Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
How Thais Eat
Aside from the occasional indulgence in deep-fried savouries, most Thais sustain them-
selves on a varied and healthy diet of many fruits, rice and vegetables mixed with smaller
amounts of animal protein and fat. Satisfaction seems to come not from eating large
amounts of food at any one meal, but rather from nibbling at a variety of dishes with as
many different flavours as possible throughout the day.
Nor are certain kinds of food restricted to certain times of day. Practically anything can
be eaten first thing in the morning, whether it's sweet, salty or chilli-ridden.
Kôw gaang
(curry over rice) is a very popular morning meal, as are
kôw nĕe·o mǒo tôrt
(deep-fried
pork with sticky rice) and
kôw man gài
(sliced chicken cooked in chicken broth and served
over rice).
Lighter morning choices, especially for Thais of Chinese descent, include
Ъah·tôrng·gŏh
(deep-fried bits of dough) dipped in warm
nám đow·hôo
(soy milk). Thais also eat noodles,
whether fried or in soup, with great gusto in the morning, or as a substantial snack at any
time of the day or night.
As the staple with which almost all Thai dishes are eaten (noodles are still seen as a
Chinese import),
kôw
(rice) is considered an indispensable part of the daily diet. Most
Bangkok families will put on a pot of rice, or start the rice cooker, just after rising in the
morning to prepare a base for the day's menu.
Finding its way into almost every meal is
Ъlah
(fish), even if it's only in the form of
nám
Ъlah
(a thin amber sauce made from fermented anchovies), which is used to salt Thai
dishes, much as soy sauce is used in eastern Asia. Pork is undoubtedly the preferred pro-
tein, with chicken in second place. Beef is seldom eaten in Bangkok, particularly by Thais
of Chinese descent who subscribe to a Buddhist teaching that forbids eating 'large' anim-
als.
Thais are prodigious consumers of fruit. Vendors push glass-and-wood carts filled with a
rainbow of fresh sliced papaya, pineapple, watermelon and mango, and a more muted
palette of salt-pickled or candied seasonal fruits. These are usually served in a small plastic
bag with a thin bamboo stick to use as an eating utensil.
Because many restaurants in Thailand are able to serve dishes at an only slightly higher
price than they would cost to make at home, Thais dine out far more often than their
Western counterparts. Dining with others is always preferred because it means everyone
has a chance to sample several dishes. When forced to fly solo by circumstances - such as
