Joanna James
The beating heart of the Land of Smiles—Bangkok is known for its ornate shrines, vibrant street life as well as getting a taste of Thailand's local cuisine. Sample your way through an assortment of Thai dishes and let your taste buds revel in mouthwatering flavours on your city getaway.
Tom, which is Thai for "boiling" and Yum for "mixed"—a name that very well explains the dish—is one of the best-known dishes in Thailand. The hot, sour and invitingly aromatic soup is usually cooked with shrimp and consists of a variety of other ingredients, such as mushroom, shallot, kaffir lime leaves, chilli and lemongrass. Thanks to the nature of the soup, locals relish tom yum both as an accompaniment to rice and as an appetiser. To top off the dish, it is garnished with a sprig or two of coriander leaves on top.
The national dish of Thailand and one of the most popular dishes that took the mouth-watering Thai cuisine abroad, Pad thai is a familiar sight to many tourists to the bustling metropolis of Bangkok. The main ingredient, rice noodles, are mixed with tofu, shrimp, bean sprouts, eggs and a meat of your choice, mostly chicken or pork. The stir-fried rice noodle dish is commonly served as a street food throughout the country, but can also be found at some of the best restaurants in Bangkok, including the likes of Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel.
It would be a pity to fly all the way to Bangkok and only taste some take out pad thai which is just a phone call away from your home. How about a fried beetle or a grilled worm instead? Yep, that's right. Ma Laeng Tod is an assortment of fried and grilled insects that can be found at street food stalls in Bangkok, treating you to a culinary experience like you've never had before. Choose from a wide variety of insects, such as crickets, beetles, silkworms, waterbugs, and grasshoppers, and put your taste buds to the test.
Equally delicious as it is colourful, som tum is a local favourite that's enjoyed throughout the country, although its roots are embedded in the northeastern part of Thailand. The green papaya salad is a combination of roasted peanuts, green beans, tomatoes, and, of course, thin strips of green papaya, complemented by a tangy sauce. Thanks to the wide popularity of the dish, it comes to life in a number of varieties in different parts of the country.
Finish off your traditional Thai dish with a traditional Thai dessert. Khao niao mamuang, which is a combination of glutinous rice, coconut milk and slices of juicy fresh mangoes, is one of the most popular desserts in Thai cuisine.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
