Thai Food

The variety of ingredients and the different combinations of flavors make Thai food an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Four basic flavors are blended in different proportions depending on the desired taste.

• Hot and spicy: from fresh or dried hot peppers
• Sweet: from palm sugar or white sugar
• Sour: from tamarind or fresh lime juice
• Salty: from fish or oyster sauce.

Thai food is not only consumed as a source of energy, but every element of Thai food is considered to have medicinal value and healing qualities. It is possible to eat some parts of nearly all plants and trees native to Thailand. You will encounter very few overweight or unhealthy Thais during travels in Thailand. Most cooking is done in a wok and little oil is required as the ingredients are stirred all the time and do not stick.

Thai food is generally low in cholesterol, high in vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber and always, always fresh. Especially if a number of different dishes are eaten at one sitting accompanied by rice one will get the full health benefits. A 2002 study found that Thailand's most well known and favorite dish, Thum Yam Goong, was one of those considered low calorie and low in cholesterol. What a good excuse to have more!!

Thai food is a perfect food for health-conscious cooks. Please see our list of herbs and fruits for the properties they contain. Thai herbs and fruits can aid diabetics, cancer patients, combat general gastrointestinal problems as well as many others. Many herbs are available in 'tea' form and are an ideal way to take home some natural remedies.

Thai desserts are not a part of the meal as they would be in Western cuisine, i.e. main course and then dessert. Rather they are consumed occasionally after a meal or as a sweet snack. Desserts never use artificial coloring or additives; they are made fresh and should be consumed within a very short period, i.e. a few hours and not more than one day. Natural colors may come from, for example, the Anshan flower (pinky-purple) and the Pandanus leaf (green), flavorings are used such as Jasmine flower water and Pendants water. The most elaborate desserts are created for Buddhist festivals and other important ceremonies and are made communally with great effort. Even the containers used to serve some desserts are hand made from leaves and are wonderfully biodegradable!

Fruit carving in Thailand is seen as an art form. It is highly decorative and is thus a way for local people to express their artistic talents as well as being edible and nutritious. Nothing ever goes to waste. Fruit carving in times past was reserved only for the visual pleasure of the royal families, though today in Thailand wealthy people also like to decorate their food with exquisitely carved fruits and vegetables. You will see examples of this in most hotel dining rooms in Thailand. Thai food takes a lot of preparation. Time is spent chopping, pounding and slicing fresh ingredients for the final process, which is usually a quick stir in a hot wok... and well worth the effort!

Bon Appétit! Guten Appetit! Just savor the delicate flavors of Thai food!