Thai cuisine: what national dishes are worth trying. Food prices in Thailand - Thai cafes, street food from makashniks. What kind of meat is eaten in Thailand

Today I will tell you a little about Thai cuisine. Lots and lots of things have been written about Thai cuisine, but I prefer to try everything myself, which I advise you to do. For me, Thai food is exotic, it is seafood, exotic fruits and unforgettable, new, unusual tastes. Thai cuisine is interesting, beautiful, sizzling, as if beckoning you to return to this country again and again. In general, Thai food is another way to experience Asia. The abundance of exotic tastes and aromas make Thai cuisine one of the most desirable in all international cuisine. Whether walking around Bangkok, Krabi or Koh Samui, everything around you is persistently reminiscent of these tastes and aromas of Thai dishes. Of course, it’s difficult to fit everything about Thai cuisine into one article, but I’ll try.

Thai dishes

Thais always combine four tastes in food: sour, sweet, spicy, salty. And they add it to literally everything: soup, fish, and dessert.
If you are not a big fan of chili peppers, you can take traditional European food, but there are surprises here too. For example, pizza with sausage, topped with condensed milk. Waffles with jam, sugar and pepper... Salty ice cream with beans and beans... A sour apple in a restaurant is dipped in a mixture of salt and chili pepper and used as a snack.
The amount of pepper that is good for Thais is death for farangs (the local name for Europeans, which does not carry a negative connotation). If you don’t want to get into such a situation, ask for “No Spicy”, then the amount of pepper that they will pour in for you will be quite sufficient for you.

Thai dishes you can try in Thailand

Khao man kai, Khao Man Gai

ข้าวมันไก่

Khao Man Gai is a famous Thai street food. It is a mixture of Hainanese chicken and Thai rice. Khao Man Gai is an original Thai dish that is rarely included in the menu of most Thai restaurants in the West, but is widely known in Thailand itself. For Thais, however, it is a national favorite dish. In fact, just the mention of the name of the Thai dish Khao man kai can cause you to hyperventilate in eager anticipation.
And the reason is simple: Thai food is delicious. How can you say no to juicy and tender slices of chicken served with aromatic rice cooked in a rich broth with a unique piquant sauce of ginger, garlic, chili, and soy sauce.

Kaeng phet pet yang, Gaeng Daeng, Kaeng Phet Pet Yang

Red Curry with Roast Duck - famous dish Thai cuisine, which is popular in Thai restaurants, especially in the West. This is not a Thai dish that locals usually make at home, but is a festive dish prepared in Thailand for special occasions. To prepare red curry with roast duck, you can use your own homemade curry paste, or use ready-made curry pastes.

Made with chunks of meat, red curry paste, coconut milk and finely chopped kaffir lime leaves, Kaeng Phet Thai is a rich, flavorful dish that excites the taste buds. The amazingly tender meat, soft, sweet and moderately fragrant, makes the heart fall in love with Kaeng Phet.

Ho mok, Ho mok

Kho mok is also a popular Thai food. Ho mok is essentially a kind of fish curry “pate” wrapped in banana leaves. This Thai dish is served with a thick coconut cream topping. Fish pate itself is a homogenized mixture of fish, meat, spices, coconut milk and eggs. This salmon-colored pate is typically pink and can be quite spicy, depending on the amount of chili in the mix. As a rule, the portion of this Thai dish is small, so it is difficult to get enough from one serving. But in this situation there is a way out: sometimes Ho Mok is sold in large portions in the shape of a boat. For a large company - just right.
Typically, Ho mok is eaten straight from the leaf wrapper without a plate or packaging, which is why Ho Mok is a popular Thai dish for picnics and also as a snack when traveling. By the way, if you are interested in new unusual tastes of Thai cuisine, I also advise you to read the article about food in Bangkok.

Som tam, Som Tam

Som Tam is another popular Thai dish. This is a spicy and sour papaya salad that is an exceptional addition to Thai BBQ chicken and rice. Som Tam is a low-calorie Thai dish that is healthy and cheap. It can often be found in restaurants and cafes on the beach.

The Som Tam dish is believed to have originated in Laos, but having crossed the border into the north-east of Thailand, it has been firmly adopted in these provinces as a favorite dish, with most people in the north-east of Thailand eating it at least once a day!

