Thai food is internationally
famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively bland, harmony
is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai
cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern
and Western influences harmoniously combined into
something uniquely Thai.The characteristics of Thai food
depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what
occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates.
Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of
a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs
were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were
eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use
of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.
With their
Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large
animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were
shredded and laced with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai
cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling.
Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir
frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th
century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and
Japanese. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during
the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired
a taste for them while serving in South America.
Thais were very
adapt at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods, and
substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking
was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted
for other daily products. Overpowering pure spices were
toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass
and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used
in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs
increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries
burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with
strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving
dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once,
permitting dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of
different tastes.
A proper Thai
meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with
condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A
spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also
be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non spiced
items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures
within individual dishes and the entire meal.
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