Must Try Thai Cuisines

Thailand is world-famous for its mouth-watering cuisine and for good reason. When in the Land of Smiles, it is a must to try the best dishes that this foodie nation has to offer. There are a plethora of reasons to visit Thailand. Stunning natural sceneries, glorious golden beaches, legendary parties beneath the full moon, and of course, Thai cuisines are some of the alluring attractions that make tourists travel from far and wide to visit Thailand. The delicacy of Thai dishes results in a blend of freshness and fragrance, and irrespective of your reasons for visiting, an indulgence in the traditional foods in Thailand is something you must never resist. Thai cuisine has a reputation all over the world for being the most delicious and flavorful meal that you will ever have. Your trip to Thailand will not be complete without a taste of its world-renowned cuisine and dishes. Aside from being aromatic and healthy, Thai food is also a unique blend of varying flavors and textures as it mixes around the 5 essential flavors: salty, sour, spicy, bitter, and sweet!

So yes, you’re sure to leave the Land of Smiles with a happy tummy when you try these culinary delights.

* Guay Teow

Guay teow is arguably one of the most popular Thai dishes and can be found almost everywhere. Guay teow describes any type of noodle soup. It can be made with chicken, pork, or beef (rarely vegetarian-friendly) as well as either rice noodles or egg noodles. Most of the time, vendors also add wontons or meatballs to the broth. The dish is best topped with a selection of condiments including, sugar, dried chilli peppers, lime juice, and fish sauce. Guay teow can be eaten at any time of day and is particularly good as a late night snack.

* Tom yum goong

This iconic bowl of steaming goodness is bold, aromatic and comes with a fairly strong spicy kick. Tom yum goong is created with quintessential Thai ingredients like lemongrass, chilli, galangal, kaffier lime leaves, shallots, fresh lime juice and plenty of fish sauce. Fresh prawns and mushrooms are added and coconut cream if you want the creamy version.

* Tom Kha Gai

Tom kha gai is related to tom yum and offers people with a lower tolerance to spice the opportunity to taste the same beautiful flavours. Besides the spice scale, Tom kha gai is also unique in that it typically comes with lots of creamy coconut milk creating a rich sweet soup. Like most Thai foods, vegetarian options are easily adaptable by substituting a few ingredients.

* Yam Talay

This mixed seafood salad is not only delicious but is also a healthy meal option. Depending on where you are, this salad can have any combination of squid, shrimp, mussels, scallops or crabmeat in it. Added to the seafood medley are tomatoes, onions and rice glass noodles for good measure.

* Pad Phuk Tong

Stir-fried pumpkin or “pad phuk tong” is one of the best vegetarian-friendly dishes in the Land of Smiles. While it is more difficult to find than a good helping of pad thai, you should definitely be on the lookout for this dish.

* Pad Thai

Pad thai is one of Thailands national dishes and is a go-to for tourists who are starting out their Thai cuisine exploration. Pad thai is a fried noodle dish which is usually made with shrimp or chicken, however, the vegetarian option is popular too. Pad thai is available on almost every street corner and is a cheap and tasty meal.

* Pak Boong

Pak boong (morning glory) is known for being extremely healthy. This spinach-like vegetable is typically fried and seasoned with soybean paste, soy sauce, garlic, chillies and more. Morning glory is salty, spicy, sour and crunchy all at the same time, satisfying anyone’s palette. This dish is often made with oyster sauce, however, the vegetarian option can easily be prepared.

* Khao Pad

Khao pad is maybe comparable to England’s love of sandwiches – consumed on mass khao pad is a Thai go-to. Khao pad simply translates to “fried rice” and is just that with some egg, onion and that’s about it. The dish usually comes with slices of cucumber to garnish and plenty of condiments are usually dumped on top to suit the consumer’s taste.

* Panang

Panang curry is a bit milder than its other curry counterparts in Thailand. It is for this reason that it remains a popular dish amongst tourists who are remaining in the spicy “safe zone.” Panang curry typically is served with shrimp, although vegetarian options are popular too.

* Pad Phak

This Thai classic will leave vegetarians and carnivores alike full and content. Most Thai dishes attempt to combine as many flavours as possible to make the most noteworthy dishes, and stir-fried vegetables are no exception. It’s worth not underestimating the flavour of these fried vegetables as they are mixed with a perfectly harmonious blend of sugar, salt and spices.