Garlic, chili peppers, green beans, cherry tomatoes and grated raw papaya provide a sweet-sour-spicy flavor that's hard to forget. Thai food Som Tam has many varieties because so many types of vegetables or fruits can be used to prepare it, such as papaya, bean sprouts, banana, cucumber, pineapple, tamarind, etc.

Tom Yam Goong - the main dish of Thai cuisine

Tom yam is the hallmark of Thai cuisine. Tom Yum soup (ต้มยำ) comes in several varieties. Shrimp, seafood, chicken, mushrooms, vegetables. The most popular among tourists is with shrimp (Tom Yum Kung) and seafood (Tom Yum Thale). I also really like the white version of this fish soup - Tom Yum Pla, this variety is the most authentic. I like Tom Yum Kung Nam Khon with shrimp - it has added coconut milk. In general, Tom Yam is a sweet-sour-spicy soup in chicken/fish broth with the addition of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, onions, chili peppers, fish sauce, mushrooms, vegetables, and lime juice. A classic Thai dish. Not everyone likes it.

Tom Kha Kai

Kom Kha is an equally popular Thai dish. Milder than Tom Yum, this famous soup is made with fiery chillies, thinly sliced ​​baby galangal, minced shallots, lemongrass stalks and tender pieces of chicken. However, unlike its more diluted brother Tom Yam, Tom Kha has more coconut milk, which softens it. Fresh lime leaves are also added to this Thai food, resulting in a fragrant soup, in the wonderful Thai tradition.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is by default an international Thai dish known all over the world! Small, thin or wide noodles along with crispy bean sprouts, onion and egg, fried on the stovetop. The palate is awakened from its slumber by the combination of the quartet of essential seasonings - fish sauce, sugar, pepper and finely ground peanuts - in this exotic Thai dish.

Khao Pad

A popular Thai lunch dish, so simple and delicious - fried rice, herbs, egg, onions, usually served with a wedge of lime and a slice of cucumber. The secret of this simple dish lies in its simplicity. The dish is prepared as if the Thais used whatever was on hand, from shrimp, crab or chicken, chili peppers and vegetables on hand, turning unremarkable ingredients into interesting dish Thai cuisine.

Gaeng Keow Wan Kai

Gaeng Keow Wan Kai is another Thai dish. Pieces of fresh chicken, eggplant, tender bamboo shoots, sprigs of coriander, and generous handfuls of sweet basil form the base of this curried dish. The secret to this Thai food is a spoonful of green curry paste mixed with hot, creamy coconut milk. Thai dish Gaeng Keow Wan Kai served with a bowl of aromatic rice.

Yam Nua, Yam Nua (spicy beef salad)

Yam Nua is a savory Thai food. By the way, Thai dishes are called “yam” here. The fresh, fiery taste of Yam Nua is a mixture of onion, coriander, mint, lime, dried chili and tender slices of beef. This Thai dish evokes an invigorating sensation, like all Thai salads.

Kai Med Ma Muang (chicken with cashew nuts)

Kai Med Ma Muang is an interesting dish from Thai cuisine. Tourists go crazy for this dish. Perhaps thanks to the wild contrast in the combination of braised chicken along with roasted cashews, sweet soy sauce, onions, chilli peppers, carrots and mushrooms. This is a simple but incredibly tasty, slightly exotic Thai dish that is worth trying in Thailand.

Pak Boong

Pak Bung is a Thai dish. The main component of this simple dish is the green stems and thin, fragile leaves found throughout Southeast Asia. This Thai dish contains garlic, chili pepper, oyster sauce, fish sauce and black soy sauce. The result is an interesting dish with a subtle flavour, ideal for those who love Thai food but aren't keen on very spicy dishes.

Thai cuisine my review

After reviewing Thai dishes, I would also like to add my review. Thai food is spicy. Not real to me at all! It is impossible to eat it, BUT spicy food lovers will definitely like it! It’s so delicious... if you ask before ordering without seasoning, it will be edible! But even then they (seasonings) are present and felt, but less pronounced than in traditional Thai cuisine.

For those who don’t like spicy Thai dishes at all, there are a bunch of Russian menus and children’s menus in Thailand: dumplings, pancakes, omelet, and okroshka... If you order fish in Thailand, it all depends on where and how it’s prepared. The same seafood can be tasty or, conversely, disgustingly meager.

In Thai cuisine, sugar and peanuts are added to the soup. I like peanuts in soup, but I haven’t tried them with sugar yet. And in general, Thailand is a country of soups - they are sold on every corner.

