# Aroy Mak Mak: full content > Thai and Southeast Asian food: step-by-step recipes from every region of Thailand, guides to Thai condiments, vegetables, herbs and fruits, and famous restaurants, street food stalls and markets to eat at. Source: https://aroymakmak.com/en. Generated 2026-10-21. --- ## Recipe: Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/sai-oua Category: Grilled & Fried | Region: Northern Thailand | Prep: 60 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Medium Chiang Mai’s famous coiled pork sausage, packed with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and dried chilli, grilled slowly over charcoal. ### Ingredients - Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and chopped - Paste: 3 stalks lemongrass, tender part only, finely sliced - Paste: 3 cm galangal, peeled and chopped - Paste: 3 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped (or 1 tsp ground) - Paste: 6 small shallots and 8 cloves garlic, chopped - Paste: 1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi) and 1 tsp salt - 1 kg pork shoulder with some fat, coarsely minced (or 800 g lean pork and 200 g pork belly) - 8 makrut lime leaves, very finely shredded - 1 small handful coriander, chopped - 1½ tbsp fish sauce - 2–3 m natural sausage casing (hog casing), soaked - To serve: sticky rice, nam prik noom, fresh ginger, shallots, cabbage and roasted peanuts Sai oua is the sausage of Chiang Mai and the old Lanna kingdom: coarse pork mixed with a fragrant red curry paste and lots of herbs, coiled into a spiral and grilled slowly over charcoal. Markets in the north sell it by the metre, and the smell of it on the grill is one of the smells of the region. It is less work than it looks. If you do not want to stuff casings, shape the mixture into patties or small logs and grill them the same way. ### Method 1. Make the paste: pound the salt, chillies and lemongrass in a mortar until broken down, then add the galangal and turmeric, then the shallots and garlic, pounding each to a paste. Finish with the shrimp paste. (A small blender works too, with a splash of water.) 2. Put the pork in a large bowl with the paste, lime leaves, coriander and fish sauce. Mix with your hands for 2–3 minutes until well combined and slightly sticky. 3. Fry a small spoonful of the mixture and taste it. Adjust the salt, chilli or fish sauce now, before stuffing. 4. Rinse the soaked casing, slide it onto a sausage funnel or the wide end of a piping nozzle, and fill it with the mixture, pushing out air as you go. Do not pack it too tightly or it will burst on the grill. Tie off the ends and coil the sausage into a spiral. 5. Prick the sausage all over with a needle or toothpick, so it does not split. Leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight if you have time; the skin dries and grills better. 6. Grill over medium-low charcoal for 25–30 minutes, turning often, until browned and cooked through (72°C in the centre). You can also bake it at 190°C for 25 minutes, then finish under a hot grill. 7. Rest for 5 minutes, slice diagonally, and serve with sticky rice, nam prik noom, slivers of fresh ginger, shallots, raw cabbage and peanuts. ### Cook’s tips - Some fat is essential. With lean pork alone, sai oua comes out dry and crumbly. - Leftover mixture makes excellent fried patties or a filling for lettuce wraps. --- ## Recipe: Nam Prik Noom (Roasted Green Chilli Dip) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/nam-prik-noom Category: Dips & Relishes | Region: Northern Thailand | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Smoky charred green chillies, shallots and garlic, pounded into a rough dip and eaten with pork crackling, sticky rice and vegetables. ### Ingredients - 8 long green chillies (prik noom, or mild green chillies such as Anaheim or Hungarian wax) - 2–4 green bird’s eye chillies (optional, for extra heat) - 8 small shallots, unpeeled - 1 head garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled - 1–2 tbsp fish sauce, or ½ tsp salt - 1 tsp lime juice (optional) - 1 small handful coriander, chopped - To serve: pork crackling (khaep moo), sticky rice, steamed or raw vegetables, boiled eggs Nam prik noom is the most famous chilli dip of the north, sold in bags at every market in Chiang Mai alongside slabs of pork crackling. It is not a paste but a rough, smoky mash of chillies, shallots and garlic, all charred until soft and sweet. The long green chillies it uses are only moderately hot. Most of the flavour comes from the smoke. ### Method 1. Grill the chillies, shallots and garlic over charcoal or a gas flame, or under a very hot grill, turning them until the skins are blackened and blistered and the insides are soft. The shallots and garlic take 10–15 minutes; the chillies a little less. 2. Put the chillies in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes to steam. Peel off the charred skins and remove the stems. Peel the shallots and garlic. 3. Pound the garlic and shallots in a mortar to a coarse paste. Add the chillies and pound gently until broken down but still chunky. 4. Season with fish sauce or salt, and a little lime juice if you like. Taste: it should be smoky, savoury and gently hot. Stir in the coriander. 5. Serve at room temperature with pork crackling, sticky rice, and a plate of vegetables such as cucumber, long beans, cabbage and blanched pumpkin. ### Cook’s tips - Do not worry about removing every bit of charred skin; a few flecks add to the smoky flavour. - It keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature before serving. --- ## Recipe: Gaeng Hang Lay (Northern Pork Belly Curry) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/gaeng-hang-lay Category: Curries | Region: Northern Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 120 min | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Medium A rich, Burmese-influenced curry of slow-cooked pork belly with ginger, pickled garlic, tamarind and peanuts. No coconut milk. ### Ingredients - Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and chopped - Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced, and 2 cm galangal, chopped - Paste: 5 small shallots and 6 cloves garlic, chopped - Paste: 1 tsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt - 2 tbsp hang lay curry powder (or 1 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground turmeric) - 700 g pork belly and 300 g pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm chunks - 1 tbsp dark soy sauce - 2 tbsp neutral oil - 5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks - 1 small head pickled garlic (kratiam dong), cloves separated, plus 2 tbsp of its liquid - 50 g roasted unsalted peanuts - 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate - 3 tbsp palm sugar - 2 tbsp fish sauce - Sticky rice or jasmine rice, to serve Gaeng hang lay came to northern Thailand with Burmese and Shan traders and is now one of the region’s celebration dishes, made for weddings, temple fairs and New Year. It is a dark, glossy curry with no coconut milk: pork belly simmered until meltingly tender in a sauce that is sweet, sour, gently spiced and full of ginger. Like most braises, it is better the day after it is made. ### Method 1. Pound or blend the paste ingredients until smooth. 2. In a bowl, mix the pork with the curry paste, hang lay powder and dark soy sauce. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge. 3. