For curry lovers, Thailand also has a masterpiece, and this is the well-known Geng Kheaw Wan or often called green curry. The quintessential aroma from the said dish will appear as an exotic perfume that reminds you that you are in the place – the land of smiles! In comparison with the red curry which has a spicy flavor, green curry has sweet flavor.
The combination of garangal, aubergine, bamboo shoots and lemon grass are the ones used to create green curry paste. But since fish sauce is Thai’s native product, the recipe wouldn’t be complete without such ingredient. On the other hand, vegetarians can substitute tofu instead of meat to meet the restriction.
Many of us love Pad Thai and order it frequently. But do you know the history of this famous dish from Thailand?
A dish of stir-fried rice noodles is thought by some to have been introduced to the city of Ayutthaya during the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom by Vietnamese traders, and subsequently altered to reflect Thai flavor profiles. Others believe that the dish is of Chinese origin, and the etymology of the dish’s name suggests it.
The military dictator Plaek Phibunsongkhram promoted pad thai in his campaign to establish Thai nationalism. Thailand was a main exporter of rice, and the government hoped to increase the amount available for export. As Prime Minister of Thailand between 1938 to 1944 and from 1948 to 1957, Phibun hoped to westernize the country. In 1939, he supported the change of name of the country from Siam to Thailand. At the time, wheat noodles were very popular in Thailand, but Plaek Phibunsongkhram sought to eliminate Chinese influence. His government promoted rice noodles and helped to establish the identity of Thailand. As a result, a new noodle named sen chan was created.
Pad thai was made popular in Thailand during World War II. Pad thai has since become one of Thailand’s national dishes. Today, some food vendors add pork-chops to enhance the taste (although the original recipe did not contain pork because of the government perception that pork was a Chinese meat). Some food vendors still use the original recipe. It is a fast, delicious and nutritious dish, and has become popular in many countries around the world.
Pad thai is listed at number 5 on World’s 50 most delicious foods readers’ poll compiled by CNN.
Photo: The 1900 portrait shows a Thai woman in a traditional costume that was deemed inappropriate after the laws on Thai dress were enacted in the early 1940s.
This Thai masterpiece soup is teeming with shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. It can be ordered loaded with coconut milk (tom yum gung nam kohn) and cream or without (tom yum gung nam sai) for a slightly more sour and healthy version. This soup truly unifies a host of favorite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet, all in one bowl. This is an authentic Thai delicacy that many locals are passionate about and has spread around the world.
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