I saw local potatoes. It grows in the fields, two meters high. Maybe I exaggerated, I don’t remember honestly, but she is mega tall and “sits” deep in the ground! It tastes very sweet, almost as if sugar had been poured in, and it’s huge, the tuber weighs about a kilogram.
Every time we eat Thai food, we order regular boiled rice... Firstly, because I personally don’t get enough of fish, secondly, it’s nutritious and cheap.....
As for meat in Thai cuisine, there is chicken, pork, and beef! I love beef steak; in Thailand it is juicy and delicious.
Regular chicken... Runs around the island, lays eggs... It tastes like ours.

A must-try from Thai cuisine is the local banana pancakes with chocolate. Melt in your mouth! Words cannot describe it, divinely delicious!
Food, in general, can be found for any whim, alcohol too...
Only now we are in a situation where we are on a wild island, there are no shops or markets, and cafes and restaurants are open until 10:00 pm. After that there is no food until the morning! Alcohol is available around the clock.
And I love to eat and suffer at night, but I found a way out! I order food at a restaurant for dinner, and take the order with me, ask me to throw it in the box and happily pound beef and French fries at night.

Thai food in hotels

Meals in most hotels in Thailand include breakfast. “All inclusive” is not here, and it is not necessary! Breakfast is excellent: our European dishes and buffet. In addition, there is also some Thai food.
I think when you are in another country, you should try and try to see everything…. Well, or almost everything... Due to this, study the mentality of people, culture, way of life... I had scorpions, and beetles, and spiders, and nasty floating creatures for dinner…. I spent the night in the jungle and on the river, and on the islands and on the mainland... I've tried almost everything. It's worth a try, but then it's not for everyone.

Alcohol and soft drinks in Thailand

Alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks…. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu local rum, beer and wine….. Apparently I’m a pampered girl, but this is disgusting…. Very strong, but cheap. “Inserts” almost instantly! There is good beer in Thailand that is pleasant to drink. Martini, beer, vodka have EVERYTHING! But it’s a little more expensive and the difference is in the English letters...
Soft drinks…. Juices, smoothies, fresh juices. Everything is fruity and natural! This is the topic! True, there are also powder ones, but you can feel them right away! But if it’s natural, then the taste is amazing.
Just today I noticed that even children’s cocktails add a lot of ice... Children drink a lot because of the heat... And it’s a LOT of ice!

Other Thai dishes, which I will talk about in future articles, as well as some photos of Thai dishes. For lovers of extreme food, our top 10 creepy dishes from Thailand.

So, today I talked a little about Thai cuisine. Might be interesting.

The taste of Thai food depends on the place where it is prepared. If you tried one dish and didn’t like it, this does not mean that you won’t like it in another establishment. You can try everything, everywhere, choose and remember your favorite places...

30 baht approximately = 1 US dollar

• May pomcharot - without glutomat.
• May pet - do not add hot pepper.
• Mak mak arooi (very tasty).

Top favorite Thai dishes:

• Noodles in makashny “4 soups”.
• Tom ka (coconut soup with chicken or seafood).
• Tom yam of course (soup), which is prepared in Tesco on Lamai (in the gluttonous courtyard).
• Pancake - pancakes (with banana and chocolate, etc.) - are made on the streets on special carts.
• Satay in makashnitsa (meat on skewers).
• Massaman (something like soup).
• Som tam (salad with papaya) - so that it is not monstrously spicy, it is better to say “may pet” (without pepper), so as not to add glutomat, you can say “may pomcharot” (without glutomat). There are varieties of catfish (with eggs, with seafood, etc.) and whole catfish (establishments where they make only catfish).
• Khanom krok - small round coconut puddings, sold in makashni on the street, prepared in cast iron molds, reminiscent of our waffle irons.
• Muu deh dieu - pieces of pork meat, sun-dried and fried in oil.
• Rat naa - noodles with pork.
• Pad Thai is fried noodles, a very popular dish, probably right after Khao Pad (fried rice).
• SenYai - wide rice noodles - if you order Pad Thai and say SenYai, it will be made with wide rice noodles (my favorite variety). If you order soup and say Sen Yai, the soup will come with wide rice noodles - this dish is more common in Pattaya and Bangkok.
• Jokhk is a type of porridge, a thick soup with pork.
• Moo pad krapau - fried pork with basil.
• Khao muu daeng - red pork with rice.