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the marinated pork and fry, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the paste is fragrant and the pork is lightly browned. 4. Add enough water to just cover the pork, about 800 ml. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours, stirring now and then, until the pork is very tender. 5. Add the ginger, pickled garlic and its liquid, peanuts, tamarind and palm sugar. Simmer uncovered for another 20–30 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy and coats the pork. 6. Season with fish sauce. Taste: it should be sweet and sour first, then savoury, with warmth from the ginger and spices. Adjust and serve with sticky rice. ### Cook’s tips - Pickled garlic is sold in jars in Thai grocers. If you cannot find it, add 6 whole peeled garlic cloves with the water and a splash of rice vinegar at the end. - Make it a day ahead. Chill it, lift off some of the fat that sets on top, and reheat gently. --- ## Recipe: Nam Prik Ong (Northern Pork & Tomato Chilli Dip) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/nam-prik-ong Category: Dips & Relishes | Region: Northern Thailand | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy A mild, meaty dip of minced pork and tomatoes cooked with a dried chilli paste, eaten with crunchy raw vegetables and sticky rice. ### Ingredients - Paste: 6 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and chopped - Paste: 5 small shallots and 6 cloves garlic, chopped - Paste: 1 tsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt - 2 tbsp neutral oil - 250 g minced pork - 300 g cherry tomatoes, halved - 1 tbsp fish sauce - 1 tsp palm sugar - 2 spring onions and a small handful of coriander, chopped - To serve: cucumber, long beans, cabbage, pork crackling and sticky rice Nam prik ong looks like a Thai bolognese: minced pork and tomatoes cooked down with a red chilli paste into a thick, mild, slightly sweet dip. It is the friendliest of the northern chilli dips and a favourite with children, served with a big plate of crunchy raw vegetables. ### Method 1. Pound or blend the paste ingredients to a fairly smooth paste. 2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat and fry the paste for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and darker. 3. Add the pork and break it up, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until it is no longer pink. 4. Add the tomatoes and a splash of water. Simmer, stirring and pressing the tomatoes, for 10–12 minutes until they break down into a thick, rich sauce. 5. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. It should be savoury, slightly sweet and gently hot. Stir in the spring onions and coriander. 6. Serve warm or at room temperature, with raw vegetables for scooping, pork crackling and sticky rice. ### Cook’s tips - In the north, a disc of fermented soybean (thua nao) is often pounded into the paste. A teaspoon of miso gives a similar depth. - It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and is also good spooned over rice. --- ## Recipe: Pad Thai with Prawns URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/pad-thai-with-prawns Category: Noodles & Rice | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 2 | Difficulty: Medium The street-stall classic done properly: tamarind-sour, palm-sugar sweet, fish-sauce salty, with chewy rice noodles and a bit of char from a very hot wok. ### Ingredients - 150 g dried rice noodles (sen chan, 3–5 mm wide) - 8 large raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails on - 60 g firm tofu, cut into small cubes - 2 eggs - 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate (makham piak), made from pulp soaked in warm water and strained - 2½ tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped - 2 tbsp fish sauce - 3 tbsp neutral oil - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped - 2 small shallots, finely chopped - 1 tbsp sweet preserved radish (chai po wan), finely chopped - 1 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed - 1 large handful bean sprouts, plus extra to serve - 1 small bunch garlic chives, cut into 4 cm lengths - 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed - Dried chilli flakes, to taste - Lime wedges, to serve Pad Thai is a fast dish with a slow start. Almost all the work is in the sauce and the noodle soak; the cooking itself takes under five minutes, so have every ingredient chopped and lined up next to the stove before the wok goes on. Make it in batches of no more than two portions. A crowded wok steams the noodles instead of frying them, and you lose the slightly smoky edge that makes the street version so good. ### Method 1. Soak the noodles in room-temperature water for 45–60 minutes, until they bend easily but are still firm in the centre. Drain well. (Hot water makes them limp and they will break in the wok.) 2. Make the sauce: warm the tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce in a small pan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Taste it: it should be sour first, then sweet, then salty. Adjust and set aside. 3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the tofu until golden on the edges, then add the garlic, shallots, preserved radish and dried shrimp and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. 4. Add the prawns and cook for about a minute, until they just turn pink. Push everything to one side. 5. Add the drained noodles with a splash of water and toss constantly for 1–2 minutes until they soften and turn glossy. Pour in the sauce and keep tossing until it is absorbed and the noodles are tender and slightly sticky. 6. Push the noodles aside, add the remaining oil and crack in the eggs. Let them set for 20 seconds, scramble lightly, then fold through the noodles. 7. Add the bean sprouts, garlic chives and half the peanuts. Toss for 20 seconds; the sprouts should stay crunchy. 8. Serve at once with the remaining peanuts, extra bean sprouts, chilli flakes and lime wedges so everyone can season their own plate. ### Cook’s tips - If the noodles are still hard after the sauce has been absorbed, add water a tablespoon at a time rather than more sauce. - Tamarind blocks vary a lot in strength. Make the sauce first and taste it on its own. It is much easier to fix before it meets the noodles. --- ## Recipe: Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiao (Northern Noodles in Pork & Tomato Broth) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/khanom-jeen-nam-ngiao Category: Noodles & Rice | Region: Northern Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 90 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium Soft rice noodles in a spicy, tangy broth of pork ribs, tomatoes and dried chilli paste, topped with bean sprouts, cabbage, crispy garlic and lime. ### Ingredients - Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and chopped - Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced - Paste: 6 small shallots and 8 cloves garlic, chopped - Paste: 1 tbsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt - 500 g pork ribs, cut into short pieces - 2 litres water - 2 tbsp neutral oil - 300 g minced pork - 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved - 2 tbsp dried red cotton tree flowers (dok ngiew), soaked (optional) - 2–3 tbsp fish sauce - 400 g fresh khanom jeen rice noodles, or thin dried rice vermicelli, cooked - Toppings: bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, pickled mustard greens, crispy fried garlic, coriander, lime wedges, dried chilli flakes Nam ngiao is northern Thailand’s great noodle soup, named after the Ngiao (Shan) people. The broth is red, tangy from tomatoes and deeply savoury from pork ribs and a dried chilli paste, and it is poured over soft, fresh rice noodles with a pile of crunchy toppings. The dried flowers of the red cotton tree (dok ngiew) give the broth a subtle earthy taste and a soft texture. They are traditional but optional. ### Method 1. Put the ribs in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently for 45 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, pound or blend the paste ingredients until smooth. 3. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add the minced pork and fry, breaking it up, until cooked. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften. 4. Tip the pork and tomato mixture into the pot with the ribs. Add the soaked cotton tree flowers if using. Simmer for another 30 minutes until the ribs are tender and the broth is rich and red. 5. Season with fish sauce. Taste: it should be savoury, gently sour from the tomatoes and moderately hot. 6. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the broth, ribs and pork over them. Serve the toppings on the side so everyone can add their own. ### Cook’s tips - Fresh khanom jeen noodles are fermented rice noodles sold in nests in Thai grocers. Thin rice vermicelli is a good substitute. - The broth tastes even better the next day. Keep it separate from the noodles. --- ## Recipe: Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keow Wan Gai) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/green-curry-with-chicken Category: Curries | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 40 min | Cook: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium A homemade green curry paste fried in cracked coconut cream, with chicken thigh, Thai aubergines and a fistful of Thai basil. ### Ingredients - Paste: 15 green bird’s eye chillies and 3 long green chillies, chopped - Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, tender part only, finely sliced - Paste: 2 cm galangal, peeled and finely chopped - Paste: 4 small shallots and 6 cloves garlic, chopped - Paste: 2 coriander roots (or a small handful of stems), chopped - Paste: zest of 1 makrut lime - Paste: 1 tsp coriander seeds and ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground - Paste: ½ tsp white peppercorns, ground - Paste: 1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi) and ½ tsp salt - 500 g boneless chicken thighs, sliced into bite-size pieces - 400 ml coconut cream (the thick part from the top of the can) - 400 ml coconut milk - 4 Thai round aubergines, quartered, and a handful of pea aubergines - 4 makrut lime leaves, torn - 1½–2 tbsp fish sauce - 1 tbsp palm sugar - 1 large handful Thai basil leaves - 1 long red chilli, sliced diagonally, to garnish - Jasmine rice, to serve Green curry is the sweetest of the Thai curries in name (wan means sweet), but it should taste mainly of fresh green chilli, lemongrass and basil, with only a gentle sweetness in the background. A homemade paste makes the biggest difference. If you use a bought paste, fry it the same way and add a little extra fresh lemongrass and makrut lime leaf to wake it up. ### Method 1. Make the paste: pound the salt, chillies and lemongrass in a heavy mortar until broken down. Add the galangal, coriander root and lime zest, then the shallots and garlic, pounding each addition to a paste before adding the next. Finish with the ground spices and shrimp paste. (A small blender works too; add a splash of water.) 2. Heat half the coconut cream in a wok or heavy pan over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles hard and the oil starts to separate, about 5 minutes. This “cracking” of the cream is what gives the curry its shine. 3. Add 4 heaped tbsp of the paste and fry in the split cream for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and a shade darker. Freeze any leftover paste. 4. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the paste. Cook for 2 minutes until the outside is no longer pink. 5. Pour in the coconut milk and the rest of the cream, add the aubergines and half the lime leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10–12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the aubergines are tender. 6. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste: it should be hot, salty and fragrant with a soft sweetness. Adjust. 7. Turn off the heat, stir in the Thai basil and remaining lime leaves, and let it sit for a minute. Serve with jasmine rice, garnished with sliced red chilli. ### Cook’s tips - Don’t boil the curry hard after adding the coconut milk; a gentle simmer keeps it silky rather than grainy. - Swap the chicken for prawns (add them in the last 3 minutes) or firm fish balls. --- ## Recipe: Larb Moo (Isaan Minced Pork Salad) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/larb-moo Category: Salads | Region: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Warm minced pork tossed with lime, fish sauce, chilli flakes, toasted rice powder, shallots and fresh mint. ### Ingredients - 3 tbsp uncooked sticky rice (or jasmine rice), for the toasted rice powder - 400 g minced pork - 3 tbsp water - 2½ tbsp fish sauce - 3–4 tbsp lime juice - 1–2 tsp roasted chilli flakes - ½ tsp sugar (optional) - 4 small shallots, thinly sliced - 3 spring onions, sliced - 1 large handful mint leaves - 1 small handful coriander or sawtooth coriander, chopped - To serve: sticky rice, cabbage, long beans, cucumber Larb is the national dish of Laos and the heart of Isaan cooking: minced meat dressed while still warm with lime, fish sauce and chilli, and finished with handfuls of herbs and khao khua, toasted ground rice. The rice powder is the secret. It gives larb its nutty smell and soaks up the dressing. ### Method 1. Make the toasted rice powder (khao khua): toast the rice in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking often, for 8–10 minutes until deep golden and fragrant. Let it cool, then grind it coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder. It should feel like coarse sand. 2. Put the pork and water in a pan over medium heat, without oil. Stir and break up the pork for 4–5 minutes until just cooked through. Larb pork is poached in its own juices, not fried. 3. Take the pan off the heat. While the pork is still warm, add the fish sauce, lime juice, chilli flakes and sugar if using, and stir well. 4. Add 2 tbsp of the rice powder, the shallots, spring onions, mint and coriander, and toss gently. 5. Taste: it should be sour, salty and hot in that order. Adjust with more lime, fish sauce or chilli. 