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About Thai Food
 Thai
food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively
bland, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai
cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western
influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The
characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is
cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates.
Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne
lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients.
Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced
the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.
With their Buddhist
background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big
cuts of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and spices.
Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling.
Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and
deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards
included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chillies were
introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese
missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South
America.
Thais were very adapt
at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods, and substituting
ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut
oil, and coconut milk substituted for other daily products.
Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs
such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices
were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased.
It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but
briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer
periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served
all at once, permitting dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of
different tastes.
A
proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with
condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced
salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the
curry should be replaced by non spiced items. There must be a harmony
of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.
Herbs
Many herbs and spices used in Thai cuisine have beneficial medicinal
properties. Herewith are some examples.
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Chilli: "Phrik" in Thai
Chilli is an erect, branched, shrub-like herb with fruits used as
garnishing and flavoring in Thai dishes. There are many different
species. All contain capsaicin, a biologically active ingredient
beneficial to the respiratory system, blood pressure and heart.
Other therapeutic uses include being a stomachic, carminative and
antiflatulence agent, and digestant. |
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Cumin: "Yi-ra" in Thai
Cumin is a small shrubbery herb, the fruit of which contains a
2-4% volatile oil with a pungent odor, and which is used as a
flavoring and condiment. Cumin's therapeutic properties manifest
as a stomachic, bitter tonic, carminative, stimulant and
astringent. |
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Garlic: "Kra-thiam" in
Thai
Garlic is an annual herbaceous plant with underground bulbs
comprising several cloves. Dried mature bulbs are used as a
flavoring and condiment in Thai cuisine. The bulbs contain a
0.1-0.36% garlic oil and organic sulfur compounds. Therapeutic
uses are as an antimicrobial, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant,
antiflatulence and cholesterol lowering agents. |
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Ginger: "Khing" in Thai
Ginger is an erect plant with thickened, fleshy and aromatic
rhizomes. Used in different forms as a food, flavoring and spice.
Ginger's rhizomes contain a 1-2% volatile oil. Ginger's
therapeutic uses are as a carminative, antinauseant and
antiflatulence agent.
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Galanga: "Kha" in Thai
Greater Galanga is an erect annual plant with aromatic,
ginger-like rhizomes, and commonly used in Thai cooking as a
flavoring. The approximately 0.04 volatile oil content has
therapeutic uses as carminative, stomachic, antirheumatic and
antimicrobial agents. |
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Hoary Basil: "Maeng-lak"
in Thai
Hoary Basil is an annual herbaceous plant with slightly hairy and
pale green leaves, eaten either raw or used as a flavoring, and
containing approximately 0.7% volatile oil. Therapeutic benefits
include the alleviation of cough symptoms, and as diaphoretic and
carminative agents. |
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Kafffir: "Ma-krut" in
Thai
The leaves, peel and juice of the Kaffir Lime are used as a
flavoring in Thai cuisine. The leaves and peel contain a volatile
oil. The major therapeutic benefit of the juice is as an appetizer. |
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(No Common English Name):
Krachai inThai
This erect annual plant with aromatic rhizomes and yellow-brown
roots, is used as a flavoring. The rhizomes contain approximately
0.8% volatile oil. The plant has stomachache relieving and
antimicrobial properties, and therapeutic benefits as an
antitussive and antiflatulence agent. |
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Lemon Grass: "Ta-khrai" in Thai
This erect annual plant resembles a coarse grey-green grass. Fresh
leaves and grass are used as flavoring. Lemongrass contains a
0.2-0.4 volatile oil. Therapeutic properties are as a diurectic,
emmanagogue, antiflatulence, antiflu and antimicrobial agent.
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Lime: "Ma-nao" in Thai
Lime is used principally as a garnish for fish and meat dishes.
The fruit contains Hesperidin and Naringin , scientifically proven
anti-inflammatory flavonoids. Lime juice is used as an appetizer,
and has antitussive, antiflu, stomachic and antiscorbutic
properties. |
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Marsh Mint: "Sa-ra-nae"
in Thai
The fresh leaves of this herbaceous plant are used as a flavoring
and eaten raw in Thai cuisine. Volatile oil contents give the
plant several therapeutic uses, including
carminative, mild antiseptic, local
anaesthetic, diaphoretic and digestant
properties. |
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Pepper: "Phrik-Thai" in
Thai
Pepper is a branching, perennial climbing plant from whose
fruiting spikes both white and black pepper are obtained. Used as
a spice and condiment, pepper contains a 2-4% volatile oil.
Therapeutic uses are as carminative, antipyretic, diaphoretic and
diuretic agents. |
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Sacred Basil: "Ka-phrao" in Thai
Sacred Basil is an annual herbaceous plant that resembles Sweet
Basil but has narrower and often times reddish-purple leaves. The
fresh leaves, which are used as a flavoring, contain
approximately 0.5% volatile oil, which exhibits
antimicrobial activity, specifically as a
carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant and
stomachic. |
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Shallot: "Hom,Hom-lek,Hom-daeng"in Thai
Shallots, or small red onions, are annual
herbaceous plants. Underground bulbs
comprise garlic-like cloves. Shallot bulbs
contain a volatile oil, and are used as flavoring or seasoning agents. Therapeutic properties include the
alleviation of stomach discomfort, and as an antihelmintic,
antidiarrhoeal, expectorant, antitussive, diuretic and antiflu
agents. |
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Sweet Basil: "Ho-ra-pha"
in Thai
Sweet Basil is an annual herbaceous plant, the fresh leaves of
which are either eaten raw or used as a flavoring in Thai
cooking. Volatile oil content varies according to different
varieties. Therapeutic properties are as carminative, diaphoretic,
expectorant, digestant and stomachic agents.
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Turmeric: "Kha-min" in Thai
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, and provides yellow
coloring for Thai food. The rhizomes contain a 3-4% volatile oil
with unique aromatic characteristics. Turmeric's therapeutic
properties manifest as a carminative, antiflatulence and
stomachic. |
Fruits
 Thailand's
rich soil yields an extraordinary variety of fruits including more
than two dozen kinds of bananas and of course the pungent durian! No
matter when you come to Thailand, or whatever part of the country you
visit, you'll find fresh fruit vendors on every street and the wide
choice of fruits available is sure to be a memorable part of your
experience.
Mangosteen
(Mangkhud)
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Durian
(Durian)
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Mango
(Mamuang)
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Lychee
(Linchi)
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Banana
(Kluai)
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Young coconut
(Maphrao-on)
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Watermelon
(Tangmo)
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Longan
(Lamyai)
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