salad and steamed jasmine rice salad. ## Are Thai foods spicy? The level of spiciness can also vary from one dish to another or on the diner's palate. Dishes that are milder in taste, like fresh green chillies, peanuts or cashew nuts, can be added, while others feature a fiery red curry paste made from chillies. Chili peppers are eaten fresh, dried, pickled and ground into pastes. ## What spices do Thai people use? In Thailand, there are many varieties of pepper that local farmers have discovered. One such type is peppercorn that is usually fresh or dried. Peppercorns are known for their strong aroma and biting taste, while the white variety has a milder flavour than the black one. Types of chilli include long, bird's eye, round and green ones. Some Thai recipes require coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ginger root, garlic cloves, crushed cardamom pods, and turmeric powder. Thai food is some of the best globally due to its fantastic blend of spices and flavours and fresh ingredients. ## What is a typical Thai meal? A typical Thai meal is served with steamed rice as the staple food. It can have meat, seafood or bean sprouts, herbs, raw vegetables, and some spicy chilli paste called nam prik. The taste of nam prik can be adjusted according to personal preference by adding palm sugar, fresh lime juice and ground roasted rice. Some other flavouring agents usually added to curries include dried shrimp, fish sweet soy sauce and tamarind juice. Tropical fruits like mangoes, pineapples and mangosteens are commonly consumed during hot seasons for their refreshing taste. ## What cuisines have a big influence on Thai food? In Thailand, many different cuisines have a big influence on what they eat. For example, Chinese and Indian cuisines have impacted Thai food by introducing recipes such as noodle soup and massaman curry dishes. In fact, Thai people use many different spices in their cooking, most especially chilli peppers. Thai food is known to be one of the spiciest cuisines in the world. ## What's the difference between green curry and red curry? Green curry and red curry both use different types of chilli and vegetables. The green version is made with roasted green chilli and coconut milk, while the red one is made from fresh red chilli and spices such as coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Spices like pepper are added to give a little heat. The main difference comes from their ingredients- the green curry paste uses long beans, carrots, bamboo shoots and eggplants, while the red one has aubergines, potatoes and baby corn. ## What do Thai people eat for lunch? There are many different main course meals that Thai people eat for lunch. However, the most common ones include Thai fried rice, Thai spring rolls and Phad Thai. Another popular spicy dish is Tom Yam Kung, a hot and spicy shrimp soup, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and coriander leaves. Other options for lunch can also include chicken or beef satays on skewers served with peanut sauce. Thai green curry is another favourite that provides coconut milk with vegetables such as eggplants, bamboo shoots and Thai holy basil leaves. Thai style fried noodles like Pad Thai (fried flat rice noodles) is also another typical noodle dish in Thailand that contains boiled eggs, beansprouts, tofu and nuts; it can be eaten with a choice of shrimp, pickled mustard greens, green chicken curry, pork or any stir-fried dish. ## What is a papaya salad? Papaya spicy Thai salad is also known as Som Tam. It is a traditional Thai food that has travelled all over the world. It is made with shredded green papaya that has been mixed with sweet chilli sauce, oyster sauce, tomatoes, carrots and peanuts. Some people also add shrimp or fermented crab. This spicy salad is surprisingly refreshing because of the sweet sourness from the ripe fruit. ## What are some popular Thai desserts? One of the most popular desserts in Thailand is called Thong Yod, which means golden strands. This sweet treat is made from egg yolks and then rolled into fine threads that look like gold. Other popular Thai desserts include coconut ice cream, mango sticky rice dish, fried bananas with honey, taro balls served in pandan leaves. ## What are some popular Thai ingredients? Some of the most common ingredients used in Thai cooking are lemongrass, Thai basil leaves, galangal root (similar to ginger), lime juice, fish sauce and kaffir limes. These are combined to give dishes an intensely flavourful taste. Rice flour and rice dishes are also a staple part of every meal. ## What is the most popular Thai dish? One of the most popular dishes in Thailand is known as Pad Thai. It's a rice noodle dish that you stir fry along with boiled egg noodles, beansprouts, tofu and nuts; it can be eaten with a choice of shrimp, sour curry, chicken or pork. Another favourite that is very common amongst Thais is the sour green curry which includes coconut cream with vegetables such as eggplants, bamboo shoots and basil leaves. Other common options for lunch include fried noodles like pad Thai (fried flat rice noodles) are also other common options for lunch. It can be eaten with a choice of shrimp, chicken or pork.