Joanna James
Among all things fun and exciting about Thailand, what awaits you in the Land of Smiles is the country’s assortment of mouth-watering street foods. Hit the atmospheric streets and let yourself indulge in an array of delectable local delicacies and let your taste buds revel in the flavours of Thailand.
The world-renowned stir-fried rice noodle dish, the widely favoured Pad Thai hardly needs any introduction and is a fantastic start to your exploration of Thai cuisine. The quintessential Thai street food as well as a national dish of the Southeast Asian nation is a popular local classic enjoyed by foreign and local taste buds alike. In its basic form, it is a combination of rice noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, dried shrimp, and eggs, cooked in a wok. What makes Pad Thai so special is its intricate combination of sweet, sour, and salty flavours — all coming together to make a spoonful of breathtaking Pad Thai.
It would be a pity to fly halfway across the globe all the way to Thailand only to devour some takeout Pad Thai that is also available back at home just a phone call away. For those craving a truly authentic experience, try a fried cricket, beetle, grasshopper, or one of the slew of fried worms. Malang Tod is a traditional Thai dish and a popular street food consisting of a whole array of fried insects. Put your taste buds at risk and give Malang Tod a try — an experience that surely is as authentic as it gets.
“Tom” for the boiling process and “Yum” means mixed, Tom Yum or Tom Yam is a spicy, sour and aromatic soup that can be widely seen at makeshift street food stalls. It is served both as an appetiser as well as a side dish to rice. Lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, chilli peppers, shrimp, and a few other ingredients make a bowl of steaming good Tom Yum.
The widely relished spicy and sour Thai coconut soup may have its roots embedded in neighbouring Laos, but there’s no taking Tom kha gai away from craving Thais any time soon. Pure white coconut milk mixed with reddish-brown galangal (Thailand’s alternative to ginger), lemongrass, garlic, chilli, and fish sauce, breathtakingly aromatic Tom kha gai comes to life, ready to delight your longing taste buds.
Another delectable dish of Thai cuisine hailing from neighbouring Laos, Som tam is a spicy green papaya salad that uses shredded “unripe” papaya instead of the ordinary ripe fruit. It is one of the most simple and easy street foods found in Thailand yet so incredibly scrumptious. The eye-catching fresh salad is being served almost everywhere, from street side food stalls to cafes as well as Khon Kaen restaurants offered by properties such as Avani Khon Kaen Hotel and Convention Centre.
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.
