5 Must-Try Mouth-Watering Thai Dishes

5 Must-Try Mouth-Watering Thai Dishes

Posted By: Emily on Nov 08, 2012 in Culture and Customs

One of the many wonders of Thailand is the enchantingly delectable cuisine. An amalgamation of food from surrounding areas, and evolved over time into something completely original, Thai food is blended from a variety of spices to form an array of salads, curries, soups and rice dishes. Notoriously spicy with a strong tendency towards seafood, Thai cuisine never disappoints.
Despite Pad Thai and Green Curry hailed by global markets as the best Thai dishes, when in Thailand, it’s hard to ignore the colorful variety offered in every eatery. Although there may often be similar offerings on each menu, Thai food changes considerably depending on where it’s cooked, with different regions specializing in their own version of each dish.
So which dishes are worth a try?

Tom Ka Kai

Tom Ka is a thick coconut soup flavored with galangal, lime, ginger and coriander. Kai is the Thai word for chicken and along with locally grown mushrooms, adds some substance to an otherwise light dish. Intensely flavored, this soup is most often only mildly spicy but it is worth double checking, as some restaurants add chilies to bring out the flavor, which can set your mouth on fire! Best eaten with a side dish of boiled rice, this mouth-watering dish is offered in practically every restaurant, and if not listed, can often be requested.
As one of the most common and highly popular meals, Tom Ka is rarely expensive and should usually cost no more than $2-$3.

Pad Ka Praow

Pad Ka Praow is an extremely popular fried rice dish, chosen most often as Thai comfort food. Comprising of garlic, chilies and Thai holy basil, fried with soy sauce into rice, this dish is luxuriously filling yet tingling on the tongue. Although it is considered a spicy dish, the flavor resounds in the mouth and not in the back of the throat like most curries, saving you from and unwanted coughing fit!
Although it is available with most meats, there is a tendency for it to be served with pork or chicken as the most complimentary flavors.

Tom Yam Kung

Tom Yam is a famous and extremely tasty hot and sour soup offered practically everywhere in Thailand, from high class restaurants right down to street food stalls. It can be served with any type of meat but is particularly delicious when tried with a variety of seafood (Kung means shrimp). It is basically a spicy clear soup seasoned using lemongrass galangal, kaffir leaves, lime and fish sauce. Occasionally, coconut milk is added to give it a more chowder feel. It can be a particularly spicy number so beware and ask for it ‘mai pet’ (no spice) if you’re worried about overpowering heat.
Despite its overwhelming prevalence, it is best when ordered from the street and enjoyed in the company of Thai people on their way home from work or just popping out for dinner. Each street food stall generally has a specialty, so it’s easy to find carts dedicated solely to Tom Yam.

Chim Chum

Chim Chum is most often found offered at small Thai pop-up restaurants or from street food vendors. It is a form of hotpot served still cooking in a terracotta dish over a terracotta pot of hot coals. A variety of meat and noodles are offered by the server to add to your hotpot; pork ribs being a common addition.
The boiling soup itself is made from lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves and holy basil and may sometimes contain garlic. The soup can be topped up throughout your meal and many restaurants leave additional spices and vegetables on the table for you to mix and match your own dish.
Chim Chum is more of a social meal and Thai people can be seen sitting for hours refilling their hotpot and drinking local Thai whisky. This is a dish best enjoyed when you have time, as rushing will not allow you to appreciate the atmosphere and ambience created by the task itself.

Papaya Salad

Papaya salad is a Thai dish often experienced accidentally by those looking for a ‘light lunch’. However, it is considered one of the spiciest dishes offered in Thailand and eaters often report numb and blue lips after finishing their serving!
Locally known as ‘Som Tam’, the dish is made up of sour lime, salty fish sauce, extremely hot red chilies and sweet palm sugar. Papaya salad has consistently made it into the top 50 most delicious meals in the world due to its balance between the four key tastes, however, it is about as spicy as Thai food gets!
Other ingredients often included are eggplant, beans, tomatoes, garlic, brined crabs and shrimp paste.

5 Things I Love About Being a Thailand Expat

5 Things I Love About Being a Thailand Expat

Posted By: James D on Jun 23, 2010 in Culture and Customs

I came to Thailand about 2 years ago, thinking it was about time to go see the world. This was my first stop—thought I’d cruise around for a few months, figure out how to make some internet cash, and then head off to see the rest of the world. Well, as it turned out, I ended up staying for a while longer. I keep telling myself I’m leaving this month—been saying that for a while—and I think this month I mean it.
But people keep asking me—what is it about Thailand? Why haven’t you left?
So here’s 6 things I love about being a Thailand expat.
1. Jai Yen Yen
One of my favorite words in Thai language is jai yen yen. The literal translation means “to have a cool heart” or to “cool your heart.” Jai yen yen permeates every part of Thai culture and everything they do. It’s about relaxing and slowing down.
Enjoying life and not taking anything too seriously.
This has had an amazing effect on my workaholic mindset, and it’s something I hope to carry with me no matter where I go in life. In this country, there’s no rush in life. No hurry. Jai yen yen.
Time slips effortlessly, and no one ever seems to have anything too pressing to do—at least nothing too serious. Sure, this means things don’t get done as fast as they should and a work night can easily transform into drinking beer with your buddies till morning, but in the end, the lack of stress surely makes up for it.
2. Sanuk
On a similar note, sanuk is a huge part of the culture, and it ties closely in with this idea of jai yen. Sanuk basically means “fun.” And Thais expect everything to be fun. If it’s not fun, they make if fun—and that includes working the most miserable of jobs.
This caught me off guard a couple times, especially when I went to the waterfalls with my 28 year old Thai buddy and his girlfriend, and he kept saying we should go back in the water and “play” some more. Where I come from, you stop “playing” at about 11 or 12 years old and start doing “cool” stuff instead. Maybe that’s part of what’s wrong with our high-strung culture.
3. Motorbikes
You’ve probably picked up from my articles that I’ve got a bit of a thing for adrenaline and putting my life in danger. And I’ve definitely almost killed myself a couple times, but I still love the fact that everyone is on a damn motorbike.
Note, that I said “motorbike” and not motorcycle. If you haven’t arrived yet, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Barely more than a scooter, the Thai motorbike isn’t the coolest thing in the world, but I just love the freedom and conveniences of zipping a scooter across town on a whim.
4. Lack of Confrontation
Back in America, people are highly confrontational, both in a violent and non-violent manner. Yelling at people over a missed deadline or a late cup of coffee. Fighting in the bars. I’ve never had much of a stomach for confrontation, and much like a Thai, I’m typically the kind to fly off the handle when someone verbally attacks me or gets confrontational in a nightclub.
But in Thailand, it’s so easy to stay out of trouble if you’re not a confrontational person. People don’t bother you. They don’t force their opinions on you. They don’t verbally attack you—ever. And for many, that’s the root of many problems in Thailand. But for me, preserving the harmony works just fine, at least on a personal level.
5. The Food
Need I say more?
6. The Cost
This one probably doesn’t need a lot of elaboration either, but what really seals the deal for me is the cost. Live on $1000 a month while having all the luxuries in life? Live like a star on $2000 a month, and pocket the rest away for savings or investments.
Count me in.
I still haven’t figured out why so many wait for retirement to come here, but hey, it’s fine with me; I’ll just have all the fun for myself.