How to Cook Thai Food
Thai food has experienced a resurgence in popularity because of its exotic appeal and interesting flavors. Many Thai restaurants offer authentic Thai dishes at inexpensive rates and hearty servings. If you want to cook authentic Thai food at home, here are some tips and ideas.
Siamese Dreams
Like all cuisines, Thai cuisine cannot be separated from the long history of the Thai people. For thousands of years, the many regions and areas in Thailand developed their own distinct flavors and textures that defined what we know today as “Thai food.” Thai food is characterized by the use of spices, aromatics, and products from a nation blessed with many natural resources like fertile fields, lush forests, and bodies of water with plenty of fish and seafood. From there, the building blocks of the Thai taste can be formed.
Thai Ingredients
If you ever had gai yang or a serving of green curry, you may have noticed that there is a very subtle aftertaste to the dish. The aftertaste is what makes Thai food authentic; it means that the dish was made with aromatic and flavorful ingredients unique to the Thai palate. Save for meat, chicken, fish, and vegetables, here are some of them.
Nam Pla
Nam pla, or fish sauce, is an ingredient used in all regions of Thailand. When used sparingly, the highly-concentrated, savory fish sauce is often used in place of salt. Nam pla blends very well with many of the flavoring agents used in many Thai foods. When using nam pla, use it sparingly so as not to overpower the other flavors in the dish.
Rice and Noodles
Rice has long been cultivated in Thailand. Plain steamed rice is usually served, although some cooks may flavor the rice with pandan leaves, or cook it with other aromatics like lemon grass. Noodles were introduced from China to Thailand. In recipes like pad Thai, rice noodles are often mixed with other ingredients to give the dish flavor and color, and stir-fried to give the final product an interesting texture.
Spices and Aromatics
Like many Oriental dishes, spices and aromatics impart a kick and aroma to the final product when served. Some of the most commonly used flavoring agents in Thai food include the following:
Lime leaves
Blue ginger (galangal)
Chilies
Turmeric (the base of all curries)
Fresh tamarind
Ginger root
Lemon grass
Coconut milk
Herbs
Spotlight: Tom Yum
Tom yum is one of the most popular dishes in Thai cuisine. It is a hot and sour soup with a broth made from lime leaves, lemon grass, shallots, garlic, ginger root, galangal, chili peppers, and fresh tamarind fruit. Tom yum is almost always served hot, or on on a hot pot to keep the soup hot. Here are some variations to tom yum:
Tom yum goong is made from prawns or fresh shrimps.
Tom yum pla is made with fish. Whole fish may be used, or fillets.
Tom yum gai is a take on tom yum that’s made with chicken.
Tom yum talai is the broth cooked with seafood.
Thai food is healthful, hearty, and delicious. While it may be an acquired taste for other people, it’s a definite experience to eat and to cook specialty Thai dishes. With these ideas, you can get started cooking some of the most delicious dishes of Thai cuisine.
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