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Thailand Food
Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively
bland, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine
is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences
harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The characteristics
of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what
occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai
cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic
animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat
were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable
chunks to Thai cooking.
With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals
in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and
spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or
grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying
and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included
Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chillies were introduced to
Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had
acquired a taste for them while serving in South America.
Thais were very adapt at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods,
and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced
by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other daily products.
Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs
such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were
used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is
generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly,
whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods.
Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once,
permitting dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of different
tastes.
A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments,
a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace
the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be
replaced by non spiced items. There must be a harmony of tastes and
textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.
Source:
Tourism Authority of
Thailand
