Thai
people and those who love Thai food take their food seriously.
It is the quintessential balance of fresh ingredients,
delicate flavors and textures.
Vegetable dishes entice the diner with the warm of peppers, the
coolness of tomatoes appetizing undertones of the
beans and onions. Cooked
vegetable dishes can vary from the very light to the more substantial
offerings containing beef, pork, chicken, seafood or tofu. The
essential flavoring ingredients in Thai food include coconut, lime,
kaffir, chili, rice, garlic, lemon grass, ginger and cilantro.
Many
different types of curries are available in Thai cooking.
Keow wan is deceiving with its cool lime green color, but this
can be the most heat intensive of the Thai curries.
The green color is derived from fresh jalapenos and “prik
khee noo” (green Thai chilis).
For those who like their curries a bit milder, the choices are
many. To name a few, red
curry uses long red chili peppers, lemon grass and an array of Thai
spices and herbs. Even
less spicy, but very flavorful are Panang and Mussamon curries (both a
deravitive of red curry).
The
liquid “essence” of Thai cuisine is “Nam pla” or fish sauce.
Nam pla is found in many Thai recipes and is used as a flavor
enhancer and source of sodium for meats, seafood and vegetables.
(Seldom is salt used directly).
Another
important flavoring agent in Thai fare is “gapi” or shrimp paste,
adding great dimension to many fried rice dishes.
Coconut milk is a widely used ingredient as it adds thickening
and flavor to curry dishes some of which may tend to be clear and flat
without it. Oyster sauce
is derived from boiling oysters in salted water and soy sauce and is
also used to add intense flavor to Thai dishes.
A vegetarian version of oyster sauce is available and is derived from
mushrooms.
Thai
cuisine offers a myriad of stir-fry and noodle based combinations.
In addition to the basic thin egg noodle and thin “linguini
style” Pad Thai noodle, cellophane or transparent noodles (Woon Sen)
which are prepared from mung bean, are used in soups, salads and
stir-fries. Rice
vermicelli is just that, rice based noodles used in dishes like Mee
Krob offering a distinctive flavor of their own.
Lastly, fresh soft wheat flour noodles used primarily in soups.
The
most profound flavors in Thai cooking can be attributed to the
following basic ingredients. Lemon
grass, which is a woody grass (resembling a large green onion) with a
small bulbous root, contributes a strong lemon aroma and lemony
flavor. Galangal, which
is a rhizome and member of the ginger family, provides a delicate,
ginger-like flavor to soups and sauces.
Garlic, fried crispy to release its gentle sweet flavor and
Tamarind, whose brown pulp adds a sharp sour flavor without the
tartness of lemon. Kaffir lime leaves can add a sour, sharp citrus
flavor to many dishes including soups.
Kaffir is also a widely used ingredient in Thai curries. The
distinct flavor of basil is a mainstay Thai cuisine and you will find
basil atop many stir-fries and curry dishes, as well as a component in
many Thai curry preparations. Cilantro
is an essential ingredient in Thai cooking.
There is no substitute for its distinctive flavor and not only
are the leaves used, but the stems are used as well in many basic
preparations.
Chilies
are in a category all their own.
There are several chilies used in Thai cooking, and they are
available in a number of sizes and colors.
The rule of thumb is the smaller the chili, the hotter it is
and green chilies are hotter than red chilies of the same size.
Remember the palate determines the quantity of chili in a
recipe; always start with a small amount, more can be added later.
Real Thai chili peppers are called “Prik Khee Noo” and can
be found in both red and green varieties.
(Pictured at left).
Most
all of the ingredients mentioned are readily available at your local
oriental market. Many
ingredients and cooking vessels are available online via the Internet.
Ideally,
a Thai meal offers a balanced combination of five flavors:
sweet, hot, sour, salty and bitter.
Sometimes several of these are present in a single dish,
subtly blended into layers of flavors, while in some dishes, one
flavor predominates. Thai meals that
include rice are preferably made with long grain jasmine rice as
opposed to the more popular brown rice, which is never used.
Due to the influence of Laos, the northeastern region of
Thailand prefers sticky rice with their meal.
In
general, Thai’s don’t care to eat big meals, rather, they prefer
to snack all day long and enjoy their heavy meal at the closing of the
day. The proper
Thai creation achieves a fine balance of flavor, texture and color.
They take great pride in presenting food beautifully, often
carving vegetables into elaborate shapes.
This artistry is an important part of Thai culture.
A
little known fact about Thai food is that it’s not always prepared
spicy, contrary to popular belief.
And since the cost
of cooking oil is high, and because Thai’s are generally a health
conscious people, very little oil is used when a Thai meal is
prepared.
Whether
you prefer your Thai food spicy or mild, with meat or vegetarian
style, you are guaranteed to have a unique dining experience when you
experiment in Thai cuisine.