Where to eat inexpensively and tasty in Thailand

You can eat cheaply and tasty in Thai cafes. Just go and try the food in all the many cafes that are nearby where you live. And you will definitely find the very best. Preference will most likely be given to a cafe where many Thais eat, rather than one where it is empty and a couple of farangs are sitting.

The most convenient way to search for cafes and restaurants (including Thai food) is through Tpipadvisor according to the rating, which is constantly relevant because it is updated with new reviews. To do this, open the Tpipadvisor application, click on the “Places Nearby” section and find all the restaurants or places where you can eat, look at the rating and select what you want.

About Thai food in photographs:

The most delicious tom yam in all of Koh Samui. They make it at Tesco in Lamai.
And this is coconut milk soup with seafood. Also very tasty from Lamai Tesco.
Makashni “4 soups”. The cost of a portion is 40 baht. The pepper is given in a separate bag. Half is enough to start with.) Delicious)) Makashni are scattered all over the island.
One of the "Four Soups". There are just noodles, noodles with “dumplings”, “dumplings” themselves.
Pad Thai made from Sen Yai noodles (wide rice noodles) with seafood. This is my favorite dish. Can be found in any part of Thailand.
Khao Soi, Noodle Soup, a Northern Thai dish
Makashnya at the Natona market.
Makashni at the Natona market (open in the evenings).
Baked corn at Nathon Market. 20 baht.
Squid skewers. 10-15 baht.

Shakes at Nathon Market cost 20 baht. True, they are not very tasty, there is a lot of ice and syrup.
Various meat and fish skewers on skewers. 10-15-20-30 baht
Sate - kebabs of various meats on skewers.

Soups at the Nathon market for 40 baht. You can take it with you.

Many who fly to Southeast Asia for the first time, including Thailand, are concerned about the issue of nutrition. They worry that the food will be too spicy or too exotic to eat. The food in Thailand is really different from what we are used to, but there are also many delicious national dishes there, and European cuisine is always available to you if you wish.

In the article I will tell you what the most delicious dishes in Thailand are in my opinion, what I recommend you definitely try, how much the food costs and where to eat cheap and tasty.

Fried rice

English: Fried rice
Price: 60-100 baht

One of the most popular dishes in Thailand is fried rice, which can be served with seafood, chicken, pork or shrimp. It also includes fried eggs and vegetables. The dish is not spicy and pleasant to the taste. Most often I ordered fried rice in Thailand.

Fried noodles or Pad Thai

English: Pad Thai
Price: 60-100 baht

Another popular dish among tourists is fried noodles; like rice, they are served with chicken, shrimp, pork or seafood. Peanuts, eggs, onions and tofu are also added to the noodles. The noodles taste sweetish and not at all spicy.

Price: 80-120 baht

Tom Yam is a traditional Thai soup that is worth trying if you fly to Thailand. Just be sure to say “no spicy” when ordering, otherwise they will put a lot of red pepper in the soup and it will be very spicy. The first time I ordered this soup, I didn’t inform about it and the dish turned out to be so spicy that my whole mouth burned and the soup was impossible to eat.

Meat and fish kebabs

Price: 10-20 baht per 1 piece.

In street shops they often sell kebabs on sticks; they can be made from squid, pork, chicken and other things. Just 2-3 sticks of kebab and a plate of vegetables are enough, and there is no trace of hunger left. Tasty and cheap.

Spring rolls

English: Spring roll
Price: 70-100 baht

Thai cuisine has a large selection of spring rolls. They are thin spring rolls. I advise you to try different ones and choose your favorite ones.

Seafood

The Land of Smiles has a wide selection of seafood (shrimp, crabs, lobsters, oysters, fish) and is relatively inexpensive. So don't miss the opportunity to eat fresh.

Sweet rice with mango

English: Mango sticky rise

Price: 80-100 baht

Sweet mango rice is the most favorite dessert among Thais. Indeed, the delicacy is very tasty and inexpensive. If you decide to treat yourself to something tasty, order this dish.

English: Pancake
Price: 40-50 baht.

Thai pancakes are my favorite dessert. They can have different fillings: chocolate, banana, coconut, strawberry, etc. I recommend trying it.

