Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drinks
Coffee, Tea & Fruit Drinks
Thais are big coffee drinkers, and good-quality arabica and robusta are cultivated in the
hilly areas of northern and southern Thailand. The traditional filtering system is nothing
more than a narrow cloth bag attached to a steel handle. This type of coffee is served in a
glass, mixed with sugar and sweetened with condensed milk - if you don't want either, be
sure to specify
gah·faa dam
(black coffee) followed with
mâi sài nám·đahn
(without sug-
ar).
Black tea, both local and imported, is available at the same places that serve real coffee.
Chah tai
derives its characteristic orange-red colour from ground tamarind seed added after
curing.
Fruit drinks appear all over Thailand and are an excellent way to rehydrate after water
becomes unpalatable. Most
nám pŏn·lá·mái
(fruit juices) are served with a touch of sugar
and salt and a whole lot of ice. Many foreigners object to the salt, but it serves a metabolic
role in helping the body to cope with tropical temperatures.
Beer & Spirits
There are several brands of beer in Thailand, ranging from domestic brands (Singha,
Chang, Leo) to foreign-licensed labels (Heineken, Asahi, San Miguel). They are all largely
indistinguishable in terms of taste and quality.
Domestic rice whisky and rum are favourites of the working class, struggling students
and family gatherings as they're more affordable than beer. Once spending money becomes
a priority, Thais often upgrade to imported whiskies. These are usually drunk with lots of
ice, soda water and a splash of coke. On a night out, buying a whole bottle is the norm in
most of Thailand. If you don't finish it, it will simply be kept at the bar until your next vis-
it.
Appon's Thai Food (
www.khiewchanta.com
)
features nearly 1000 authentic and well-organised Thai re-
cipes - many with helpful audio recordings of their Thai names - written by a native Thai.
