Regions

Thai food is often described as one cuisine, but cooks in Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Bangkok and Hat Yai would not recognise much of each other's everyday food. Geography, climate and history shaped each region: the cool northern hills, the dry Isaan plateau, the rice-growing central plains and the narrow, coconut-rich southern peninsula.

The north cooks with dried spices, pork and bitter greens, and eats sticky rice by hand. Isaan shares much with Laos: grilled meats, fiercely sour salads, fermented fish and more sticky rice. The central plains gave the world green curry and tom yum, with coconut milk and palm sugar softening the edges, while the south is the hottest of all, with fresh turmeric, seafood and Malay and Muslim influences.

Each region page describes its flavours, signature dishes and how people eat, then links to recipes from that region and places where you can taste it.

If you are planning a trip, the regions also make a good itinerary for eating: khao soi and sai oua in Chiang Mai, som tam and gai yang anywhere in Isaan, street food and royal-style curries in Bangkok, and turmeric-yellow curries and Hokkien-style noodles in Phuket and the south.