Thai food is a worldwide favorite cuisine that has almost become a fashion trend in some cities. Being diverse in spicy, sweet, salty, sour and bitter flavours, Thai dishes cater to all tastebuds.
Most popular Thai dishes are fairly easy to cook and include herbs and spices that are beneficial to health.
The following dishes below are favorites to locals and foreigners. It was too hard to narrow the list down to ten so the dishes are in no particular order.
1) Pad Thai
Pad Thai is usually the first Thai dish people will try for it’s simplicity and international demand. This traditional dish is a stir-fried noodle dish combined with eggs, tamarind, fish sauce, red chili pepper, bean sprouts, and topped with coriander and crushed peanuts. Meat, chicken, shrimp, and tofu are also added based on your preference.The mix of flavours provide an explosion of yumminess in your mouth.
2) Som Tam
Known as Papaya Salad, this dish is mostly enjoyed by those with a strong threshold for spice. It is undoubtedly Thailand’s most popular salad. Prepared by using a mortar and pestle, a spicy dressing of chili, garlic, and tamarind juice, along with other ingredients is grounded with unripened papaya. This spicy and sour salad is healthy and delicious…if you like spice.
3) Khao Soi
A proud cuisine of Northern Thailand, Khao Soi must be tried while visiting the North, especially in Chiang Mai. It is a soupy dish made with pickled cabbage, shallots, lime, fried ground chillies, and meat in a curry-like sauce containing coconut milk. The best part is the top off of deep fried crisp egg noodles.
4) Tom Yam Goong
Another spicy dish, Tom Yam Goong or Spicy Shrimp Soup is Thailand’s most popular soup. It can be clear or thick(with coconut milk) and very versatile with ingredients, but mainly includes shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Spicy, sweet, and sour, Thai’s are passionate about this soup.
5) Gang Keow Wan
In Thai cuisine there are many different curries and green curry is a pleaser. Morsels of chicken, eggplant, bamboo shoots, and basil are bathed in coconut milk mixed with spoonfuls of green curry paste creating a delightful taste. The texture is quite soupy compared to other curries.
6) Khao Pad
Even more simpler than Pad Thai, Khao Pad or Fried Rice makes a perfect lunch treat. There are usually several different variations of this dish on each menu, but there is nothing wrong with ordering the plain old version, fried rice with egg, onions, and herbs. Thai’s also add ingredients such as, chicken, prawns, pineapple, and crab to dress it up.
7) Tom Kha Kai
Tom Kha Kai is simply chicken in coconut soup similar but milder than Tom Yam. This soup combines chillies, galangal, shallots, lemongrass and tender strips of chicken. It can be on the spicy side, but the mass of coconut milk softens it.
8) Gang Massaman
Originating from Southern Thailand, Massaman is a thick sweet curry made with coconut milk, potatoes, peanuts, and cinnamon. Chicken, beef and pork are options to make the dish more filling. It’s best if tried in the South.
9) Kai Med Ma Muang
A perfect option when sick of coconut milk and spice, Kai Med Ma Muang is basically chicken with cashew nuts. It may sound boring, but the way Thai’s prepare it, you will be begging for more. It is usually prepared with chicken, roasted cashews, sweet soy sauce, onions, chillies, peppers, carrots and mushrooms.
10) Kao Niew Ma Muang
Saved the best for last…desert! Kao Niew Ma Muang is better known as mango with sticky rice and is loved by all. Glutinous rice absorbed in coconut milk and sugar is topped with ripened mango and sometimes garnished with coconut cream syrup and/or sesame seeds. It’s taste is sweet, juicy, and dances in your mouth!
Photos by winn*, adactio, avlxyz, avlxyz, Lummmy, clayirving, BrownGuacamole, jasonlam and migikata