Exotic fruits

Price: 50-70 baht

The best drinks in Thailand are freshly squeezed juices, served with or without ice. Prepared from different fruits. My favorite juice is watermelon with ice.

Food prices

The cult of food is thriving in Thailand and it is sold everywhere: on the streets, shops, shopping centers and, of course, in cafes and restaurants. And depending on where you buy your food, the prices will vary. Although in general food prices in Thailand are quite affordable. Dinner in a cafe will cost you 150-300 baht, in a restaurant twice as much. Therefore, if your hotel does not provide all-inclusive meals, do not be upset; you will not remain hungry, since food is cheap and is sold at every turn.

Cafe prices for food in Thailand:

Where to eat cheaply in Thailand?

Food in the cafe is inexpensive, so you can eat there for reasonable prices. Just give preference to a cafe where many Thais dine, rather than a couple of tourists. This means that the food there is cheap and tasty. Also, food prices in cafes located on the beaches are always much higher, so look for a cafe further away from the sea.

If you want to save on food in Thailand, then I recommend coming to large stores, such as Big C or Tesco Lotus. There are so-called Foot Courts where you can eat cheaply. I lived in Thailand for quite a long time and Lately I dined at Foot Court, as there is a wide range of dishes there, and prices are often lower than in street cafes. You will also notice that there are a lot of Thais dining there.

Street food (makashnitsy)

Buying food from street stalls is a very common thing in Thailand. A makashnitsa is a mobile kitchen with a stove or grill attached to a motorcycle, bicycle or car. It is in such a kitchen that food is prepared and sold.

Russian tourists are often wary of buying food in makashnitsa, as they think that it may be stale or prepared in poor conditions. But in fact, you shouldn’t be afraid to eat in makashnitsa; the quality of food there is strictly monitored, and the dish itself is prepared in front of the buyer. And food prices there are always low. Thais often buy food from shops and very rarely cook it at home.

1. Always carry wet wipes with you, because in street cafes it is not always possible to wash your hands.
2. Don’t go heavy on spicy or exotic foods right away, try a little of everything, let your body adapt.
3. In Thailand, portions are quite large, so it is better to order one dish first and if this is not enough for you, then order the next one. Otherwise, it may turn out that you will not be able to finish all the dishes that are brought to you.
4. Thailand is quite hot, so it is better to carry a bottle of water with you.
5. I recommend that you always say “no spicy” when ordering food, otherwise you may receive a dish that is so spicy that you won’t be able to eat it. This has happened to me more than once.
6. As for dried grasshoppers, scorpions and other insects, I have never seen Thais eat them. Most likely, this was made specifically for tourists. If you want, try it. I haven't tried this myself.

17 most delicious Thai dishes:

Tom Kha

Soup made with coconut milk with mushrooms, tomatoes, galangal or ginger, lemongrass, cilantro (coreander), is not spicy because... coconut milk neutralizes the pepper. There are several types: with chicken (tom kha gai), with shrimp (tom kha goong) and with pork (tom kha muu). This soup is perfect for those who can't or don't want to eat spicy food. I recommend.

Khao Pad

Fried rice mixed with egg (or without egg), served with pieces of chicken/beef/pork/shrimp/crab, or if you don’t want meat, order “khao pad pag” - they will bring you the same dish, only with fried vegetables. You can also ask to put a fried egg on top (as in the photo), to do this, just say “khai dao”. This dish is not spicy. Served with naam pla fish sauce. I recommend.

Yam Wun Sen

Thai salad with seafood and glass noodles. In general, “Yam” (in English transcription Yum or Yam) is a whole “class” of hot and sour salads with glass noodles. The taste and aroma of “Yam” salads is determined by the sauce of the same name, made from sweet onions, fish sauce, lime, sugar, chili, celery or cilantro (hence Tom-Yam: “boiled Yam”). And the fillings can be very different - from minced pork and grilled beef to seafood and shrimp. My favorite version of this salad is Yam Wun Sen Gung i.e. with shrimps. Very fresh, “light” and satisfies hunger well. I recommend.

By default, the salad is served spicy. If you don't want it spicy, say "may phad" - not spicy.

Pad See Yu

This is a very simple and satisfying dish consisting of pork, vegetables and noodles, quickly fried in soy sauce. The key ingredient in this dish is wide rice noodles. The dish is not served spicy. I recommend.