6. Pile onto a plate, sprinkle with a little more rice powder, and serve straight away with sticky rice and raw vegetables. ### Cook’s tips - Make a bigger batch of khao khua and keep it in a jar. It lasts for weeks and goes into nam tok, jaew and tom saep too. - Larb gai (chicken) is made exactly the same way with minced chicken thigh. --- ## Recipe: Tom Yum Goong URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/tom-yum-goong Category: Soups | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Hot, sour and fragrant prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, finished with lime juice and nam prik pao. ### Ingredients - 500 g large raw prawns, shell on - 1 litre water or light chicken stock - 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 5 cm lengths and bruised - 5 thin slices galangal - 6 makrut lime leaves, torn, centre vein removed - 4–8 bird’s eye chillies, lightly crushed - 200 g oyster or straw mushrooms, torn or halved - 2 small shallots, peeled and halved, lightly crushed - 3 tbsp fish sauce - 1–2 tbsp nam prik pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) - 4 tbsp fresh lime juice - 3 tbsp evaporated milk (optional, for the creamy “nam khon” style) - 1 small handful coriander leaves Tom yum is about balance: sour from lime, heat from fresh chilli, salt from fish sauce, and a deep fragrance from lemongrass, galangal and lime leaf. The herbs are there to flavour the broth; they are not meant to be eaten. The clear version (nam sai) is the original. The creamy version (nam khon) adds a little evaporated milk and more chilli paste; both are below. ### Method 1. Peel and devein the prawns, keeping the heads and shells. Fry the shells and heads in a dry pot for 2 minutes until pink, add the water and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the shells. 2. Bring the prawn stock back to a simmer. Add the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and shallots and simmer for 3–4 minutes to infuse. 3. Add the mushrooms and crushed chillies and simmer for 2 minutes. 4. Stir in the fish sauce and nam prik pao. Add the prawns and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until they turn pink and curl. Don’t overcook. 5. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice (never boil lime juice, as it turns bitter) and the evaporated milk if using. 6. Taste and balance: more lime for sourness, fish sauce for salt, chilli paste for heat and colour. Serve straight away, scattered with coriander. ### Cook’s tips - Squeeze the lime juice into the serving bowl first and pour the soup over it. It keeps the sour note at its freshest. - Galangal is not ginger. Ginger will make the soup taste muddy; use dried galangal slices if fresh is not available. --- ## Recipe: Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/gai-yang Category: Grilled & Fried | Region: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Chicken marinated in garlic, coriander root, pepper and lemongrass, grilled slowly over charcoal and served with jaew and sticky rice. ### Ingredients - 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg), spatchcocked, or 1.2 kg chicken legs - Marinade: 4 coriander roots (or a handful of coriander stems), chopped - Marinade: 8 cloves garlic - Marinade: 1 tsp white peppercorns - Marinade: 2 stalks lemongrass, tender part only, finely sliced - Marinade: 3 tbsp fish sauce - Marinade: 1 tbsp light soy sauce - Marinade: 1 tbsp palm sugar - Marinade: ½ tsp ground turmeric (optional, for colour) - To serve: nam jim jaew, sticky rice and som tam Gai yang is the grilled chicken of Isaan, sold from smoky street-side grills all over Thailand. The chicken is often spatchcocked and clamped between bamboo sticks, then grilled slowly over low charcoal until the skin is golden and crisp and the meat stays juicy. Gai yang, som tam and sticky rice together are the classic Isaan meal. ### Method 1. Pound the coriander roots, garlic and peppercorns to a paste. Add the lemongrass and pound again. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar and turmeric. 2. Make a few deep cuts in the thickest parts of the chicken. Rub the marinade all over and into the cuts. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. 3. Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to medium-low heat, with the coals covered in white ash. Gai yang is grilled slowly, not seared. 4. Grill the chicken skin side up first, turning every 5–10 minutes, for 35–45 minutes, until golden, slightly charred at the edges and cooked through (74°C at the thickest part of the thigh). Move it to a cooler part of the grill if it colours too fast. 5. Rest for 5 minutes, then chop into pieces with a cleaver. Serve with nam jim jaew, sticky rice and som tam. ### Cook’s tips - No grill? Roast the chicken at 200°C for 45–50 minutes, then finish under a hot grill to crisp the skin. - Baste with the leftover marinade during the first half of grilling only. --- ## Recipe: Tom Kha Gai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/tom-kha-gai Category: Soups | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy A mellow coconut and galangal soup with chicken and mushrooms, sharp with lime and gently hot. ### Ingredients - 400 g boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced - 400 ml coconut milk - 300 ml chicken stock - 10 thin slices galangal (about a 6 cm piece) - 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 5 cm lengths and bruised - 5 makrut lime leaves, torn - 3 small shallots, halved and lightly crushed - 150 g oyster or straw mushrooms, torn - 3–5 bird’s eye chillies, lightly crushed - 2½ tbsp fish sauce - 1 tsp palm sugar - 3–4 tbsp fresh lime juice - 1 small handful coriander leaves - Chilli oil (nam man prik), to serve (optional) Kha means galangal, and this soup should taste clearly of it: peppery, piney and bright. It is a gentler cousin of tom yum, softened with coconut milk but still lifted with lime at the end. ### Method 1. Bring the coconut milk and stock to a gentle simmer in a pot. Add the galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and shallots and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse. 2. Add the chicken and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes, until cooked through. 3. Add the mushrooms and crushed chillies and cook for another 2 minutes. 4. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, then turn off the heat. 5. Stir in the lime juice. Taste: it should be creamy, salty and sour, with a clear galangal fragrance and a little heat. Adjust with more lime or fish sauce. 6. Ladle into bowls, top with coriander and a drizzle of chilli oil if you like. Serve with jasmine rice. ### Cook’s tips - Keep it at a gentle simmer. Boiling coconut milk hard can make it split and turn oily. - For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock, tofu and extra mushrooms, and season with light soy sauce and salt. --- ## Recipe: Nam Tok Neua (Isaan Grilled Beef Salad) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/nam-tok-neua Category: Salads | Region: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 3 | Difficulty: Easy Charred, juicy beef sliced and tossed warm with lime, fish sauce, roasted chilli, toasted rice, shallots and herbs. ### Ingredients - 400 g beef sirloin, rump or flank steak - 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar, to marinate - 2 tbsp fish sauce - 3 tbsp lime juice - 1–2 tsp roasted chilli flakes - 1½ tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua, see larb moo) - ½ tsp sugar - 3 small shallots, thinly sliced - 2 spring onions, sliced - 1 large handful mint leaves and a small handful of coriander - To serve: sticky rice, cucumber, cabbage and long beans Nam tok means waterfall, and the name is said to come from the juices that drip from the beef as it grills, or that run out when it is sliced. The beef is grilled until charred outside and pink inside, then sliced and dressed like larb. ### Method 1. Rub the beef with the soy sauce and sugar and leave it for 15 minutes. 