EATING IN THAILAND
STAPLES & SPECIALITIES
include dried chilli, galangal, lemon grass, kaffi r lime zest, shallots, gar-
lic, shrimp paste and salt.
Another food celebrity that falls into the soupy category isđôm yam,
the famous Thai spicy and sour soup. Fuelling the fi re beneath đôm yam’’s
often velvety surface are freshprík kêe nŏo (tiny chillies) or, alternatively,
half a teaspoonful of nám prík pŏw (a roasted chilli paste). Lemon grass,
kaffi r lime leaf and lime juice giveđôm yam its characteristic tang.Stir-Fries & Deep-Fries
The simplest dishes in the Thai culinary repertoire are the various stir-
fries(pàt),introduced to Thailand by the Chinese, who are world famous
for being able to stir-fry a whole banquet in a single wok.
The list of pàtt dishes seems endless. Many cling to their Chinese roots,
such as the ubiquitouspàt pàk bûng fai daangg (morning glory fl ash-fried
with garlic and chilli), while some are Thai-Chinese hybrids, such aspàt
pètt (literally ‘hot stir-fry’), in which the main ingredients, typically meat
or fi sh, are quickly stir-fried with red curry paste.
Tôrtt (deep-frying in oil) is mainly reserved for snacks such as glôo·ay
tôrtt (deep-fried bananas) or þò ·þé e·a (egg rolls). An exception is þlah tôrt
(deep-fried fi sh), which is a common way to prepare fi sh.Hot & Tangy Salads
Standing right alongside curries in terms of Thai-ness is the ubiquitous
yam, a hot and tangy ‘salad’ typically based around seafood, meat or
vegetables.
Lime juice provides the tang, while the abundant use of fresh chilli
generates the heat. Most yamm are served at room temperature or just
slightly warmed by any cooked ingredients. The dish functions equally
well as part of a meal, or on its own as gàp glâam, snack food to accom-
pany a night of boozing.
Perhaps the zenith of this style of cooking is northeastern Thailand’s
sôm·đamm (see the boxed text, p 741 ).Nám Prík
Although they’re more home than restaurant food,nám prík, spicy
chilli-based ‘dips’, are, for the locals at least, among the most emblematic
of all Thai dishes. Typically eaten with rice and steamed or fresh vegeta-
bles and herbs, they’re also among the most regional of Thai dishes, andMaintained by a
Thai woman living
in the US, She
Simmers (www.
shesimmers.com)
is a good source
of recipes that
cover the basics
of Thai cooking.RECIPES
(CON)FUSION CUISINEA popular dish at restaurants across Thailand is kôw pàt à·me·rí·gan, ‘American fried
rice’. Taking the form of rice fried with ketchup, raisins and peas, sides of ham and deep-
fried hot dogs, and topped with a fried egg, the dish is, well, every bit as revolting as it
sounds. But at least there’s an interesting history behind it: American fried rice appar-
ently dates back to the Vietnam War era, when thousands of US troops were based in
northeastern Thailand. A local cook apparently decided to take the ubiquitous ‘American
Breakfast’ (also known as ABF, fried eggs with ham and/or hot dogs, and white bread,
typically eaten with ketchup) and make it ‘Thai’ by frying the various elements with rice.
This culinary cross-pollination is only a recent example of the tendency of Thai cooks
to pick and choose from the variety of cuisines at their disposal. Other (signifi cantly
more palatable) examples include gaang má t·sà ·mà n, ‘Muslim curry’, a now classic
blend of Thai and Middle Eastern cooking styles, and the famous pàt tai, essentially a
blend of Chinese cooking methods and ingredients (frying, rice noodles) with Thai fl a-
vours (fi sh sauce, chilli, tamarind).