The cuisine of the orient has long been appreciated by American diners, but it has not been until recently that there has been much attention given to the cuisine of Thailand. The foundation of Thai food is very closely related to the other cuisines of the orient such as Chinese and Japanese. Thai restaurant cuisine is typically very similar to the traditional cuisine of Thailand.
While the food that is served at Thai restaurants uses a lot of the ingredients that are found in the dishes of other oriental style foods, they tend to be a bit spicier than some of the other oriental cuisines. There are actually several different variations of Thai cuisine. Some of these variations utilize some ingredients that are unique to that region of Thailand.
The last decade or so has witnessed an influx of Thai restaurants across the United States. You may have one in your area that you have been considering visiting but have hesitated because you were not familiar with the food. These following explanations of the basics of Thai cuisine and the suggestions of dishes to order may be just what you need to get motivated to visit a Thai restaurant in your area.
Thai food is rather similar to Chinese or Japanese food in that it uses fresh ingredients and a lot of the dishes contain rice. Many of the more popular Thai dishes are cooked in a wok, steamed, or stir fried. The traditional Thai meal will consist of several different dishes and then the meal is brought together with plentiful amounts of rice.
Thai cooking contains a generous use of spices, but this does not mean that all their food is spicy. In fact Thai food tends to have a variety of flavors, including sweet, salty, and bitter or sour. Most restaurants will offer a variety of condiments with their food, some of these may be unfamiliar to you.
Along with the standard soy sauce you may find that your food is served with a side of chili powder, sweet chili sauce, and different types of fish sauce such as Nam Pla. Nam Pla is an intensely flavored fish sauce that is made from anchovies, salt, and water. The ingredients are placed in a box and allowed to dry. The longer the anchovies dry the more intense the flavor will be.
There are several times that can be found in any good Thai cook’s kitchen. Including in these mainstay items is ginger, coconut milk, chilies, and cilantro. Rice is of course something that will be found in the pantry of a Thai restaurant. Rice is often served alongside dishes and is also used as main ingredient in cooking. Rice is used to make pasta and wrappers for spring rolls.
One of the most popular dishes at Thai restaurants is a dish known as Pad Thai. Pad Thai literally means Thai fry. These dishes can be found in several different variations, but most of them will contain rice noodles, shallots, eggs, and a protein source such as poultry and seafood. Pad Thai is traditionally available from street venders in Thailand.
Another traditional dish that may be served in your local Thai restaurant is rad Na. This dish is a dish that is made with wide rice noodles, straw mushrooms, garlic and fish, poultry or sea food. This dish is covered in gravy of stock, tapioca starch or corn starch and seasoned with soy sauce.
Learn more about Thai restaurants, St Paul. Stop by Choua Phia ’s site where you can find a full menu of Thai dishes available
Tags: drink, food, Minnesota, restaurant, thai, thai food, Thailand
