Thai cuisine is famous across the globe for its powerful scents and spicy tastes. Thai cuisine is so diverse that even a list of typical Thai meals is just a quick introduction to this amazing, especially Southeast Asian cuisine.
It’s all too easy for western eateries to go overboard with their Thai menus. Especially when Thai food incorporates flavours from neighbouring Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Restaurant-style Thai cuisine is often jumbled by the different ingredients, sophisticated spices, and exotic herbs necessary to build a single dish.
When travelling between Bangkok and Chiang Mai or island-hopping from Phuket, eat like a native by searching out these BEST genuine Thai food. From Sukhumvit Road eateries to seaside tables, you may find these must-try classic Thai dishes practically anyplace in the “Land of Smiles”:
Massaman Curry
Nobody knows for sure where this rustic curry dish originated. Some historians say it was carried over from Malaysia by Middle Eastern merchants since the term massaman comes from the mediaeval Thai word for Muslim, while others point to its history in the Thai royal court. In any case, massaman is distinguished from other Thai curries by the inclusion of uncommon spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and anise. When combined with its fragrant and complex paste, which is often cooked in a skillet with coconut cream and tamarind paste, you can anticipate a meal that is both fiery and savoury.
Thai Pad Kra Prao
This minced pork and rice à la carte meal is a Thai local’s go-to dish when he is confused what to eat on a night out. It may be eaten at any time of day. Pad Kra Prao is often served with steaming jasmine rice and a dish of fatty minced pork stir-fried with Thai holy basil and seasoned with fish sauce and chopped chilli. Other options include beef, chicken, or shellfish stir-fried with basil, cowpeas, bamboo shoots, and a fried egg.
Kao Ka Moo
This slow-braised stewed pig leg on rice dish is a crowd-pleaser at night markets and is a sight to see when prepared at a Thai food cart on the streets. Kao Ka Moo is sold at roadside vendors and is cooked in huge metal pots with soy sauce and five-spice powder until the flesh is tender enough to fall off the bone. The braised pork is then sliced into thin strips using cleavers on a big cutting board and served on a bed of rice with bok choi, pickled veggies, and cooked eggs with custardy yolk.
Khao Soi
This renowned Northern Thai staple comes in a variety of varieties and can be found practically anyplace in Chiang Mai, from roadside eateries to fine-dining establishments. Northern Thai khao soi soup, with origins in neighbouring Myanmar and Laos, has a spicy, coconut flavour akin to massaman curry. Both boiling and deep-fried egg noodles are soaked in curry soup with green onions, pickled cabbage, minced pork, or chicken leg as toppings in a single dish. On the side, each dish often includes condiments such as oil-fried chilli paste, coriander, and lime. With hundreds of variants dispersed over Thailand, the discussion for the greatest Khao Soi in the nation, particularly in Chiang Mai, is fierce but without a clear victor.
Yam Nua (Beef Salad)
This spicy and zesty salad is a pleasant alternative to the ubiquitous mango salad and is a popular dish to create in a Phuket cooking lesson. Yam nua is a spicy and acidic dish made with thinly sliced grilled beef tenderloin strips, sprigs of fresh spearmint, chopped shallots, onions, garlic, chilis, and seasoned with lime juice and fish sauce.
Woon Sen Pad (Stir-fried Glass Noodles)
Although not as visually appealing as pad thai, this traditional stir-fried glass noodle dish has been around for almost as long. Cellophane noodles are made from mung beans and combine nicely with a broad range of toppings. Pre-soaked noodles are stir-fried in a wok with prawns, shallots, garlic cloves, veggies, and scrambled eggs to produce a dish pad woon sen. After seasoning with a splash of oyster sauce, the finished noodles are usually served with mung bean sprouts or chopped coriander. When in Thailand, think carefully before dismissing this basic cuisine; you’ll be astonished by the limitless varieties of woon sen.
Teow Kway (noodle soup)
A bowl of kway toew may sound straightforward to the typical diner, but ordering one in Thailand may be an eye-opening experience. If you happen onto a packed roadside restaurant in Bangkok, you’ll frequently see menus on the walls detailing several varieties of noodles, soup, flavour, and ingredients. Diners may mix and combine these combinations to their liking. However, the most popular kway teow moo dish includes rice noodles, pig tenderloins, offal, minced meat, fish balls, and veggies. Each bowl is accompanied by a dish of condiments such as bean sprouts, chilli paste, lime, and chopped coriander.
Awn Hor Mok Ma Prow (seafood coconut curry)
It’s not every day that you get to eat curry directly from a coconut. You may dive into a hollowed-out coconut for spoonfuls of seafood red curry with hor mok prow awn. After a brief steaming, the final bowl fills the room with the lovely scent of coconut, spices, and curry ingredients. Prawns, sliced squid, and coconut meat are combined with kaffir lime leaves and galangals in the bubbling dish.
Manao Pla Kapung Neung (Steamed lime fish)
Pla Kapung Neung Manao, often known as “steam lime fish,” is a favourite both at home and abroad. Steamed until the fillet is moist and fluffy, then steeped in lime broth and served with sliced garlic, chilis, and cilantro. Get this famous Thai meal fresh anywhere in Thailand and serve with jasmine rice.
Sticky Mango Rice
This renowned traditional Thai dessert, the last highlight of any true Thai dinner, is a breath of fresh air after downing numerous intensely flavoured meals. Mango sticky rice is a deceptively easy meal produced by combining two apparently odd ingredients: mango slices and sweet glutinous rice. When eaten combined, however, the sourness of the mango is softly toned out by the coconut milk infused sticky rice, which provides a gentle, creamy flavour comparable to rice pudding. Some versions include the sticky rice drizzled with sweet coconut cream and topped with roasted mung beans or sesame seeds.