Thailand is a paradise country located in the center of the southeast of Asia. Its breathtaking destinations can please all ages and tastes. There, you can enjoy beautiful coastlines, mountains, hills, and plains.
Railay Beach, Koh Phi Phi, and Pai are perhaps only weird names you have never heard. But, they are the most popular Thailand destinations. The reason why you know little -if any- about them is that Thailand is more famous for its food.
Tom yam Goong, Pad Thai, som tam, massaman curry, green curry, or Khao Phat are more common names that may be ringing your bells or make your mouth water.
Thailand cuisine
Thailand’s delicious cuisine is well-known around the world. Along with the Indian, Chinese, Italian and French, Thai cuisine is one of the 5 most popular in the world. There is no single country where a restaurant offering Thai food on its menu won’t be found.
It is a fusion of Chinese and Indian flavors, in which spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes blend in harmony. All preparations include herbs and spices like garlic, kaffir lime, lemongrass, coriander, turmeric, galangal, and coconut milk.
Due to its diverse geography, Thailand’s food is different in all its regions.
Four types of cooking can be found in Thailand depending on the location:
- Northern: Mild flavors, use of sticky rice and pork in most preparations.
- Northeastern: Spicy flavors, shrimps, seafood, and glutinous rice in their dishes.
- Central: Elaborated meals with frequent use of Jasmine rice.
- Southern: The most popular outside the country. Coconut milk and shrimps are the preferred ingredients.
And based on the types of food:
- Rice dishes: Sticky and fragrant variations.
- Side dishes: Curries, salads, soups and stir fry.
- Plate meals: One-pot dishes with meat, noodles, and vegetables.
- Desserts: Rice, rice flour, coconut, coconut milk, and sugar.
Knowing Thai rice
The main ingredient in Thai cuisine is indeed rice. People usually have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Some types of rice cooked in Thailand include: Glutinous/Sticky Rice, Brown Sticky Rice, colored Rice such as green, blue rice, and yellow rice.
The most common variety is Thai Jasmine rice, of which Thailand is the second-largest exporter.
Nowadays, you can enjoy some of these types of rice without having to travel to Thailand. Any of those varieties can be found in your grocery store, mostly the Thai jasmine rice type.
If you want to try the true flavor of Thai cuisine, dare to buy a package of https://mahatmarice.com/products/jasmine-white-rice/ and start cooking the best rice recipes.
Try this Khao Phat recipe at home
You know it as Thai fried Rice, but its traditional name is Khao Phat (sometimes spelled Khao Pad). It is a street food consisting of jasmine rice, any protein (pork, chicken, shrimp, or crab meat), onion, garlic, peppers, fresh herbs, and the distinctive flavor of fish or oyster sauce.
It is usually served with cucumber slices, lime wedge, and a condiment of chilies and fish sauce known as Prik Nam Pla, poured all over the rice before eating.
Depending on the region, Khao Phat may vary in its components, the following recipe describes one of the most common versions.
Khao Phat Goong (fried rice with shrimp)
Ingredients (2 Servings)
- 1 ½ cups of cooked and cooled Thai Jasmine Rice.
- 10 shrimps head peeled (leave the tail).
- ½ sliced onion.
- 3 diced green onions.
- 2 minced cloves of garlic.
- 1 egg.
- ½ tablespoon of fish sauce.
- ½ tablespoon of oyster sauce.
- 1 tablespoon of oil.
Preparation
- In a wok, pour oil and cook at medium heat.
- Add garlic, cook until it gets fragrant. Then, incorporate the shrimps and cook for 1 minute.
- Start adding 1 cup of rice little by little. Stir very well each time you add rice.
- Place rice on the side of the wok. On the empty side of the wok, add the scrambled egg, and cook for a few seconds.
- Combine rice and egg.
- Add the remaining rice. Stir very well.
- Pour fish and oyster sauce. Continue stirring.
- Incorporate onion and green onion, and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Serve with cucumber slices, a lime wedge, and a bowl of Prik Nam Pla.
And for the best sauce to accompany Khao Phat, follow this simple recipe.
Prik Nam Pla
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
- 5 diced Thai chilies.
- Juice of ½ lime.
Preparation:
- In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, Thai chilies, and lime juice.
- Serve with the Khao Phat.
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