Thai Food -
Delicious!
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Thai food is
internationally famous. Whether chili-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. Chilies
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.
Eating
and ordering Thai Food
Thai food is
eaten with a fork and spoon. Even single dish meals such as fried
rice with pork, or steamed rice topped with roasted duck, are served
in bite-sized slices or chunks obviating the need for a knife. The
fork is used to move the food to the spoon, and spoon is used to
convey food to the mouth.
Ideally,
eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people,
principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the
number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three
dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice,
three diners four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they
require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice.
Soups are enjoyed concurrently with rice. Soups are enjoyed
concurrently with other dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes, not
independently. Spicy dishes are "balanced" by bland dishes
to avoid discomfort.
The ideal Thai
meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and
sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate.
A typical meal might include a clear soup (perhaps bitter melons
stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce),
a fried dish (fish with ginger), a hot salad (beef slices on a bed
of lettuce, onions, chillies, mint and lemon juice) and a variety of
sauces into which food is dipped. This would be followed by sweet
desserts and/or fresh fruits such as mangoes, durian, jackfruit,
papaya, grapes or melon.
What Comprises a Thai Meal
Titbits
These can be hors d'oeuvres, accompaniments, side dishes, and/or
snacks. They include spring rolls, satay, puffed rice cakes with
herbed topping. They represent the playful and creative nature of
the Thais
Salads
A harmony of tastes and herbal flavours are essential. Major tastes
are sour, sweet and salty. Spiciness comes in different degrees
according to meat textures and occasions.
General Fare
A sweet and sour dish, a fluffy omelette, and a stir-fried dish help
make a meal more complete.
Dips
Dips entail some complexity. They can be the major dish of a meal
with accompaniments of vegetables and some meats. When dips are made
thinly, they can be used as salad designs. A particular and simple
dip is made from chillies, garlic, dried shrimps, lime juice, fish
sauce, sugar and shrimp paste.
Soups
A good meal for an average person may consist simply of a soup and
rice. Traditional Thai soups are unique because they embody more
flavours and textures than can be found in other types of food.
Curries
Most non-Thai curries consist of powdered or ground dried spices,
whereas the major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A
simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chillies, shallots and
shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galanga,
coriander roots, lemon grass, kaffir lime peel and peppercorns.
Single Dishes
Complete meals in themselves , they include rice and noodle dishes
such as Khao Phat and Phat Thai.
Desserts
No good meal is complete without a Thai dessert. Uniformly sweet,
they are particularly welcome after a strongly
