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Netbangkok.com is a local resource web directory of Bangkok with links to useful sites including contents about business, guest houses, travel agents. Enjoy yourself with colourful destination. |
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Discovering
Thai Cuisine
If you've never tried it before, you might think
that Thai cuisine tastes a lot like other Asian
cuisines. While it does have both Chinese and East
Indian influences, it also has its own identity
that separates it greatly from the foods served
in neighboring countries. Thai food consists of
four regional cuisines and is known for its balanced
flavors, fresh ingredients, and fantastic aromas.
Thailand happens to be the number one exporter of
rice in the world, and as such its rice (particularly
its aromatic Jasmine rice) is the staple food of
its people. While Western cuisines generally focus
on a main entree of meat accompanied by several
side dishes such as |
bread and vegetables, Thai cuisine
usually consists of one dish with a base of rice
or noodles accompanied by fresh herbs, vegetables,
and a meat or mixture of meats. Thai food also contains
five flavors: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter.
What makes Thai food unique is that it balances
all of these flavors harmoniously into a single
dish.
Some of the most common vegetables found in Thai
cuisine include shallots, cucumbers, carrots, bean
sprouts, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, celery,
and mushrooms. Popular meats in Thai recipes include
seafood such as shrimp, prawns, clams, fish, and
mussels. Pork, chicken, beef, and duck are also
heavily used. Tofu, a meat substitute made from
soybeans is another frequent addition.
Unlike many other cuisines that use dried spices
and herbs, Thai cooking uses the freshest ingredients
available. One of the primary flavoring agents used
is a strong fish sauce called "nam pla".
Many dishes also call for oyster sauce or shrimp
paste. Shrimp paste is basically a combination of
ground shrimp and salt. Other ingredients you'll
find in Thai cuisine include lime juice, pineapples,
Thai chilies, curry paste, garlic, sweet basil,
lemon grass, coconut milk, soy sauce, peanuts and
peanut sauce, cashews, mint leaves, cilantro, and
galangal root (similar to ginger but more delicate
in flavor).
One of the most important dishes to the people of
Southern and Central Thailand is curry, which they
serve over steamed jasmine rice. While Indian cuisine
is also known for curries, Thai curries are considerably
different. They are cooked for a shorter amount
of time than are the Indian versions, and Thais
use more garlic and fresh herbs whereas Indians
use dry spices. In addition, Indian curries tend
to be drier whereas Thai curries hold more liquid
making them more soup-like. In Thai cuisine you'll
find water-based and coconut milk-based curries.
Red, yellow, and green curries are the best known
of the coconut milk variety. Thai curry pastes generally
consist of fresh chilies, garlic, lemon grass, shallots,
kaffir lime, fresh turmeric, shrimp paste, and cilantro
roots. While curry is known for its spiciness, the
amount of heat does vary depending on the type of
curry you choose. |
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