Cuisine of ThailandC O U N T R Y A N D C U I S I N E O V E R V I E WThailand is located in Southeast Asia. It has a population of over 64 million. The capital of the country is Bangkok. The climate of the country is tropical, so monsoons are prevalent. The top two languages spoken in the country are Thai and English. The country has boundaries with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Ethnically the country is 75% Thai; 14% Chinese; and 11% is devoted to other ethnicities. At 95% of the population Buddhism is the dominant religion.
Thai cuisine is often considered one of the tastiest cuisines in the world. They have a wide variety of offerings when it comes to dishes. Spiciness and aroma aside, their food is well balanced. Thai people spend a great amount of time outside because of the weather. Most of the restaurants are open air and patios style. Thai dishes are known for their fusion of strong flavors. Their foods are mostly Spicy, sour, salty, sweet or bitter.
M A I N I N G R E D I E N T SEvery country has main staple of ingredients that they use often. Indians use Garam masala, garlic, ginger, etc. Thailand is no different, with its variety of ingredients that make its food so flavorful.
Glass noodles or bean thread noodles are translucent and thing and known to absorb flavors.Rice, Brown rice, Sticky Rice.Thai curry paste create some of the most popular dishes known. Red, Green and Yellow are the three most popular pastes.Coconut milk is the staple ingredient that brings sweetness to Thai dishes if needed.Lemon grass is a stalky plant with a lemon scent. Provides bitter flavor and aroma to dishes.Galangal similar to ginger has a peppery flavor and is used in curry pastes, soups etc.EggplantChili OilNam pla – aromatic fish sauce with a strong taste.Kaffir lime leaves – used primarily in soups for aroma and zest flavor.Spices – pong ka-ree (curry powder), pong pa-loh (five-spice powder), prik Thai (Thai pepper) and nam prik pao (roasted chilli paste).Broccoli (A misconception) – even though broccoli is seen western foods, the ingredient is actually mostly absent from traditional Thai cooking and rarely found in the country.
Cantalonna is a spicy flavor from the Philippines.Coconut millet is a rich, sweet texture. It is used extensively in Korean dishes and is generally used along with a variety of other Asian sauces as a ingredient in food preparation.
Rice or black and white are two of the best dishes. Thai rice leaves can be found in many Asian dishes for its bitter flavor. Spice and onion curry are widely spread in the southern parts of Thailand, but this food is also used in many dishes such as a traditional chili paste.Vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains are often made with spices found in the South which in turn can be found in the South.Rice and brown rice are a source of protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber to support your body through its weight loss. Rice is a rich source of vitamin B and C (called bahavana or B12), and the body benefits from its energy stores.It is also a good source of fiber to support the body against diabetes. In your bones, there is a protein called bovine serum albumin which protects the bones and promotes bone mass development in older adults. The bovine serum albumin has been known to help prevent certain diseases during pregnancy, during training and during childbirth, and to prevent osteoporosis in younger women. In addition, bovine serum albumin has been shown to decrease the incidence of diabetes and osteoporosis associated with bone fracture by promoting bone formation and healing, promoting health and longevity, and promoting proper bone nutrition.
Meal proteins are considered important sources of collagen and can help facilitate healthful and long term growth. Soy proteins are also found in many other foods and also in many different protein sources such as grains, fruits, nuts, nuts, leafy vegetables, seeds, tofu, beans, etc.
FDA: http://www.fda.gov
Department of Agriculture: 918-868-1858, Phone: 1-888-462-5367, Hours: Tue., 9:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.
http://ww.usda.gov/food/fda-fid/
Banana leaves – can serve as exotic backgrounds or to add flavor to foods.Thai food is extremely versatile with recipes ranging over many geographic locations in the country as well as flavors. Below are some popular Thai