2. Grill or sear the beef over very high heat, ideally charcoal, for 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Rest for 5 minutes. 3. Mix the fish sauce, lime juice, chilli flakes, rice powder and sugar in a bowl. 4. Slice the beef thinly across the grain and add it to the bowl with any juices from the board. Toss so the warm beef soaks up the dressing. 5. Add the shallots, spring onions, mint and coriander and toss gently. Taste and adjust: sour, salty, hot. 6. Serve straight away with sticky rice and raw vegetables. ### Cook’s tips - Pork neck (kor moo yang) makes an excellent nam tok moo; grill it a little longer until just cooked through. - Slice the beef as thinly as you can. Thin slices take up the dressing much better. --- ## Recipe: Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/som-tam-thai Category: Salads | Region: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 0 min | Serves: 2 | Difficulty: Easy Shredded green papaya bruised in a clay mortar with garlic, chilli, lime, palm sugar, tomatoes, green beans, dried shrimp and peanuts. ### Ingredients - 250 g green (unripe) papaya, peeled and shredded into long thin strips - 2 cloves garlic - 2–5 bird’s eye chillies - 1 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed - 2 tbsp roasted peanuts - 3 yard-long beans (or 8 green beans), cut into 3 cm lengths - 6 cherry tomatoes, halved - 1½ tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped - 1½ tbsp fish sauce - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice - 2 lime wedges (from the squeezed lime) - Sticky rice, raw cabbage wedges and extra beans, to serve Som tam is pounded, not tossed. A wooden pestle in a deep clay mortar bruises the papaya just enough to soak up the dressing while staying crunchy. If you don’t have one, use a large bowl and a rolling pin, and press rather than smash. Som tam Thai is the sweeter, Bangkok-style version with peanuts and dried shrimp. In the northeast (Isaan) it is made with fermented fish sauce (pla ra) and salted crab, and it is much funkier. ### Method 1. Pound the garlic and chillies to a rough paste in the mortar. Fewer chillies for mild, more for the real thing. 2. Add the dried shrimp and half the peanuts and pound lightly to break them up. 3. Add the palm sugar and pound until it dissolves into the paste, then add the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste the dressing: it should be sweet, sour and salty in equal measure, then hot. 4. Add the beans and pound gently to bruise them. Add the tomatoes and lime wedges and press lightly so they release their juice. 5. Add the papaya. Use the pestle in one hand to pound lightly, and a large spoon in the other to turn the salad over from the bottom, for about 30 seconds, until the papaya is coated and just starting to soften. 6. Taste again and adjust, then pile onto a plate with the remaining peanuts on top. Serve straight away with sticky rice and raw vegetables. ### Cook’s tips - Make it to order: the salt draws water out of the papaya and it goes limp within 15 minutes. - No green papaya? Use a mix of shredded cucumber, carrot and green mango, and pound for less time. --- ## Recipe: Nam Jim Jaew (Isaan Dipping Sauce) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/nam-jim-jaew Category: Dips & Relishes | Region: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 0 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy The smoky, sour, salty dipping sauce served with grilled meats across Isaan, thickened with toasted rice. ### Ingredients - 3 tbsp fish sauce - 3 tbsp lime juice - 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate - 1 tsp palm sugar, finely chopped - 1–2 tsp roasted chilli flakes - 1 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua, see larb moo) - 1 small shallot, thinly sliced - 1 spring onion or a few sprigs of coriander, chopped Jaew is the sauce that goes with everything grilled in Isaan: gai yang, nam tok, grilled pork neck, grilled fish and sticky rice. It is dark, smoky from roasted chilli, sour from lime and tamarind, and thickened with toasted rice so it clings to every bite. ### Method 1. Stir the fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind and palm sugar together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. 2. Add the chilli flakes and toasted rice powder and stir. Leave for 5 minutes to let the rice powder thicken the sauce slightly. 3. Stir in the shallot and spring onion or coriander just before serving. 4. Taste: it should be sour and salty first, then smoky and hot, with only a little sweetness. Adjust to taste. ### How to use jaew Jaew is a dipping sauce, served in a small bowl for everyone to share. Pinch a ball of sticky rice, use it to pick up a piece of grilled meat, then dip both into the sauce. It is the standard partner for gai yang, kor moo yang (grilled pork neck), suea rong hai ('crying tiger' grilled beef) and pla pao (salt-crusted grilled fish). It also comes with jim jum, the Isaan clay-pot hotpot, and with raw cabbage and long beans. ### Variations - Jaew mak len: grill or char two or three small tomatoes, pound them with the chilli and garlic, then season. The tomato makes a softer, fruitier sauce. - Jaew makhuea: pound grilled, peeled aubergine with charred garlic, shallots and chilli for a thick, smoky dip. - Jaew bong: the sweet, smoky chilli paste from Luang Prabang, made from roasted dried chillies, garlic, shallots, galangal, fish sauce and sugar, traditionally with shredded buffalo or pork skin. It keeps for weeks. - Jaew pla ra: replace some of the fish sauce with boiled pla ra liquid for a deeper, funkier flavour. ### Cook’s tips - Make your own roasted chilli flakes by toasting dried bird’s eye chillies in a dry pan until dark and fragrant, then grinding them. They taste far smokier than bought flakes. - Jaew keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but add the rice powder and herbs fresh. --- ## Recipe: Pad Kra Pao Moo Sap (Holy Basil Pork) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/pad-kra-pao-moo-sap Category: Stir-fries | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 2 | Difficulty: Easy Minced pork stir-fried with garlic, bird’s eye chilli and holy basil, served over rice with a crisp-edged fried egg. ### Ingredients - 300 g minced pork (not too lean) - 5 cloves garlic - 4–10 bird’s eye chillies - 1 long red chilli, sliced (optional, for colour) - 1 tbsp oyster sauce - 1 tsp light soy sauce - ½ tsp dark soy sauce - 1 tsp fish sauce - 1 tsp sugar - 2 tbsp water - 2 large handfuls holy basil leaves (bai kra pao) - 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying the eggs - 2 eggs - Cooked jasmine rice, to serve - Prik nam pla (fish sauce with sliced chillies), to serve This is Thailand’s default lunch: cheap, quick and on the menu at almost every street stall. It should be hot, salty and peppery from the holy basil, not sweet, and not swimming in sauce. Holy basil (kra pao) has a peppery, clove-like taste that is quite different from Thai sweet basil (horapha). Use holy basil if you can find it; Thai sweet basil is the next best thing, and it will still be very good. ### Method 1. Pound the garlic and bird’s eye chillies together into a coarse paste. Mix the oyster sauce, both soy sauces, fish sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl. 2. Fry the eggs first: heat about 1 cm of oil in a wok until very hot and fry each egg, spooning hot oil over the top, until the white is puffed with brown, crisp edges and the yolk is still runny. Set aside and pour off most of the oil. 3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the wok over high heat. Add the garlic-chilli paste and fry for 15–20 seconds until fragrant. Stand back: the chilli fumes are strong. 