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Thai food

feature

Although Thai food is often lumped in with Chinese by Westerners in reality the two cuisines are quite different. Most notably, Thai food is not intended to be eaten with chopsticks and at a restaurant in Thailand you’ll find the familiar fork by your bowl. The food of Thailand can be split North and South with Southerners being the forefathers of the hot curry dishes and more meat being consumed in the North where both a border and cooking ideas are shared with Myanmar (Burma).

Thai food has become more elaborate over the years and where at one time rice was accompanied by lightly cooked plain vegetables and fish. However, over the years more spices have been introduced and the simple steamed and stir fried dishes have been joined by the famous curries of varying heat. Thailand’s changeable history has directly influenced the food of the country, but its status as one of the few countries which has never been invaded or colonised has meant that little outside ideas have filtered through.

A typical Thai meal will normally consist of a bowl of fragrant rice accompanied by a variety of dishes flavoured with galangal, ginger, coconut and a range of herbs and spices. In addition the Thai people share with China appetisers such as spring rolls and dumplings and have made use of exotic fruits from all over the country by creating wonderful desserts such as taap tim krawp (balls of tapioca flour surrounding tiny pieces of water chestnut and served with coconut cream and ice) and khao laam (glutinous rice mixed with coconut cream).

With some of the most unusual, exciting and often repulsive (at least to most Western palates) food on offer street vendors provide Thailand’s original fast food, which is popular to this day even with the likes of McDonalds and Pizza Hut making their way in to Thai culture. These vendors sell a variety of street cooked food such as soups served in a plastic bag with a straw, satays and various delicacies wrapped in banana leaves as well as less desirable snacks such as durian (also known as the vomit fruit due to its foul smell), dried fish and even fried bugs such as crickets and locusts.

Britain, in the last twenty years, has experienced a boom in Thai food with restaurants seemingly springing up on every street corner owing to a combination of an increased taste for exotic food, the immigration of many more Thai people in to the country and the popularity of Thailand as a tourist destination.


Kai Yad Sai (stuffed omelette)

Easily made with store cupboard ingredients a stuffed Thai omelette is popular street food, sold on street stalls and from boats on the klongs.

6 eggs
3tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
200g minced pork
1tsp sugar
1tbsp coriander
vegetable oil

Heat some oil in a wok or frying pan, add garlic and onion and fry for around three mins before adding the pork and cooking for about ten mins or until browned.

Stir in 2tbsp of the nam pla, sugar and tomatoes with a little black pepper. Simmer for five or six mins before removing from the hob and stirring in the coriander.

Whisk the eggs and the remaining nam pla together and heat a little oil in an omelette or other flat bottomed pan. Add about a quarter of the egg mixture and tilt the pan to spread across the bottom.

As the egg sets spoon a quarter of the meat filling on top and fold the edges of the omelette over to form a square parcel before sliding on to a plate.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Laura Heaps, MyVillage 25th October




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