Joanna James
Palm-fringed beaches, ornate temples and swanky resorts and spas — what awaits to add to your bliss on the idyllic Thai island is an assortment of mouth-watering Thai dishes. Come, savour the tantalising local flavours, and indulge in the delectable delights to unleash the true foodie in you.
One of the best-known dishes, not just in Koh Samui but throughout Thailand, tom yum is a delectable shrimp/prawn soup. The spicy, sour, and delightfully aromatic dish is usually served as an appetiser to rice. Tom yum, in its basic form, is a tantalising combination of shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce, ginger, shrimps, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, and chilli peppers. Thanks to the dish's wide popularity, a few regional varieties of the dish have emerged over the years, such as tom yum gai and tom yum talay, with added chicken and mixed seafood, respectively.
White sticky rice with the accompaniment of heavily seasoned larb meat salad — the foodie in you is sure to be totally and completely enthralled. The meat-rich dish that hails from the neighbouring Southeast Asian nation of Laos is a favoured delicacy among the locals and tourists to Thailand alike. The succulent meat salad uses beef, pork, chicken, duck, or fish, which is hand minced and garnished with freshly chopped herbs. While the basic ingredients remain consistent, the overall recipe is rather versatile, with a few similar dishes with slight variations to the basic larb dish.
Top off your traditional Thai dish with a traditional Thai dessert! Khao niao mamuang, or mango sticky rice, as it is familiar among the many tourists to the Southeast Asian nation — makes for a delightful finish to any Thai meal. The incredibly luscious dish mainly consists of glutinous rice that is doused in sweetened coconut milk. The bed of white sticky rice sits on a circular banana leaf with a few slices of freshly cut juicy mango alongside.
Khao for "rice" and phat for "of or relating to being stir-fried", Khao phat is a Thai variety of fried rice. Unlike the famous fried rice of Indian cuisine that calls for long-grain white rice, khao phat uses jasmine rice, which is stir-fried with a whole host of vegetables and other ingredients, including, onions, garlic, and green onions, fish sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and fresh lime juice. The traditional serving of the dish also has a crispy-fried egg on top, which is just as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the taste buds.
Mee krob is one of the most popular dishes in Thailand, served at eateries and restaurants in Koh Samui offered by properties such as Avani Chaweng Samui Hotel & Beach Club. The crispy fried rice vermicelli noodle dish strikes a strange yet incredibly delightful combination of sweet and sour taste, thanks to the addition of the dish's signature lime juice sauce.
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.
