In this section we briefly explain the history of Thai food and give you plenty of helpful hints, such as the necessary equipment for a Thai kitchen. You will also find some tips on hygiene in cooking, places for grocery shopping and an extensive list of restaurants. If you are a vegetarian, take heart, it is easy to eat meatless meals in Thailand. So, as the Thai colloquial invitation to eat says, "kin kao", which naturally enough means, "eat rice!"

A LOOK AT THAI FOOD

  Many Thai dishes have their origins in China and India. One of the main characteristics of Thai people is their receptiveness to foreign influences and their ability to transform them into something uniquely Thai. This has happened with their cuisine. The Thai fondness for poultry, pork, seafood and different kinds of noodles, has its roots in Chinese food, while the Indian influence is shown in the curries. Thai dishes often combine many flavors, sweet and sour, salty and bitter and hot and spicy. The cuisine uses a lot of spices: soy, oyster and fish sauces and chili. The best Thai dessert is usually a tray of fresh fruits, beautifully presented and decorated. An assortment of sticky sweets is an alternative dessert. Fruit and vegetable carving is a traditional culinary art.

THAI DISHES

  Ordering Thai food can be confusing because of the many choices or monotonous because you always order the only dish you know. Here are examples of main dishes to help you at the beginning and give you ideas! The best advice from us is to learn more about Thai cooking and always order different meals when dining out. The following lists standard dishes and the Thai phonetics in Italics:

Appetizers                     

Satay Meat on a skewer

Paw Pia Thai spring rolls

Poo, Pla Noong Crab, steamed fish

Noodle Dishes             

Pot See‑you Fried wide noodles, with broccoli and soy sauce

Pot Thai Thin rice noodles fried with tofu, vegetables, eggs and peanuts

Soup                             

Koo Tee Ow Nam Rice noodle soup with vegetables and meat

Tom Yam Kung Prawn and lemon grass soup with mushrooms (lemon flavor given by

the lemon grass)

Curry                            

Masaman Curry cooked in coconut milk with potatoes, onions, peanuts and a choice

of either chicken, shrimp or fish

Panang nua Beef spicy curry in coconut milk

Fried Dishes                  

Kao Pad Moo Fried rice with pork

Kao Pad Gai Fried rice with chicken

Kao Pad Kung Fried rice with shrimp

Kao Maq Pet Roast duck over rice

Pad King Gai Stir-fried ginger chicken

Pad Pak Ruam Stir fried mixed vegetables

Egg Dishes                    

Kai Yat See Moo Sab Omelet stuffed with vegetables and pork

Thai Salads

Yom Mamuang Green mango salad

Yom Moo Yam Spicy barbecue pork salad

Fish Dishes

Pla Kaphong Khao Nung Manao Sea perch steamed in lime sauce

Pla Kao op sot ma‑kheua thet Baked rock cod in tomato sauce

Kung Neung Si Uu Prawns steamed with soy sauce

Poo, Pla Noong Crab, steamed fish

Sweets

Polamai Assorted fresh fruits

Kow Neow Ma Muang Sticky rice in coconut cream

with ripe mango (seasonal)

THAI HERBS AND SPICES

  In Western cuisine, herbs you use to flavor dishes are normally removed before serving. However, Thai food is served without removal of the herbs and spices. Some other unknowns could well confuse some you will recognize as being edible but you. To overcome this problem keep your eye on any Thai companions at the table, but best avoided in any case are: Bay leaf cardamon leaves and seeds, chili, cinnamon stick, coriander (cilantro) leaves and root, fresh shredded or sliced ginger, galanga, pickled lemon, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass. Siamese ginger and basil.

THAI VEGETABLES

  This list will give you an idea of the main vegetables used in Thai cuisine, which you can easily find in all the markets: Green asparagus, green beans. Broccoli. baby carrots, baby corn, cauliflower, spinach, button and black mushrooms, cabbage, pumpkin, spring onions, tomatoes and water chestnuts. (Availability of all vegetables is seasonal.)

THAI FRUITS

Year Round: Apples, cantaloupe, guava, oranges, bananas, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, coconut, pomelo and grapes.

Seasonal: Strawberries (Dec‑Feb), green mango (Mar‑Apr), durian (Apr‑Jun), ripe mango (May‑Jun), mangosteen and rambutan (May‑Jul), langsart (Apr‑Oct), sapodilla (Nov‑Dec), jackfruit (Apr‑May), rose apple, custard apple and longan (Jul‑Sept), plum mango and tamarind (Jan‑mid Mar), star apple and lychee (May/Jun).

COOKING IN THE THAI KITCHEN

  In traditional Thai houses, kitchens are typically built away from the main house as part of the servants quarters, if the family is wealthy. Your western accommodation will generally have an inside kitchen. The following is a brief description of the basic requirements when cooking in a Thai kitchen. The outlets referred to in this chapter are listed in full detail in Chapter 6 Services & Shopping.

