Introduction

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.

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 more sizeable meat morsels 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. Chilies 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 'Siam-ising' foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced with 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 diners to enjoy complementary combinations of 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.

Local Flavor

Phuket has a number of foods different in character and flavor from those of other areas in Thailand. The international character of the island, however, with so many different restaurants catering to a multitude of tastes, makes it difficult for non-Thais to identify Phuket cuisine. Below is a list of local dishes and shops where they can be sampled.
Mee Ton Poh near the clock tower traffic circle on Phuket Road in Phuket Town.
Mee Sapam on Thepkrasatri Road in the village of Sapam.
Mee Ao Geh on Phunphol Road in Phuket Town. Yellow noodles are also cooked in both "dry" and "wet" versions, and as a prawn soup. For these try :
- Somjit near the clock tower traffic circle on Phuket Road in Phuket Town.
- Jirayuwat near the Pearl Cinema on Phang-nga Rd., in Phuket Town
Mee Huhn Pah Chang Dry fried noodles eaten with pork bone soup. For this try (all in Phuket Town) :
- On Thanon Yaowarat.
- Near the Tessaban Ban Bang Niao School on Takua Tong Rd.
- On Vichit Songkram Rd., near the entrance to Soi Lorong
Mee Sue Breakfast noodles served with the boiled rice dishes Khao Tohm or Johk. This can be ordered at various shops around town, but the best known in Phuket Town is :
- Kou Kwan near Ruampaet Hospital on Phuket Rd.
Kanom Jin Phuket Noodles often compared to spaghetti usually served with a spicy curry sauce, the most common made from fish. It is usually eaten as a breakfast food and is, if you can stand its fresh character, delicious. It comes with an array of fresh vegetables and boiled eggs that are mixed with the dish by dinners at their table. It is often found with the fried pastry called Pah Tong Go and the curried fish mousse called Hor Mohk, both of which are very tasty. Some of the curries are not spicy, so try a shop that has many curries to choose from if you are sensitive to spicy cuisine. There are many shops to choose from everywhere in Phuket but the most famous are in Phuket Town :
- Kwan Kanohm Jin on Tungka Rd.
- Pah Mai on statun Rd.
- Pha Ri on Pahtiphaht Rd.
Tao Sor or Kanohm Bia Phuket Spring rolls, Chinese crepes. The best known are found at:
- Kaeng Tin near Ruam Paet Hospital on Phuket Rd.
on Soi Suhn Utit, Yaowarat Rd., in Phuket Town.
- Kuhn Mae on Thep Krasatri Rd., in the village of Sapam.
- Mae Boon Tahm on Surin Rd., Soi 4.
Oh Aew An iced sweet made of flour, banana, and a little seaweed. Look for it at : - On Soi Soon Utit, Yaowarat Rd.
- On Ranong Rd., at the entrance to Soi Lorong

Thai Food

Recipes included herein feature some of the most popular Thai dishes that grace the menus of any Thai restaurant.