Thailand is a country that assaults all senses. And each assault is pleasing.
Apart from pristine beaches, beautiful mountains and even nicer people, Thailand is home to mouth wateringly delicious food. Another BIG plus point. The food is really cheap.
Here is a list of some of the most amazing dishes that one can savour in the country. And no, the famous green curry or the Pad Thai is not on this list.
These are dishes that this writer discovered and loved. Thai cuisine is too vast and diverse to be covered in a single blog post(or even in a few, for that matter).
So till the time you get yourself to Thailand, enjoy these pictures.
Massaman Curry:
Massaman curry is one of the many interesting Thai dishes that you will come across.
There seems to be a bit of a debate on the origin of the dish. Some say it is a word that evolved from 'Musalman' (muslim) and the dish was introduced by Islamic traders to Central Thailand.
Others say it is a mixture of Malay and Indian curries.
The dish is high on aroma and uses cardamom, cinnamon and many other spices generally not found in Thai cooking. You can choose from beef, chicken or vegetable Massaman curry.
The crunchy peanuts give the curry the unique character.
Though the origin if the dish is uncertain, the taste is certainly worth savouring.
Thai Duck Noodle Soup or Kuay Tiaw Pet:
Bangkok streets or sois are lined with numerous food stalls. There are so many of them that you probably wont need to enter a restaurant should you decide not to.
One of the dishes that you will spot often on these sois is noodle soup laden with eggs, meat, chillies and greens.
But if you decide to try just one of the many noodle soups, then make it the Kuay Tiaw Pet. This is sliced roasted duck added to a noodle soup.
Slurp off the soup and bite into the tender & juicy duck meat. I had this at the Nonthaburi market and the taste still lingers on.
Ginger Tea With Sweet Yoghurt:
To be honest, I do not know the name of this sweet, refreshing and crunchy tea-meets-soup dish.
This is probably a Thai-Chinese dish and I accidentally found this on Soi 20, Silom. An old lady to the right of this 200 meter street offers this delight.
Arrive between 6am-9am to enjoy this and to feel fabulous all day.
Pork Balls And Skewers:
You wouldn't miss these small eats even if you wanted to.
There are many different varieties constantly being skewered on Bangkok street corners.
Gobble up these delicious bite sized snacks. And yes, don't forget to ask for the sweet & tangy sauce!
Sticky Rice With Mango:
If you don't know what heaven feels like then this dish should give you a fair idea.
This meal or dessert is famous with Thais and tourists for good reason. Fresh, sweet mango served along side sticky white rice and a sweet sauce, this results in instant high.
A high that comes only with sticky rice with mango.
Thai Pancake:
Another delight waiting for you in the country of smiles is the pancake. And the Thais have their own way of making it.
The pancakes are shallow fried with eggs and topped with coconut cream or chocolate and other toppings.
Salivating? I certainly am.
Black Sticky Rice With Custard:
Confession - I found this amazingly delicious sweet through migrationology.com (do check it out - Mark Weins is a fab food blogger).
Like most other food stalls on Silom Soi 20, the lady who sells this also stays from 6am to 9am.
For a few bahts, the lady makes a ball out of black rice and smears sweet custard on to it. Then she packs it in a banana leaf. And there, you have one of the tastiest sweets on the planet.
And if you happen to taste this, please do come back and tell us.
These were the not-so-common or odd yet super-delicious Thai dishes.
Share your Thai food favourites with us too!
Follow my journey as I travel to 12 different countries to take a challenge in each one of them. These experiences should end in some learning for me. And who knows, may be for all of us.
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