4. Add the pork and break it up with the spatula. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until cooked through and starting to catch at the edges. 5. Pour in the sauce and toss until it coats the pork and mostly evaporates. Add the sliced long chilli if using. 6. Turn off the heat, add the basil and toss for 10 seconds until just wilted. 7. Serve over rice with the fried egg on top and a small dish of prik nam pla on the side. ### Cook’s tips - Chop pork by hand from a piece of shoulder for the best texture; it stays juicier than shop-bought mince. - Works just as well with chicken, beef, prawns or crumbled firm tofu. --- ## Recipe: Tom Saep (Isaan Hot & Sour Pork Rib Soup) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/tom-saep Category: Soups | Region: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 60 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy A clear, fiery, sour soup of tender pork ribs with lemongrass, galangal, roasted chilli and lots of fresh herbs. ### Ingredients - 600 g pork ribs, cut into short pieces - 1.5 litres water - 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 5 cm lengths and bruised - 6 thin slices galangal - 6 makrut lime leaves, torn - 4 small shallots, halved and crushed - 5–10 bird’s eye chillies, crushed - 150 g oyster mushrooms, torn (optional) - 3 tbsp fish sauce - 4 tbsp lime juice - 1–2 tsp roasted chilli flakes - 1 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua, optional) - 1 handful sawtooth coriander or coriander, and a handful of Thai basil or mint Saep means delicious in the Isaan dialect, and tom saep is the northeast’s answer to tom yum: no coconut milk, no chilli jam, just a clear broth that is very sour and very hot, with smoky roasted chilli and a big handful of fresh herbs. ### Method 1. Put the ribs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes and drain. Rinse the ribs; this keeps the soup clear. 2. Return the ribs to the pot with the 1.5 litres of water, the lemongrass, galangal, half the lime leaves and the shallots. Simmer gently for 45 minutes until the ribs are tender. 3. Add the crushed chillies and mushrooms if using, and simmer for 3 minutes. 4. Add the fish sauce and the remaining lime leaves, then turn off the heat. 5. Stir in the lime juice, chilli flakes and rice powder. Taste: very sour, salty and hot. Adjust. 6. Add the herbs just before serving, and serve with sticky rice. ### Cook’s tips - Beef tendon, chicken or mushrooms all make good tom saep. Adjust the simmering time. - Add the lime juice off the heat; boiling makes it bitter. --- ## Recipe: Massaman Curry with Beef URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/massaman-curry-with-beef Category: Curries | Region: Southern Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 150 min | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Medium A rich, mild curry with Persian and Indian roots: braised beef, potatoes and peanuts in a cinnamon, cardamom and tamarind sauce. ### Ingredients - 1 kg beef shin or chuck, cut into 4 cm chunks - 800 ml coconut milk - 200 ml coconut cream - 4 tbsp massaman curry paste (homemade or bought) - 1 cinnamon stick - 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed - 3 star anise - 3 bay leaves - 500 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks - 8 small shallots or pearl onions, peeled - 80 g roasted unsalted peanuts - 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate - 3 tbsp palm sugar - 3 tbsp fish sauce - Jasmine rice or roti, to serve Massaman came to Thailand through Persian and Indian traders, and you can taste it: cinnamon, cardamom and star anise sit alongside the usual Thai paste, and the heat is gentle. It is a slow curry, and it is better the next day. ### Method 1. Put the beef in a heavy pot with the coconut milk, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and bay leaves. Add water if needed to just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover partly and cook very gently for 1½–2 hours, until the beef is tender. 2. Meanwhile, heat the coconut cream in a wok over medium heat until it bubbles and the oil separates. Add the curry paste and fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until dark and fragrant. 3. Scrape the fried paste into the beef pot and stir it in. 4. Add the potatoes, shallots and peanuts and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and the sauce has thickened. 5. Season with tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce. It should taste rich and spiced, sweet first, then sour and salty. Simmer for another 5 minutes. 6. Remove the whole spices if you like, and serve with jasmine rice or flaky roti. ### Cook’s tips - Make it a day ahead and reheat gently. The flavours deepen and the sauce thickens. - Chicken legs work too: brown them first and simmer for 40 minutes instead of 2 hours. --- ## Recipe: Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/kua-kling Category: Stir-fries | Region: Southern Thailand | Prep: 25 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium Minced pork dry-fried in a fiery turmeric curry paste until every grain is coated, finished with shredded makrut lime leaves. ### Ingredients - Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, soaked and chopped - Paste: 5–10 bird’s eye chillies - Paste: 4 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped - Paste: 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced, and 1 cm galangal, chopped - Paste: 6 cloves garlic and 4 small shallots, chopped - Paste: 1 tsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp makrut lime zest - Paste: 1 tbsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt - 1 tbsp neutral oil - 400 g minced pork (or beef or chicken) - 1 tbsp fish sauce - 1 tsp palm sugar - 8 makrut lime leaves, very finely shredded - To serve: jasmine rice, cucumber, long beans and fresh herbs Kua kling is one of the hottest dishes in Thailand, and one of the most loved in the south. There is no sauce at all: minced meat is fried with a turmeric-yellow curry paste, pressed and stirred until it is dry and every grain is coated, then finished with a shower of shredded lime leaves. It is always served with plenty of rice and a plate of raw vegetables to cool the heat. ### Method 1. Pound the paste ingredients in a mortar, or blend with a tiny splash of water, to a smooth paste. 2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add 4 tbsp of the paste and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until very fragrant. Keep any leftover paste in the freezer. 3. Add the pork and stir-fry, breaking it up, until cooked. Keep going for another 6–8 minutes, pressing and turning the meat with the spatula, until it is dry, darker and the paste clings to every piece. 4. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, and stir-fry for another minute. 