Kha Tom

Thai rice soup, usually with pork, chicken or shrimp. Sometimes, when serving, chopped ginger is added to it. My husband calls kha tom hangover soup. He says it’s very tasty in the morning after a good drinking session)) The soup is served with chicken/pork/shrimp.

Tom Yum

A masterpiece of Thai culinary art, this is the most popular Thai soup among tourists and guests of the Kingdom. Soup with a huge amount of shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, kolgan and lime leaves (kaffir). All this is boiled in coconut milk and served in two versions: with coconut cream - Tom Yum Kung Nam Kon soup (tom yum gung nam kohn) or without it - Tom Yum Gung Nam Sai (tom yum gung nam sai). The second version is a little more sour and lighter. Tom Yam truly combines many flavors: salty, sour, spicy and sweet in one dish. This is a true favorite of Thai cuisine known all over the world.

Som Tam

Garlic and chili pepper are first crushed in a mortar. Tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugarcane paste, kidney beans and a handful of green papaya go into the mortar. Sweet, salty and spicy flavors combined with green crispy papaya. Som Tam has many offered options: with crabs - som tam boo, with fermented fish sauce - som tam plah lah.

Pad Thai

Medium rice noodles are stir-fried with shrimp and a variety of ingredients - nuts, tofu, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic, pepper, lime juice and fish sauce. Everything is poured with egg and cooked until the dish becomes thicker - this will give it a delicious taste. Squeeze lime onto the finished Pad Thai and sprinkle with peanuts. And again, some people add a few spoons of sugar, dried chili pepper and a small spoon of vinegar to it. Therefore, this set is served as a condiment for the famous Pad Thai salad.

Gang Jued

Gang Jut is considered one of the lightest soups in Thai cuisine. Chopped pork, tofu and glass noodles are added to a vegetable broth made from cabbage, carrots and onions. Be sure to have parsley on top. Almost like our fresh cabbage soup, only instead of Thai noodles and tofu we have potatoes and tomatoes.

Khao Na Phet

Roast duck is recognized throughout Asia for being fattier and more flavorful than chicken. Thai dish Khao Na Phet served on a plate with rice. Select pieces of duck are placed on the rice and duck broth with acacia leaves is poured on top. Khao Na Phet is easy to see - street food carts have ducks hanging in a glass cabinet. It is also customary to serve duck with a simple and nutritious duck broth.

In Thailand, very often you can see certain dishes on display, or even whole chicken or duck carcasses. These are special layouts designed to clearly show what kind of dish is being prepared here.

Kai Ji Moo Sap

Authentic Thai food that anyone can cook for themselves. Beat the eggs with fish and soy sauce, then add minced pork. The resulting mixture is poured over hot boiled rice. The omelette is served with chili sauce and fresh herbs.

Khao Nii Mu Yang

Pork kebab, served with rice, noodles or French fries. All grilled meats in Thailand, like all Thai food - street food and in restaurants, are prepared very tasty and are not expensive. You can buy Khao Nii Mu Yang anywhere, at any time of the day.

Guy Young

Grilled chicken, like grilled pork, moo yang, is a very popular dish in Thai cuisine and is sold everywhere from street food carts to restaurants. Grilled chicken is accompanied by rice and delicious spicy Som Tam (green papaya salad). You can buy a whole chicken, or you can buy a half. On street food carts, from different vendors, it is prepared according to different recipes, but always delicious.

Khao Man Gai

Lean chicken with rice. In Russia we call it chicken broth with rice (meaning chicken in it, as usual). Thai chicken Khao Man Gai is served on a plate with rice, and the broth is served separately. Of course, chili and soy sauce are offered as seasonings.

Khao Pad Kra Pao

Another very popular Thai dish. This is finely chopped (in some versions minced) meat, fried with Thai seasonings and basil leaves and, of course, chili. You can order gai - chicken maso, muu - pork and nya - beef. Served with rice, you can also add a fried egg (khai dao) on top. A very tasty dish, in my opinion, but it’s not often that a chef can prepare it for you without being at all spicy.

Pla Ka Pang Nung Manu

Whole perch in a pool of steam with hot sauce. Lime juice is poured into a metal mold in which the dish is served. A candle burns at the bottom of the mold to keep the fish steamed all the time. Cloves of garlic and green chilies poke through the cilantro and lime zest for a hint of spice, while the sweet steamed fish melts in your mouth.

