A nation as culturally and historically diverse as The Royal Kingdom of Thailand is rich in not just topography, vegetation, but also in food and lifestyle. In this article well take you on a culinary tour of the various regions of Thailand that have lent their unmistakable flavors to offer us Thai food as we know of it now. So lets get started, shall we!
Thai cuisine owes it rich flavors, cooking style, and unique taste to five main regions. These regions are -
1.Northern
2.Northeastern
3.Central
4.Southern (also the Gulf of Thailand) and
5.Bangkok
Each of these five regions has their own methods of cooking based on the local ingredients available and local taste factor. If you are a true gourmand, you may want to try different dishes from these regions to get a feel of REAL Thai cooking! As with most people, cooking from some regions may appeal to your taste buds more than from others. Once youve decided on the regions, you may wish to travel to these regions and experience, first hand, the true magnificence of authentic Thai food and the way Thais cook and eat it.
Brief Introduction to Thai Food Regions
1.Northern With a distinct dialect, the Northern region of Thailand has a unique style of cooking and one of the most obvious differences is the lack of coconut milk in cooking. Rugged landscape makes seafood difficult to find, but red meat and vegetables are in plenty. Sticky rice is a staple and is eaten with spicy meat/veggie dishes instead of as a dessert. Ex: Thai Jungle Curry, wraps, and spicy dips.
2.Northeastern With bad economy, frequent droughts, and extreme heat, the northeastern region has a cooking style similar to northern region. People from this region eat red meat and dont waste any part of the animals anatomy. Beef dishes could include tongue, intestines, stomach, liver, and heat. Most dishes are broiled or roasted, curries are clear. Ex: Salad of green papaya with sticky rice.
3.Southern Due to a common border with Malaysia, sea, mountains, and international tourist destinations, this regions cuisine is rather popular. Fish sauce, coconut, coconut milk flavored curries, and seafood and fish dishes are staple. Desserts are of fresh tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, papaya etc.
4.Central The rice bowl of Asia uses rice noodles that are a staple. Pad Thai comes from this region. Meat, vegetables, and fish dishes and fruits for dessert are popular.
5.Bangkok With a strong Chinese presence, stir-fries and other Chinese dishes are popular. Bangkok style Thai food has a vast range of Thai desserts including cakes, jellies, etc made from coconut, egg, rice and sugar.
Tired of all the culinary traveling? Game for cooking some authentic Thai food? Visit our
Thai Food website - http://www.templeofthai.com/food/ and order your choice of ingredients online.