5. Turn off the heat and toss in most of the lime leaves. Serve topped with the rest, with rice and a plate of cucumber, long beans and herbs. ### Cook’s tips - Use fewer bird’s eye chillies for a milder version; the dried chillies give colour without much heat. - If the paste starts to stick and burn, add a tablespoon of water, not more oil. --- ## Recipe: Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/khao-soi-gai Category: Noodles & Rice | Region: Northern Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 60 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium Northern Thailand’s curry noodle soup: chicken legs in a rich coconut curry over soft egg noodles, topped with a nest of crispy fried noodles. ### Ingredients - Paste: 5 dried long red chillies, soaked and chopped - Paste: 4 small shallots and 5 cloves garlic - Paste: 3 cm fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground) and 2 cm ginger - Paste: 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 black cardamom pod (seeds only), toasted and ground - Paste: 1 tbsp mild curry powder - 4 chicken legs (drumstick and thigh), separated - 800 ml coconut milk - 500 ml chicken stock - 2 tbsp fish sauce - 1 tbsp light soy sauce - 1 tbsp palm sugar - 500 g fresh flat egg noodles - Oil for deep-frying - To serve: pickled mustard greens (chopped), sliced shallots, lime wedges, chilli oil Khao soi is the dish people travel to Chiang Mai for. The broth is a curry, but a looser, spicier one than central Thai curries, with a dose of curry powder and black cardamom that shows its Burmese and Yunnanese influences. The toppings are not optional: the sour pickled greens, raw shallot and lime cut through the richness, and the crispy noodles give you something to crunch. ### Method 1. Blend or pound all the paste ingredients into a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed. 2. Take 100 ml of the thickest coconut milk from the top of the can and heat it in a large pot until it bubbles and the oil separates. Add the paste and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until dark and fragrant. 3. Add the chicken and turn to coat it in the paste. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook gently for 40–45 minutes until the chicken is very tender. 4. Season with fish sauce, soy sauce and palm sugar. The broth should be rich, salty and slightly sweet, with a warm, gentle heat. 5. Meanwhile, take about a quarter of the noodles and deep-fry small handfuls in oil at 180°C until golden and crisp, about 1 minute. Drain on paper. 6. Cook the remaining noodles in boiling water for 1–2 minutes and divide between deep bowls. 7. Put a chicken leg in each bowl, ladle the curry broth over and top with a nest of crispy noodles. Serve with pickled greens, shallots, lime and chilli oil on the side. ### Cook’s tips - Fresh egg noodles are best, but dried egg noodles work; cook them just under the packet time. - The broth keeps for 3 days in the fridge; fry the crispy noodles fresh. --- ## Recipe: Gaeng Lueang (Southern Sour Yellow Curry with Fish) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/gaeng-lueang Category: Curries | Region: Southern Thailand | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium A bright yellow, very sour and very hot fish curry from the south, with turmeric, tamarind and green papaya or pineapple. No coconut milk. ### Ingredients - Paste: 8 dried long red chillies, soaked and chopped - Paste: 5–10 bird’s eye chillies - Paste: 5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped - Paste: 6 cloves garlic and 3 small shallots, chopped - Paste: 1 tbsp shrimp paste and ½ tsp salt - 1 litre water - 200 g green papaya, peeled and cut into chunks, or 200 g fresh pineapple, or bamboo shoots - 400 g firm white fish fillets (sea bass, snapper or cod), cut into large pieces - 3–4 tbsp tamarind concentrate - 2 tbsp fish sauce - 1 tsp palm sugar - 1–2 tbsp lime juice - Jasmine rice, to serve Gaeng lueang (yellow curry) is what southern Thais call this curry; elsewhere it is known as gaeng som tai, southern sour curry. It has nothing to do with the mild, coconut yellow curry on restaurant menus. It is a thin, bright yellow broth that is fiercely sour and hot, coloured and flavoured by fresh turmeric. ### Method 1. Pound or blend the paste ingredients until smooth. 2. Bring the water to a boil in a pot. Stir in 4 tbsp of the paste until dissolved, and simmer for 3 minutes. 3. Add the green papaya, pineapple or bamboo shoots and simmer for 5–8 minutes until just tender. 4. Add the tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste: it should be very sour, then salty and hot, with only a hint of sweetness. 5. Slide in the fish and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, without stirring too much, until just cooked. 6. Turn off the heat, add lime juice to taste, and serve with rice. ### Cook’s tips - Fresh turmeric is essential here; it gives the colour and a fresh, earthy flavour that dried turmeric cannot match. - Prawns or mussels work well instead of fish; add them for the last 2 minutes. --- ## Recipe: Khao Man Gai (Thai Hainanese Chicken Rice) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/khao-man-gai Category: Noodles & Rice | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 75 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium Silky poached chicken, rice cooked in the chicken stock and fat, and a punchy fermented soybean, ginger and chilli sauce. ### Ingredients - 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg) - 5 cm ginger, sliced, plus 3 cm finely grated for the sauce - 4 spring onions, plus 4 cloves garlic, smashed - 2 tsp salt - 400 g jasmine rice, rinsed until the water runs clear - 3 tbsp chicken fat (trimmed from the bird) or neutral oil - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (for the rice) - 3 pandan leaves, knotted (optional) - Sauce: 3 tbsp fermented soybean paste (tao jiew) - Sauce: 2 bird’s eye chillies and 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped - Sauce: 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp dark soy sauce - To serve: sliced cucumber, coriander, and a light soup made from the poaching stock Khao man gai is Thailand’s version of Hainanese chicken rice, sold from glass-fronted carts all over Bangkok. Everything comes from the one chicken: the meat is poached, the stock seasons the rice, and the fat makes it glossy. ### Method 1. Trim the excess fat from the chicken and keep it. Rub the chicken all over with salt, rinse, and put it in a pot that just fits it. Add the sliced ginger, spring onions, smashed garlic and enough water to cover. 2. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, then turn the heat to its lowest setting and poach for 35–40 minutes, without letting it boil. The chicken is done when the juices at the thigh run clear (74°C). 3. Lift the chicken out and plunge it into iced water for 5 minutes to firm the skin. Keep the stock. 4. Render the chicken fat in a pot over low heat for 5–8 minutes, then discard the solids. Fry the chopped garlic in the fat until pale gold, add the drained rice and stir for 2 minutes until every grain is coated. 5. Add 550 ml of the hot chicken stock, ½ tsp salt and the pandan leaves. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes. 6. Make the sauce by stirring together the soybean paste, grated ginger, chillies, garlic, vinegar, sugar and dark soy sauce. Taste and add a splash of stock if it is too thick. 