Thai cuisine

Like most great cuisines, Thai cooking has its basis in regional rivalries, although centuries of European and Chinese influences have given it a unifying flavor. The Buddhist religion means large cuts of meat tend to be avoided, while Thailand’s long shoreline brings a multitude of seafood to the diet.Both ingredients lend themselves well to the fast fry method influenced by centuries of contact with China. This is the history of the familiar phat thai – stir-fried rice noodles, most commonly with tiny prawns or tofu in fish sauce and tamarind – even though the dish itself only dates to the 1930s.It was the Portuguese who introduced chilies around the 16th century, but it is worth mentioning that Thai food is a lot less spicy than it used to be. Lemongrass and other more subtle flavors have toned down some of the urge towards hotness. Coconut milk replaces the ghee of Indian curries to add extra smoothness to familiar Thai dishes such as green curry.

Heat does tend to dominate food in the south, along with coconut milk, herbs, and spices such as turmeric, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. A typical dish would be tom som pla karaoke, a tart fish soup with turmeric, ginger, and tamarind juice. In the north of the country, sticky rice is a staple and there is much less coconut milk. Food here is seldom spicy, depending on fresh seasonal ingredients such as tomatoes. A popular dish is khao soi – soft wheat-and-egg noodles in a spicy chicken broth – which shows a strong Chinese influence, as does the region’s love of pork and deep-frying.It’s worth noting that chopsticks are one Chinese fashion that has not been adopted by Thais.

Food

• Thai cuisine is much loved internationally and Thai restaurants are a feature of most large cities around the world. 
  
  
  
• In 2011, Thai dishes featured more than the dishes of any other country on an online CNN poll.
• Thai cuisine is a complex fusion of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter flavours which are balanced in a way that creates ‘harmony’.
  
  
  
• Rice plays such an important role in Thai cuisine that the word for ‘rice’ and ‘food’ is the same. Food in Daily Life. Rice is the staple food at every meal for most people. All food is brought to the table at once rather than being served in courses. A meal will include rice, dishes with gravy, side dishes, soup, and a salad. Whereas in central and southern Thailand polished white rice is eaten, in the north and northeast people eat glutinous or sticky rice. Fish and shellfish are popular. Curries are eaten throughout the country, but there are regional varieties. Northern and northeastern food is similar to that of Laos and consists of more meat, including meat served as sausages, or as larb (a salad is usually made of raw meat). Chinese food has influenced national cuisine, especially in regard to noodle dishes. Sweets are eaten as snacks. A popular snack is green papaya salad. In the past, there were marked differences between the food of the common people and that of the nobility. Women in noble households were proficient at the decorative carving of vegetables and fruits. In recent decades, this practice has become popular among the middle classes. Whereas commercial alcoholic drinks are common throughout the country, non-commercial alcohol made from rice is still drunk.
• It is typically eaten at all meals and comes in the form of standard white rice, or, it is of the sticky, glutinous variety.  It is usually eaten using a spoon and fork in dishes containing seafood, beef, pork, chicken or vegetables.
• Thai cuisine varies depending on the region, with differences primarily reflecting the food preferences of the region’s neighbors. Many popular Thai dishes were introduced by the Chinese during the 15th century and European influences on Thai cuisine were gradually introduced from the 17th century onwards. Some of the most popular dishes include:
• Pad Thai – Pad Thai could well be considered a national Thai dish due to its popularity both in Thailand and abroad  It consists of noodles, with fish sauce, tamarind and stir fried with other ingredients such as egg, shrimp, shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, bean sprouts and peanuts. It is often sold as street food.
  
  
  
• Thai Green Curry – This is a fragrant and popular dish, which consists of coconut cream, green chillies, lemon grass and a key ingredient such as chicken or fish balls.
• Tom Yum Soup –The basic building blocks of Tom Yum (or Tom Yam) soup are lemon grass, lime juice, fish sauce, chillies and kaffir lime. Shrimp is then typically used as the key ingredient.

Dining & Food

• A fork and spoon are the usual eating utensils. However, noodles are often eaten with chopsticks.
• The spoon is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. The fork is used to guide food on to the spoon. Sticky rice, a northern Thai delicacy, is often eaten with the fingers of the right hand.
• Most meals are served as buffets or with serving platters in the center of the table family- style.
• You may begin eating as soon as you are served.
• Leave a little food on your plate after you have eaten to show that you are full. Finishing everything indicates that you are still hungry.
• Never leave rice on your plate as it is considered wasteful. The words for food and rice are the same. Rice has an almost mystical significance in addition to its humdrum 'daily bread' function.
• Never take the last bite from the serving bowl.
• Wait to be asked before taking a second helping.
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  Do not lick your fingers.