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Cuisine

Thai Cuisine

Southeast Asian Cuisines

The cooking traditions of Thailand, balancing sweet, sour, salty and spicy elements within a single dish, built on jasmine rice, fresh herbs such as lemongrass and galangal, fish sauce, and chile heat introduced from the Americas after the 16th century. Traditional dishes fall into four broad categories: tom (boiled dishes), yam (spicy salads), tam (pounded foods) and kaeng (curries), with deep frying, stir frying and steaming introduced from Chinese cooking. A 2011 CNN Travel poll of 35,000 people worldwide ranking the World's 50 Best Foods placed seven Thai dishes on the list, more than any other country, including tom yum kung, pad thai, som tam and massaman curry.

Facts
Signature Technique
Pounding fresh herbs and chiles into curry pastes with a mortar and pestle, and balancing the four fundamental flavors within one dish, are hallmark techniques. 1
Origin Region
Mainland Southeast Asia, centered on Thailand. 2
Connections

Associated With

Expresses Tradition

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson

Features Dish

Source American fried rice (Wikipedia)
Banh Xeo, Dishes
Source Banh xeo, Wikipedia
Bua loi, Dishes
Source Bua loi (Wikipedia)
Curry, Dishes
Source Curry (Wikipedia)
Source Drunken noodles (Wikipedia)
Source Hainanese chicken rice, Wikipedia
Kai yang, Dishes
Source Kai yang (Wikipedia)
Khanom chin, Dishes
Source Khanom chin (Wikipedia)
Khanom thuai, Dishes
Source Khanom thuai (Wikipedia)
Khao Kha Mu, Dishes
Source Khao kha mu (Wikipedia)
Khao mu daeng, Dishes
Source Khao mu daeng (Wikipedia)
Khao Soi, Dishes
Source Khao soi, Wikipedia
Kuai tiao, Dishes
Source Wikipedia, Kuai tiao
Source Mango Sticky Rice (Wikipedia)
Massaman Curry, Dishes
Source Massaman Curry (Wikipedia)
Mi krop, Dishes
Source Mi krop (Wikipedia)
Pad kaphrao, Dishes
Source Phat kaphrao (Wikipedia)
Pad Thai, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson
Rat-on-a-stick, Dishes
Source Rat-on-a-stick (Wikipedia)
Red curry, Dishes
Source Red curry (Wikipedia)
Roti Canai, Dishes
Source Roti canai (Wikipedia)
Roti sai mai, Dishes
Source Roti sai mai (Wikipedia)
Satay, Dishes
Source Satay (Wikipedia)
Steamed Curry, Dishes
Source Wikipedia, Steamed curry
Suea rong hai, Dishes
Source Suea rong hai (Wikipedia)
Tom Yum, Dishes
Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidson

Uses Ingredient

Source Larousse Gastronomique
Coconut, Ingredients

Coconut milk is a base of Thai curries.

Source Coconut (Wikipedia)
Coriander, Ingredients
Source Coriander, Wikipedia
Source Fish Sauce (Wikipedia)
Ginger, Ingredients
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Rice, Ingredients
Source Larousse Gastronomique
Source Rice Noodles (Wikipedia)
Sriracha, Ingredients
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidsontier 1

