Many visitors choose Thailand not only for the beaches but also for the delectable dishes. There’s more to Thai cuisine than green curry, tom yum soup, som tum, pad Thai noodles, and tom kha kai. This Southeast Asian country is home to a myriad of dishes from smoky satay to creamy curries to zesty meat salads.
Eating local Thai food is a huge part of every visitor’s holiday in Thailand. Thai cuisine is popular all over the world, thanks to its exotic fragrance and flavors. A walk through the bustling city’s alleyways will often end up with a stop at a food stall or the market, where you can enjoy skewered meats, noodles, fried rice, spicy soups, and even exotic ones, such as crickets and silkworms at affordable prices.
What’s even more remarkable is the local Thai people’s own love for their food. They are as excited as tourists do when presented with a hot bowl of noodles at a local hawker stall. This blatant passion for eating, as well as an abundance of cultural influences and ingredients, has resulted in one of the most interesting and diverse food scenes in the world.
In spite of the fact that Thai cuisine evolved from a rather small area, it takes a different turn as it crosses a regional area. Here are some famous regional variations of Thai cuisine you must try when visiting Thailand.
Southern Thai Cuisine
Southern Thai’s cooking style is known for its spicy ingredients. Undoubtedly, the dishes served here are the spiciest in the country. They also tend to be salty, with seafood playing a major role in their dish.
- Gaang sôm – in Central Thailand, this dish is known as yellow curry or gaang lĕu·ang. This soup is spicy and sour, which is from the abundant use of the turmeric root.
- Gaang đai þlah – this one is much tastier than it sounds. This curry is intensely salty and spicy that includes salted fish kidneys.
- Kà·nŏm jeen nám yah – this thin rice noodles dish accompanied by a fiery curry-like sauce is always served with a tray of fresh herbs and vegetables.
Royal Thai Cuisine
Most of Bangkok’s influence when it comes to their style of cooking comes from the royal court. For nearly 300 years, they have been producing refined and sophisticated takes on central Thai dishes. They used to be only available within the palace walls but are now available across the region.
- Kà·nŏm bêuang – this old school version of taco-like snacks are served in two varieties – savory and sweet.
- Máh hór – this appetizer combines chinks of pineapple or mandarin orange and peppery/savory/sweet topping that includes peanuts, chicken, pork, peppercorns, coriander root, and sugar.
Central Thai Cuisine
Central Thailand is famous for its savory/sweet dishes that include common ingredients found the central Thai plains, such as pork, coconut milk, freshwater fish, and palm sugar.
- Yam þlah dùk foo – a mixture of chili, peanuts, and fried shredded catfish served with a sweet-tart mango dressing.
- Pàt tai – most people come to Thip Samai in Banglamphu just to try this dish. It is a thin rice noodle that is stir-fried with fresh and/or dried shrimp, tofu, egg, sprouts, and some seasonings. It is traditionally served with a few stalks of Chinese chives, a sliced banana flower, and lime halves.
If you are looking for great places to eat in Bangkok, visit Indulge Bar Bangkok for the most memorable Thai culinary tour of your lifetime.