It’s undeniable that Thai cuisie is really good, what with the many ingredients the country’s best cooks use in their dishes. They use a wide variety of spices and herbs to create mouth-watering flavors!
If there’s one thing Thai cuisine is known for, it’s their unique ability to work with different flavors. Their dishes may be spicy, sweet, sour, salty, or creamy—sometimes, one dish may have two or more of these flavors. What more can you ask for?
But before you start drooling and give in to an unforgettable gastronomical experience, let’s take a deep dive into the five flavors of Thai food:
Spicy
Most Thai dishes aren’t for the faint of heart, or those whose taste buds are too sensitive. If you truly want to sample Thai cuisine, you have to be able to put up with spicy food. This is because such dishes are considered the cornerstone of Thai cuisine. The Thai people love to use chilies and peppercorns to spice up the flavor of their dishes, literally and figuratively. That’s why most of them grow up accustomed to eating spicy food.
Thai people have a much higher tolerance for spicy food than the average tourist. That said, you can still try to eat as much of it as you can. You can also ask the chef to tone down the spiciness a little. But spicy food will surely make a big difference in your dining experience in Thailand.
Sweet
You’ll be surprised to find that some of the dishes are overwhelmingly sweet. No, we’re not pertaining to fruity desserts and the like. We’re referring to actual meals that are sweet for the right reasons.
They say that sweet ingredients are essential to every Thai recipe. The goal is to counter some of the extremely sour components, so it’s a balancing act between sweet and sour flavors. This is to ensure that the dish is palatable. If you’re wondering which sweet ingredients Thai people commonly use, they include cane sugar and coconut palm sugar, among others.
Sour
When it comes to sour flavor, you can surely try several sour Thai dishes served on your plate. One of the most popular dishes is the spicy papaya salad, locally known as “som tam.”
It’s true that many Thai people are fond of sour flavors. They like the taste of limes, tamarind, and pineapples. We bet you might have tried green mangoes. Even the famously sweet mango is often picked and eaten before it’s fully ripe. That’s how much Thais love something sour!
Salty
Salty flavor is obviously notable among Thai dishes. That’s a good thing, as they don’t taste bland at all. If you’re wondering what salty ingredients they like to sprinkle into their food, it’s not necessarily salt.
Yes, the use of sea or rock salt is common in other cuisines. But Thai people prefer to use fish sauce instead. Not only does it add a distinctive fishy aroma, but it also enhances the taste of the dish’s main ingredients. In the end, you can expect an intense dining experience, not the kind that’s dull and boring!
Creamy
Finally, let’s not miss out on the creamy flavor of some Thai dishes. If there are spicy ingredients, there are also creamy ones such as coconut milk. The goal is to temper the spiciness and also add a certain smoothness to a dish. What a perfect combination! You might want to devour varied Thai curries such as the famous Phuket Thai food Tom Yam Goong (spicy prawn soup). You’ll surely love the creaminess of this delectable dish!
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