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source The Oxford Companion to FoodAlan Davidsontier 1
Sources
1. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004technique discussion: curry paste pounding
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.entry: Thai cuisineView the Source
The Oxford Companion to Food
Alan Davidson, Oxford University Press, 2014
  • entry: Thailand
  • Features Dish: Pad Thai
  • Features Dish: Tom Yum
Thai cuisine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead section, World's 50 Best Foods paragraph
Quote, lead section, World's 50 Best Foods paragraph
Thailand had more dishes on the list than any other country: tom yum kung (4th), pad thai (5th), som tam (6th), massaman curry (10th), green curry (19th), Thai fried rice (24th) and nam tok mu (36th).
View the Source
Larousse Gastronomique
Hamlyn, 2009
  • Uses Ingredient: Chili Pepper, entry: Chilli
  • Uses Ingredient: Rice, entry: Rice
  • Uses Ingredient: Ginger, entry: Ginger
Coconut (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses Ingredient: CoconutView the Source
Curry (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFeatures Dish: Curry, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Satay (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFeatures Dish: Satay, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Roti canai (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFeatures Dish: Roti Canai, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Banh xeo, Wikipedia
Features Dish: Banh Xeo, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Hainanese chicken rice, Wikipedia
Features Dish: Hainanese Chicken Rice, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Wikipedia, Kuai tiao
Features Dish: Kuai tiao, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Rat-on-a-stick (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Rat-on-a-stick, Wikipedia category listView the Source
Massaman Curry (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFeatures Dish: Massaman Curry, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Massaman Curry, lead paragraph
Massaman curry (Thai: แกงมัสมั่น, RTGS: kaeng matsaman, pronounced [kɛ̄ːŋ mát.sā.màn] ) is a rich, flavourful, and mildly spicy Thai curry.
View the Source
Khao soi, Wikipedia
Features Dish: Khao Soi, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Khao Soi, lead paragraph
Khao soi or khao soy (Thai: ข้าวซอย, pronounced [kʰâ(ː)w sɔ̄ːj]; Northern Thai: ᩮᨡᩢ᩶ᩣᨪᩬ᩠ᨿ, pronounced [kʰa᷇(ː)w sɔ̄ːj]; Lao: ເຂົ້າຊອຍ, pronounced [kʰȁ(ː)w sɔ́ːj]; Shan: ၶဝ်ႈသွႆး, pronounced [kʰaw˧˧˨.sʰɔj˥]; Burmese: အုန်းနို့ခေါက်ဆွဲ, pronounced [ʔóʊɴ no̰ kʰaʊʔ sʰwɛ́]) is a dish served in Northern Thailand.
View the Source
Khanom chin (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Khanom chin, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Khanom chin, lead paragraph
Khanom chin or khanom jeen are fresh, thin white rice noodles in Thai cuisine which are made from rice fermented for three days, boiled, and extruded through into boiling water through a sieve.
View the Source
American fried rice (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: American Fried Rice, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: American Fried Rice, lead paragraph
American fried rice (Thai: ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน, RTGS: khao phat amerikan, pronounced [kʰâ(ː)w pʰàt ʔāmēːrīkān]) is a Thai fried rice dish with "American" side ingredients like fried chicken, ham, sausages, raisins, and ketchup.
View the Source
Khanom thuai (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Khanom thuai, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Khanom thuai, lead paragraph
Khanom thuai talai (Thai: ขนมถ้วยตะไล, Thai pronunciation: [kʰā.nǒm tʰûaj tā.lāj]), usually shortened to khanom thuai (ขนมถ้วย), is a Thai dessert made from rice flour, coconut milk and sugar.
View the Source
Khao mu daeng (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Khao mu daeng, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Khao mu daeng, lead paragraph
Khao mu daeng (Thai: ข้าวหมูแดง, pronounced [kʰâːw mǔː dɛ̄ːŋ], lit.: 'red-pork rice') is a Thai dish, the local variant of char siew with rice (Chinese: 叉烧饭, pinyin: chā shāo fàn) of Chinese cuisine.
View the Source
Roti sai mai (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Roti sai mai, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Roti sai mai, lead paragraph
