A Guide to Thai Spices and Cuisines

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A Guide to Thai Spices and Cuisines
Traditional Thai cuisines loosely fall into four
categories like tom (boiled dishes), yam (spicy
salads), tam (pounded foods), and gaeng
(curries). Other than the above four,
deep-fries, stir-fries, and steamed dishes have
been derived from Chinese cooking.
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HISTORY OF THAI CUISINE AND IT S ORIGIN
Let me take you back to the history the past of
Thai cuisines and their origin. Since the sudden
rise in tourism to Thailand in the 1980s, Thai
food has established its foothold as one of the
worlds leading schools of the culinary arts.
Today, it has become one of the most popular food
types in the whole wide world including
countries like Indian, Chinese, French, Italian,
and Thai. Besides that, these are the cuisines
you can enjoy being in any part of the world.
Also, you do not have to particularly be in
China to eat Chinese food, France to eat French
cuisines, Thailand to eat Thai food, and even
Italy to relish Italian food. If you are in Hong
Kong, you can anytime eat Thai, Indian, or even
Vietnamese. Yes, without affecting your pocket
and that too from one of the best Thai
restaurants in Hong Kong.
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ORIGIN OF THAI FOOD

• Thai food originated centuries ago and came into
  existence with the emigration of people from the
  Southern Chinese provinces into Thailand.
  Historically, there were many Szechwan influences
  too. Not just this, over the centuries many
  other cultures have also had their influence and
  have affected Thai food.
• Also, in the distant past, Buddhist monks brought
  the influence of the Southern Muslim States and
  Indian Touch in the South Thailand cuisines.
  Later on, Thai food got influenced by European
  cuisines after coming in contact with Portuguese
  missionaries and Dutch traders.
• During this time, there was an influence from
  Japanese culture too. So, you see Thai food has
  got a variety because of a lot of influences it
  has got since its origin. This is the reason
  today Thai food is a unique blend of 5 tastes
  such as sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty.

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REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
As you move from Northern to Southern Thailand,
you will see the difference in cuisines.
Thailand is a big country. It has a diverse
geography which has led to the development of
different styles of cuisines. At present, there
are four styles of cooking in Thailand like Tom,
Yam, Tam, and Gaeng as already discussed in the
first paragraph.
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NORTHERN THAILAND The cooking in Northern
Thailand is generally milder. In Northern
Thailand, people prefer sicky rice.
Traditionally, fingers are used to knead and
make small rice balls. Also, this was strongly
influenced by neighboring Burma with popular
dishes such as Kaeng Hang Le, a pork curry
flavored with ginger, tamarind, and
turmeric. NORTH-EASTERN THAILAND The food in
North-Eastern Thailand is influenced by Laos.
Here, people prefer eating highly spicy food
which includes sticky glutinous rice a staple
North-Eastern dish. Even though, there are plenty
of meat dishes in Thailand. Historically, meat
was always scarce in the villages. So, people
preferred eating shrimp, freshwater fish as a
main source of protein. People in North East
Thailand often fermented the fish, shrimps to
increase their shelf-life. CENTRAL THAILAND The
Central Thailand region offers cuisines that are
midway between the North and South. The
difference is here people prefer eating fragrant
Jasmine rice over sticky rice. The specialty of
central cuisine is that it is home to royal
cuisine because it originated in the royal palace
and involves a lot of elaborative meals, made by
putting together complex techniques. Cooking
elaborative meals is not just mere cooking but
an art form. SOUTHERN THAILAND Southern Thai
cuisines are more popular outside of Thailand.
The reason is that Southern Thailand is the main
tourist region of the country. In southern
cuisines, coconut milk is used in most dishes.
Coconut replaces Ghee for frying and people use
seafood in their dishes. Appetizers in the South
use a lot of cashews whereas coconut flesh is a
standard condiment.
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THAI CURRIES
Thai curries are known for their color. The main
four colors are green, red, yellow, and orange.
Green curry is the hottest of all Thai curries.
After green Thai curry comes red and yellow Thai
curry versions. In addition to the basic color
Thai curries, there are two other Thai curries
that are widely preferred by people and those are
Panang and Massaman. These curries have
originated in the South of Thailand, with Malay
and even Persian influences. These have a
thicker consistency of sauce than the other
traditional Thai curries.
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THAI CUTLERY AND EATING STYLE
Thai cutlery includes a fork and a large spoon.
The spoon is held in the right hand and is used
in place of a knife. The eating style is
generally like others eat one dish at a time
but it is always eaten with a bowl of rice. Bowls
are majorly used for Thai soups.
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TYPES OF DISHES
All the dishes in Thailand are lightly prepared
using strong aromatic components and natural Thai
spices to give it a mixed flavor of sour, sweet,
salty, bitter, and spicy. Cooking Thai food is no
doubt easy yet it needs expertise and much
attention to detail is required to create the
right balance of flavors as well as good
presentation. In Thai culture, fish and shellfish
are popular foods. Curries are eaten by people of
all geographies. Thai cuisines are majorly known
for their flavors, vibrant colors, and aroma.
What makes Thai food a delicacy is the numerous
spices and fresh herbs that Thai people use in
almost every recipe. Let us see some of the most
commonly used Thai spices.
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CINNAMON (OB-CHOEY), THAI SPICE
It is one of the most popular Thai spices. Thai
people do not use cinnamon the way Westerners do
in their dishes. Although it does lend a bit of
sweetness, Thai people use it to spice up their
soups, stew, like pa-loe soup and braised beef
stew.
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CUMIN (YEE-RAH)
It has a strong and distinct flavor. It is known
for its aroma throughout the world. Also, in
Thai cuisine, cumin seeds are roasted, pounded,
and then mixed with curry paste to accentuate
its flavor. Not just this, you will find this
ingredient in almost every Thai dish.
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GINGER (KHING)
Ginger has a spicy taste. Also, it has medicinal
qualities, hence it is often used as a natural
remedy to cure indigestion. Much of how Thai
people use ginger as a topping in congee,
steamed fish, and even in the Chinese
vinegar-based sauces.
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GARLIC (KRA-TIAM) Garlic is also one of the
popular ingredients in Thai cooking. It is also
included in stir-fried dishes, soup bases, and
curry pastes. Also, sometimes, it is eaten fresh
with fatty foods. Not only this but garlic is
also used in deep-fried dishes as toppings.
Besides, garlic is an important ingredient that
you can also find in any regional Thai
cuisine. GREEN PEPPERCORNS (PRIK-THAI-ORN) Young
green peppercorns are slightly crunchy. These are
aromatic and have heat. Also, these look like
green berries. When you pop these into your
mouth, you will be surprised by its taste. Other
than this, Thai people usually use green
peppercorn as an ingredient for stir-fried dishes
like pud-kee-mao and choo-chee. HOLY BASIL (BAI
KA-PROW), A THAI SPICE Thai basil, also called
holy basil is the main ingredient. It is used in
pad kra pao, one of the most famous dishes in
the world. Not only this, the distinct aroma and
flavors make this type of basil a perfect
addition to any type of stir-fried dish.
Besides, Thai people also sprinkle fresh basil
leaves on top of soups and curries to give it a
little bit of an aromatic twist. After reading
all about Thai cuisines and their culture, I am
sure you may want to go to Thailand right now.
But wait! Even if you think you cannot go, there
is nothing to worry about. You can experience
Thai culture and eat Thai food by being in Hong
Kong. Just visit the best Thai restaurant, Mint,
and Basil, in Tung Chung and experience the
glory of Thai culture.
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