Thai Cuisine: Introduction and History

Introduction to Thai Cuisine

• Thai cuisine is known for its spicy and exotic dishes, with "Thai" meaning spicy or hot.
• Thai people believe that chilies cool the body, stimulate the appetite, and bring balance and harmony to their food.

Historical Influences

• Thai cuisine has been influenced by neighboring countries, including China, India, and Persia.
• The Chinese introduced dishes such as rice porridge, fried rice, noodles, and stewed pork with rice.
• The Chinese also introduced the wok, deep frying, and stir-frying techniques, as well as noodles, oyster sauce, and soybean products.
• Indian and Persian influences can be seen in dishes like kaeng kahi (yellow curry) and kaeng matsaman (massaman curry).

Regional Cuisines

• Thailand has four regional cuisines: Northern, Northeastern (or Isan), Central, and Southern.
• Each region has its own unique cuisine, influenced by neighboring countries and regions.
• Examples of regional influences include:
  • Burmese cuisine in the Northwest
  • Chinese province of Yunnan and Laos in the North
  • Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine in the East
  • Malaysian cuisine in the South
• Thai Royal Cuisine has refined cooking techniques and uses of ingredients influenced by the central Thai plains.
• Western influences from the 17th century onwards have led to dishes like foi thong and sangkalaya.

Characteristics of Thai Cuisine

• Thai cuisine is considered the spiciest in Southeast Asia, with spiciness coming from pastes used in curry preparation.
• A variety of sauces and condiments are used, including prik nam pla/nam pla phrik, dried chili flakes, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha sauce.
• Nam pla (fish sauce) is a strong-smelling and strong-tasting ingredient found in almost all Thai dishes.
• Jasmine rice is the staple food, a sweet-smelling grain native to Thailand.
• Herbs, spices, and leaves like kaffir-lime are used in many Thai dishes.

Thai Cooking Tools and Utensils

• Sticky rice steamer set: essential for preparing sticky rice at home.
• Kruk Thai mortar and pestle: a must-have tool for making Som Tom (spicy papaya salad).
• Sticky rice serving baskets: used to serve steamed sticky rice in homes and restaurants.

Thai Basic Ingredients

• Aubergines: a mildly sweet vegetable.
• Bamboo shoots: edible young shoots of the bamboo plant.
• Bean curd: often used in soups and Chinese dishes.
• Beansprouts: sprouted from mung beans, used in salads and stir-fried dishes.
• Bean sauce: made from salted fermented soy beans, used in oriental dishes.
• Basil: a pungent herb with three varieties: bai mangluk (hairy basil), bai horapa (sweet basil), and bai grapao (Thai or holy basil).
• Chili: small red and green fresh chilies are extremely hot, while larger varieties are slightly milder.
• Coconut milk: made from grated coconut flesh and water, essential in many Thai dishes.
• Coriander: both leaves and seeds are important ingredients in Thai cooking.
• Curry paste: used in the preparation of curry dishes.
• Fish sauce (nam pla): a commonly used flavoring in Thai food.
• Galangal: similar to fresh ginger root, with a more translucent skin and pinkish tinge.
• Garlic: indispensable in Thai cooking.
• Ginger: a good substitute for galangal.
• Kaffir lime: zest of the fruit and dark glossy green leaves are used in soups and curries.
• Lemon grass: known as citronella, has long pale green stalks and a bulbous end similar to a spring onion.
• Palm sugar: strongly flavored, hard brown sugar made from the sap of the coconut palm tree.
• Roasted ground rice: raw glutinous rice grains that are dry-fried until brown, then ground to a powder.
• Salty eggs: khai kham.
• Shallots: used more extensively than onions in Thai cuisine.
• Soy sauce: made from fermented soy beans, available in light or dark versions.
• Tamarind: an acidic tropical fruit that resembles a bean pod.
• Vinegar: a mild, plain white vinegar used in Thai cooking.

Pastes and Sauces

• Nam pla: a very aromatic and strong-tasting fish sauce.
• Pla ra: a more pungent sauce made from fermented fish, often used in Thai cooking.
• Kapi: a Thai shrimp paste made from fermented ground shrimp and salt.
• Nam phrik: Thai chili pastes similar to Indonesian and Malaysian sambals, with different regional versions.

Rice and Noodles

• Rice is a staple grain in Thai cuisine, as in most Asian cuisine.
• Jasmine rice is highly prized and native to Thailand.
• Sticky rice (Khao niao) is a unique variety of rice that cooks up to a sticky texture.