Pla Plu

A popular street food to eat with Som Tam and sticky rice is the simple fried fish with salt. The fish is stuffed with lemongrass, lime leaves and other aromatic ingredients and sprinkled heavily with salt. That's why, never overcooked, it's grilled to succulent perfection. The result is soft, sweetish, white fish meat that literally melts in your mouth. Pla Plu in Thailand is prepared from all types of fish.

As you can see, Thai food is very diverse. It is not possible to write about everything. But the most delicious, in our opinion, dishes were selected for us. Worthy of everyone's attention.

Updated 12/26/2019 Views 4108 111 comments

Everyone knows the phrase “Thai cuisine,” but only those who have at least once visited this country have had the opportunity to try and find out what they eat in Thailand. And those who live or spend the winter there are even luckier - for them this exotic diet becomes commonplace. I know that some people get tired of Thai cuisine over the winter, but I haven’t gotten tired of it in all these years, so I can only give a positive review. Now, in Moscow, sometimes I try to cook something Thai or just go to a Thai cafe.

Only I have never eaten truly normal Thai food in Russia; Tom Yam and Pad Thai are very different from what I am used to in Thailand. But it may well be that you will like Russian Thai food more, as it is more adapted; after all, any Asian food is specific.

About Thai food

Cult of food

We can safely say that Thailand has a cult of food. Not only are the Thais themselves not at all embarrassed to eat absolutely everywhere (they often eat soup or roast straight from a plastic bag, sitting at a bus stop or just on the sidewalk), but it’s also impossible to take a step without bumping into food for sale - it’s everywhere here. We can thank for this, first of all, the so-called makashnitsy (this is any type of seller who carries his “kitchen” with him on wheels, be it a bike or just a bicycle). I will talk about them separately below.

Is it dangerous to eat in Thai cafes?

It is customary among Thais to eat only freshly prepared food and not leave cooked food for the next day. So even in street cafes that look scary at first glance, the food will be fresh and tasty. In general, food is often prepared right in front of you - be it fried pancakes, pad thai or even soups. This can be seen especially clearly in the food courts of hypermarkets, where right in front of you they fry noodles in sauce to order, throw tom yam ingredients into the broth and pound som tam salad dressing in a mortar. In addition, Thais put a lot of hot pepper, curry and other spices in their food, which kill excess microbes.

At first it was scary to buy food from these dubious cooks, but after trying it once, we realized that often food in makashnitsa or simple cafes (including fukdorts) is even tastier than in a slick European cafe. And during all the time we spent in Thailand, we personally did not suffer from anything and did not experience problems with digestion, although we boldly tried to eat in various seemingly unpresentable places.

So there is no need to worry about the safety of food in Thailand. Don’t rush to try everything right away, but you also don’t need to be afraid of Thai food and avoid it. You just have to forget about the unsanitary conditions.

Street food stalls at the Thailand Flower Festival

What to try from food, main dishes

It may seem that Thai food has little variety, but this is far from the case. Sometimes you are even surprised at the courage of their culinary art in mixing seemingly incompatible products and tastes. The basis of all dishes is rice and its derivatives. Moreover, rice itself comes in several types (brown, crumbly white and sticky), and rice pasta amazes with the variety of its forms. For Thais, rice is like bread for us; it can be served with anything. And there is a great variety of this! I won’t say that I tried all of Thai cuisine, but definitely a couple of dozen dishes. Pad Thai and Khao Pad are still my favorites.

• Pad Thai Kung - rice pasta with vegetables, sprouts, shrimp and sauce. Occasionally, the menu may say Fried noodle, but most likely it will not be Pad Thai.
• Kao Phad (fried rice) - fried rice with vegetables, chicken or shrimp.
• Tom Yam is a sour and terribly spicy soup, usually with shrimp and mushrooms (Tom Yam Kung), but can also be with chicken (Tom Yam Gai).
• Tom Kha is also a soup, but less sour and less spicy compared to Tom Yum, with a large addition of coconut milk. Also served with either shrimp or chicken.
• Som Tam (Papaya salad) is a spicy salad made from green (unripe) papaya interspersed with small shrimp. If you don't warn, it will be very spicy. In its different varieties there is also the addition of an egg, rotten crab, etc.

Please note that if, when ordering a dish, you do not warn that you do not want it spicy (no spicy), then prepare to be a fire-breathing dragon. But don’t worry, if you live in Thailand long enough, you gradually begin to get used to the spiciness of the dishes, and then it’s not even enough. By the way, sometimes when you pass by food being prepared, your eyes start to water from the pepper, and you’re just amazed at how they calmly stand there over the stove.