Basic Needs ‑ Stir-fry cooking in a wok is the dominant cooking method. The main appliance is the durable burner stove. Aside from the wok, the most important implements in a Thai kitchen are the cleavers, cutting board, saucepans, and the mortar and pestle (made in the village of An Sila, north of Pattaya) see Chapter 8 ‑ Leisure Activities. Nowadays, most Thai families use an electric rice cooker, which is easy to use and the rice is always good. The electric kettle and electric coffee machine are not common items as Thais mainly drink instant coffee made from an electric hot water boiler/dispenser. Electric coffee makers are quite expensive here. An oven is not common in a Thai kitchen but you can easily buy one, conventional or microwave.

Thai Cook Books :

"Cooking Thai food in American kitchens" by Malulee Pinsuvana: Recipes in Thai and English. There are colored pictures of Thai vegetables, spices, noodles, bean curds, curry pastes and explanations of each entry. It is available in every department store.

"Thai Cooking Class' by Somi Anuntra Miller & Patricia Lake: Recipes in English. There are color photos of food entries and detailed definitions of ingredients used in recipes.

"The Original Thai Cookbook" by Jennifer Brennan: Recipes in English. Menu ideas for different occasions

Thai Cooking Schools ‑ Some of the best hotels offer Thai Cooking & fruit carving lessons during the year.

Water ‑ Tap water is not fit for drinking. The Polaris Company, among others, makes home deliveries of bottled water in crates or 5-gallon containers. The large containers are designed for use on a special refrigerated dispenser (water cooler), on sale for between B3000 and B4000. The management often organizes deliveries of water to apartment blocks.

Hygiene ‑ When you first arrive you should exercise caution when buying and preparing food. Once your immunity to Thai bacteria is developed, you can be less vigilant. Maids who will be handling and cooking food may require supervision with regard to hygienic practices. Salads, vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled should be washed in Lipon V or potassium permanganate (detergent section in Foodland) and tap water. The final rinse should be in bottled water.

·        Local meat and poultry are not always inspected, so it is best to rinse with tap or bottled water.

·        If the beef is blood red (not dull in color) it is good to buy. Pork should not be too red in color. Shrimp should be firm, not soft.

·        Freshness of dairy products can be verified by observing date stamps on the carton or package.

·        Food preparation: Eat only well cooked fish and seafood. Rice, pasta and vegetables should be cooked in bottled water.

·        To prevent clogging, add uncooked rice grains to your salt shakers.

·        To prevent moisture in foods, put dry foods in Tupperware.

·        Do not store too many things in your refrigerator, as electricity blackouts happen quite often in some areas.

·        Storage life of fresh fruits and vegetables is likely to be less than in Western countries.

DINING OUT

  Most Thais love to eat. They seem to spend all day eating. Except for rice plates and noodle dishes, they order and eat their meals family style, sharing all the food put on to the table, just as though they were eating at home and not in a restaurant. The group orders one kind of rice, soup, curry, steamed dish, fried dish, salad and one or more of the basic sauces. Each person takes one or two spoonfuls of a dish, allowing everyone to share the dish. You have a choice of where to eat, ranging from street vendors, food stalls and noodle carts, to fancy western style restaurants.

Helpful Hints ‑ The food in restaurants does not arrive in order, such as starter/appetizer, salad and then the main dishes. So order what you want to eat first, then order what you want next and so on. It's okay to order as you eat.

·        Rice does not come with the meal, you must order separately (except when the word rice is in the name of the dish).

·        A 5 ‑10 % tip is appropriate for restaurants without service charges.

·        Most restaurants serve alcohol. Some allow you to bring your own and will charge a “corkage” fee.

·        Make reservations for a group of 8 or more.

·        Some Thai dishes can be very hot from the chili peppers. It would be wise to ask for not spicy "my pet" until you know what you like. If you bite on a chili let some sugar dissolve on your tongue, eat cucumber slices or eat rice.

·        Request bottled water for drinking and have the bottle brought to the table.

·        Ice cubes are safe if they are clear, round and have holes through them. Avoid crushed or shaved ice because it may be frozen tap water.

Catering:  Points to note when catering for a party:

1. Hotels can usually offer a complete catering service including waiters, flowers, tables and chairs, a nicely decorated covered area, etc. Independent restaurants usually cannot offer the same service; they can often provide tables and chairs along with the food, but usually no staff.

2. Many restaurants will cater for a private party. Choose one where you have attended a buffet function so you know the sort of food they provide.

3. Whether at home or at a hotel or restaurant, make a complete list of what you expect of the caterers.

Street Vendors ‑ Street vendors, food stalls and noodle carts, all cook tasty and inexpensive food on the street. You can sit at one of their tables or have it packaged to take home. Many food stalls do not have menus, so you can point to the food or memorize the names of some dishes. Before you buy, look the food over and choose vendors where you see many people eating; that's always a good indication. See beginning of this section for names and explanation of Thai dishes.

(C) 2006 copyright by SPIRIT TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES / Rotary Club of Taksin-Pattaya