Thai Food: The Fastest Growing Cuisine In The World (Recipes Included)
If you've never tried Thai Food, you must be channeling your inner Patrick Star, because you are living under a rock.
You’ve probably started to notice in just about every movie this past year, one of the characters will say “want to try that new Thai spot down the street?” or “Let’s go grab Thai food.” If you haven’t tried it, you might be wondering where the attraction lies. If you have, you know exactly why everyone is talking about it.
Known for its tantalizing taste and blend between spicy, salty, sweet, bitter, and sour ingredients; it’s no wonder Thai food is sweeping the nation.
How Is It Different From Other Cuisines?
Whether you crave the intense chili spice or the sweet flavor of their local fruit, the Thai cuisine just about offers something for everyone.
Don’t worry if you are not big on spice, there are plenty of dishes, snacks, and desserts without it. Every dish is well thought out and combines the perfect mix of ingredients to create flavors beyond anything you have ever tried. Who would have thought that Chili flakes, sugar, lime, and peanuts would be the perfect set of toppings for fried noodles?
It’s that kind of culinary creativity that is setting this type of food apart and leading it to success internationally.
Something they use that you won’t find in the US…Fish Sauce! This stinky ingredient is used in the majority of Thai dishes and IF USED CORRECTLY, brings out a lot of flavor with no smell!
“But What Do I Order?”
Our Favorite Thai Food:
You may feel like looking ordering off a Thai menu is like taking a shot in the dark. You are lost and have no idea what to try. That is why Kyle and I are here. Spending 6 full months in Thailand taught us a lot about their food and after a few trials and errors, we definitely took away our favorites and are here to share our list of “must try foods”.
Snacks:
- Crispy Rice Cookies (PERSONAL FAVORITE)
- Prawn Chips
- Crispy Seaweed (TRY BBQ AND SPICY CHILI FLAVORS)
- Thai Coconut Rolls
- Instant Soup Noodles (Kyle and I lived off these and even brought our favorite ones home with us when we returned to the States).
Main Courses:
- Pad Thai
- Pad See ew
- Curries - (Green, yellow, and Massaman)
- Tom Yum Kung
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Glass Noodle Soup
- Thai Omelet Rice
Looking to try something very different? Papaya salad combines a lot of different flavors including that stinky fish sauce, chilis, lime and sugar. What a mix!
Desserts:
- Mango Sticky Rice (Melts in your mouth and our personal favorite)
- Caramelized Bananas
- Pineapple Cookies
- Bubble Tea/Thai Iced Tea
Feeling adventurous? Try adding jelly to your ice cream and desserts. This is a favorite with Thai locals.
It’s Easy To Make
The best parts about Thai food is that it doesn’t take long to cook, it’s fun to make, and it’s fairly simple!
One of our favorite memories in Bangkok was a Thai cooking class we took, where we prepared several of the Thai staples. Here, we got a taste of what it’s like to make these amazing dishes first hand and were able to take what we learned back home with us!
***I will admit, we tried cooking Pad Thai for Kyle’s parents in Seattle and it didn't exactly go as planned, so don’t get frustrated if your dish doesn't come out perfect the first time around or even the second. Though, once you get the hang of it you could have dinner ready in as quick as five minutes!***
In Thailand, the longest and most tedious dish to make is curry, but boy do we have a hack for you so you can easily cook curry at home!
We brought back several Lobo curry packages from our grocery store in Thailand and my mom fell in love with them! If you aren't going to Thailand in the near future (though recommended) you can easily order these curry packets online through this link: AMAZON
They capture all the flavor of Thai curry and all you have to do is add coconut milk and your favorite protein. Talk about easy to make.
Not only can you go out to eat amazing Thai food but you can also add new elements to your cooking and bring it in to your home!
Below I have attached our favorite recipes (from our cooking class) for you to make at home:
If you want to know more about Thailand:
Discover Phuket: The Most Popular Thai Island
Marriott Marquis: The Largest Hotel In Bangkok
Comment below with your favorite Thai dish and your own experience cooking Thai food!
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-Morgan