Price of food in Thailand in a cafe

Let's talk about how much food costs in Thailand. Prices for food in cafes are generally low. Even in the capital, you can eat inexpensively almost everywhere; you can choose from numerous food courts in shopping centers, and even inexpensive restaurants at hotels in Bangkok.

Prices for food in Thailand in cheap cafes start from 30-60 baht for a simple dish such as fried rice with shrimp, and increase depending on the civility of the cafe and its proximity to the sea. Exactly the same rice with shrimp in a cafe on the shore or in a cafe with an interior will cost about 120-200 baht. You can eat civilly and inexpensively in food courts in supermarkets, prices are 50-100 baht per dish. As you can see, the prices are small, and everyone can choose how much to spend. That’s why Thais themselves and foreigners living in Thailand don’t cook at home so often; there’s simply no point in it.

Here are more examples of prices for food in food courts: som tam - from 35 baht, pad thai and fried rice - from 40 baht, a large plate of noodles with various fillings - from 60 baht, tom yum - from 60 baht.

Prices are approximately the same in simple Thai cafes not on the seashore. European dishes will, by definition, be more expensive, from 150-200 baht. For example, spaghetti Bolognese or cream soup, depending on the place, will cost 200-250 baht or more. Cocktails - from 40 baht and above, up to 180 in bars for tourists by the sea. The same tom yum in a tourist place will cost 80, 120 or 200 baht in a cafe for tourists, depending on the interiors and the promotion of the place. Russian cuisine in cafes at resorts usually costs between 100 and 200 baht. Coffee costs from 40 to 120 baht per cup (if natural), cocktails - from 20 baht and above.

Thai menu in a simple cafe in Chiang Mai
Prices in cafes in mall Phuket
Fried rice - 50 baht
Tom Yam with mushrooms - 80 baht
Rice with vegetables with oyster sauce - 50 baht
Shrimp monsters - plate for 300 baht

Types of Thai cafes

Makashnitsy

As already mentioned, makashnitsa in Thailand can be found on almost every corner. This is a kitchen cart on wheels where you can buy soups, som tam salad (green papaya), rice, noodles, pancakes, peeled vegetables or drinks.

In addition, all kinds of kebabs and barbecues are very popular among Thais. Everything that can be put on a stick is smoked in the form of kebabs, the rest is simply smoked on the grill. Often barbecues are located right along the street, filling everything with very pleasant barbecue smells.

Traditional roti - filled pancakes

Street cafes for Thais

Noticed interesting feature: Thais themselves do not attach much importance to the place where they eat. Well, there are ordinary plastic chairs, well, there is a half-torn oilcloth on the table, well, shabby walls, just think! Farangs (that is, you and me) prefer to go to more well-kept establishments, where it is somehow more pleasant to sit.

At first, ordering dishes caused me difficulties, since a lot of them contain meat, and I am partly a vegetarian. And if there was no menu in English, then it was a big deal. A little later, I got out of the situation by ordering something with seafood. Usually they have either meat or seafood. And then, I learned to explain in English or on my fingers that I just needed rice and vegetables. And God forbid you say “without meat” (without meat), only “no meat” (no meat). Otherwise, the first week we just blew our minds local residents with your without and other words. In the same way, you should say “no spicy” (not spicy).

Although, if you go to a popular resort such as Phuket, Pattaya and Samui, then there will be no problems at all, the menu will contain not only English language, but also sometimes Russian. Especially if we are talking about more civilized cafes, but more about them below.

Free ice water - only in cheap cafes

Cafe for tourists and foreigners

In popular tourist places there is no problem finding a cafe of almost any cuisine. First of all, this is European cuisine, all kinds of pizzerias, kebabs, hamburgers, sushi. Of course, there are Russian cafes, as without them. Often, cafes offer local cuisine for Europeans, but it is more adapted for foreigners, almost not spicy.

Of course, the interiors in such cafes are much more interesting, everything is clean and beautiful. These are often closed, air-conditioned spaces. But the prices are higher than in simple street Thai cafes.

Cafe in Phuket - cook for yourself

Street food video

And for a snack, a video about how to prepare Rotti, and how I tried grasshoppers with larvae :)