Roti sai mai (Thai: โรตีสายไหม, pronounced [rōː.tīː.sǎːj.mǎj]; sai mai meaning 'silk thread') is a Southeast Asian dessert from Thailand.
View the Source
Bua loi (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Bua loi, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Bua loi, lead paragraph
Bua loi or bua loy (Thai: บัวลอย, pronounced [būa lɔ̄ːj], lit. 'floating lotus') is a Thai dessert.
View the Source
Drunken noodles (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Drunken noodles, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Drunken noodles, lead paragraph
Drunken noodles or drunkard noodles is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish similar to phat si-io but spicier.
View the Source
Red curry (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Red curry, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Red curry, lead paragraph
Red curry (Thai: แกงเผ็ด, RTGS: kaeng phet, pron. [kɛːŋ pʰèt], lit. 'spicy curry') is a Thai dish consisting of red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with meat such as chicken, beef, pork, duck or shrimp added, or else a vegetarian protein source such as tofu.
View the Source
Khao kha mu (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Khao Kha Mu, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Khao Kha Mu, lead paragraph
Khao kha mu or khao kha moo (Thai: ข้าวขาหมู, pronounced [kʰâːw kʰǎː mǔː], lit. 'rice leg-pork'; Chinese: 猪脚饭, pinyin: zhū jiǎo fàn), or sometimes simply called kha mu (ขาหมู), is a popular Thai food.
View the Source
Mi krop (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Mi krop, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Mi krop, lead paragraph
Mi krop (Thai: หมี่กรอบ, pronounced [mìː krɔ̀ːp]), also spelled mee krob, is a Thai dish consisting of deep-fried rice vermicelli noodles with a sweet and sour sauce.
View the Source
Kai yang (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Kai yang, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Kai yang, lead paragraph
Kai yang or gai yang (Thai: ไก่ย่าง, pronounced [kàj jâːŋ], lit. 'grilled chicken'), also known as kai ping or gai ping (Thai: ไก่ปิ้ง), or pīng kai (Lao: ປີ້ງໄກ່, [pîːŋ kāj]), is a dish of shared origin from Lao and Thai peoples commonly eaten throughout the regions of both Laos and Thailand.
View the Source
Suea rong hai (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Suea rong hai, lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Suea rong hai, lead paragraph
Suea rong hai (Thai: เสือร้องไห้, pronounced [sɯ̌a rɔ́ːŋ hâːj]; Lao: ເສືອຮ້ອງໄຫ້, pronounced [sɯ̌a hɔ̂ːŋ hȁːj]; Northeastern Thai: เสือฮ้องไห้, pronounced [sɯ̌a hɔ̏ːŋ hàːj]) is a Lao and Northeastern Thai local food cooked from brisket of beef, flavored with spices, grilled rare, sliced into small pieces, and served with sticky rice and other dishes.
View the Source
Coriander, Wikipedia
Uses Ingredient: Coriander, Roots
Quote, Uses Ingredient: Coriander, Roots
used in a variety of Asian cuisines, particularly in Thai dishes such as soups or curry pastes.
View the Source
Fish Sauce (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses Ingredient: Fish Sauce, Introduction, first paragraph
Quote, Uses Ingredient: Fish Sauce, Introduction, first paragraph
It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
View the Source
Rice Noodles (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUses Ingredient: Rice Noodles, Introduction
Quote, Uses Ingredient: Rice Noodles, Introduction
Rice noodles are noodles made with rice flour and water as the principal ingredients.
View the Source
Wikipedia, Steamed curry
Features Dish: Steamed Curry, Infobox: national_cuisine
Quote, Features Dish: Steamed Curry, Infobox: national_cuisine
Cambodian cuisine, Cambodian, Lao cuisine, Lao, Thai cuisine, Thai
View the Source
Mango Sticky Rice (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Mango Sticky Rice, Infobox: national_cuisine
Quote, Features Dish: Mango Sticky Rice, Infobox: national_cuisine
Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Filipino, Lao, Malaysian, Northeast Indian, Thai.
View the Source
Phat kaphrao (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Pad kaphrao, Lead paragraph
Quote, Features Dish: Pad kaphrao, Lead paragraph
Pad kaphrao (Thai: ผัดกะเพรา, pronounced [pʰàt kà.pʰrāw]; transl. stir-fried holy basil), also spelled pad kaprow, pad kaprao, or pad gaprao, is one of the most popular Thai dishes in Thailand.
View the Source

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