Thai Cooking & Kitchen Secrets

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non spiced items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal. Everybody knows the famous food of Thailand, which is a mix of spicy and sour tastes. Thailand is divided into four main area : North, Northeast, Central, South. Each area has its own culinary specialities. Rice is the basic aliment in Thailand. Rice is eaten with most dishes. The word "to eat" in Thai language is "KIN KHAO" (กินข้าว), which means "to eat rice". There are different types of rice. The steamed rice is called "KHAO SUEY" (ข้าวสวย). One of the most famous is sticky rice ("KHAO NIO" - ข้าวเหนียว) from "ISAN" area (อีสาน - northeastern part of Thailand). During a Thai meal, all the food is served together. No entrée, main dish and dessert like in westerner countries. Meals are eaten together and shared. In most cases, Thai people don't eat dessert. Dessert (fruits, cakes) are eaten when going out for a walk. All food in the plate shall be eaten. Thai people don't like to waste food, especially rice.