7. Carve the chicken into slices. Serve over the rice with cucumber, coriander, the sauce, and a small bowl of hot seasoned stock on the side. ### Cook’s tips - A gentle poach is the whole secret: if the water boils, the meat tightens and dries out. - Season the leftover stock with a little salt and white pepper, add some winter melon or daikon, and you have the soup. --- ## Recipe: Khao Mok Gai (Thai-Muslim Chicken Biryani) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/khao-mok-gai Category: Noodles & Rice | Region: Southern Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 60 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Medium Spiced yellow rice cooked with yogurt-marinated chicken, topped with crispy shallots and served with a sweet-sour green chilli and mint sauce. ### Ingredients - 4 chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks - Marinade: 150 g plain yogurt, 2 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 4 cloves garlic and 3 cm ginger (grated), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar - 3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil - 1 cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves and 2 bay leaves - 400 g jasmine rice, rinsed until the water runs clear - 650 ml hot chicken stock - ½ tsp salt - 4 tbsp crispy fried shallots, plus extra to serve - Sauce: 1 large handful mint, 1 handful coriander, 3 green chillies, 3 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp water - To serve: sliced cucumber and a bowl of clear chicken soup Khao mok is the biryani of Thailand’s Muslim communities, found across the south and at halal stalls in Bangkok. It is milder and less fiery than Indian biryani, with soft yellow rice, tender chicken and crispy shallots, and it always comes with a vivid green, sweet-sour mint and chilli sauce. ### Method 1. Mix the marinade ingredients, rub them into the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge. 2. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chicken, reserving the leftover marinade, and fry for 8–10 minutes, turning, until golden on all sides. Lift it out. 3. Fry the whole spices in the same pot for 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until every grain is coated and glossy. Stir in the leftover marinade. 4. Pour in the hot stock, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken into the rice, then scatter over the crispy shallots. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes. 5. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes, then fluff the rice gently. 6. For the sauce, blend all the sauce ingredients until smooth. Taste: it should be sweet, sour, salty and hot. 7. Serve the rice and chicken with more crispy shallots, cucumber, the green sauce and a bowl of hot chicken soup. ### Cook’s tips - Lay a clean tea towel under the lid while the rice rests; it absorbs the steam and keeps the rice fluffy. - Leftover green sauce is excellent with grilled chicken or fish. --- ## Recipe: Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/mango-sticky-rice Category: Desserts | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Steamed glutinous rice soaked in sweet, salty coconut milk, served with ripe mango and a spoonful of coconut sauce. ### Ingredients - 300 g Thai glutinous (sticky) rice, soaked in water for at least 4 hours or overnight - 250 ml coconut milk - 80 g sugar - ¾ tsp salt - 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional) - Sauce: 120 ml coconut cream, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp rice flour or cornflour - 2 large ripe mangoes (Nam Dok Mai or Ataulfo are ideal) - 1 tbsp toasted yellow mung beans or toasted sesame seeds, to garnish The rice here does almost all the work. It is steamed until tender and chewy, then soaked in hot coconut milk sweetened with sugar and noticeably seasoned with salt. That hint of salt is what makes the mango taste so sweet. ### Method 1. Drain the soaked rice and spread it in a steamer basket lined with muslin or a clean cloth. Steam over boiling water for 20–25 minutes, turning the rice over halfway, until the grains are tender and translucent. 2. While the rice steams, warm the coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaf in a small pan, stirring until dissolved. Don’t let it boil. 3. Tip the hot rice into a bowl, pour over the warm coconut milk and stir to combine. Cover and leave for 20–30 minutes so the rice absorbs the liquid and turns glossy. 4. For the sauce, whisk the coconut cream, salt, sugar and rice flour in a small pan over low heat until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. 5. Peel the mangoes and slice the cheeks off the stone, then cut each cheek into thick slices. 6. Serve a mound of sticky rice beside the mango slices, spoon the coconut sauce over the rice and sprinkle with toasted mung beans. ### Cook’s tips - Use glutinous rice, not sushi or jasmine rice. Nothing else gives the right chew. - Serve the rice warm or at room temperature; once refrigerated it goes hard. --- ## Recipe: Gai Tod Hat Yai (Hat Yai Fried Chicken) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/gai-tod-hat-yai Category: Grilled & Fried | Region: Southern Thailand | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Southern Thailand’s famous fried chicken, marinated in coriander seed, cumin and garlic and buried under crispy fried shallots. ### Ingredients - 1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in - Marinade: 4 coriander roots (or a handful of stems) and 8 cloves garlic - Marinade: 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground - Marinade: 1 tsp white peppercorns, ground - Marinade: 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar - 3 tbsp rice flour - Oil for deep-frying - 1 cup crispy fried shallots - To serve: sticky rice and Thai sweet chilli sauce Hat Yai, the busy southern city near the Malaysian border, has given its name to a style of fried chicken sold all over Thailand. It is fragrant with coriander seed and cumin, crisp without a heavy batter, and served under a generous heap of crispy fried shallots. ### Method 1. Pound the coriander roots and garlic to a paste. Mix in the ground spices, pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar. 2. Make two or three cuts in each piece of chicken and rub the marinade all over. Marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight in the fridge. 3. Heat the oil to 160°C. Toss the chicken in the rice flour, shaking off the excess. 4. Fry the chicken in batches for 12–15 minutes, turning, until cooked through and deep golden. Drain on a rack. 5. For extra crunch, raise the oil to 180°C and fry the pieces again for 1–2 minutes. 6. Pile the chicken on a plate, cover it with crispy shallots, and serve with sticky rice and sweet chilli sauce. ### Cook’s tips - Frying at a lower temperature first cooks the chicken through without burning the marinade. - Crispy shallots in tubs from Asian grocers work well; homemade are even better. --- ## Recipe: Moo Hong (Phuket Braised Pork Belly) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/moo-hong Category: Braises & Stews | Region: Southern Thailand | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 90 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Phuket’s Hokkien-style pork belly, braised in soy sauce, garlic and black pepper until dark, glossy and meltingly soft. ### Ingredients - 800 g skin-on pork belly, cut into 4 cm chunks - 1 head garlic, peeled - 1 tbsp black peppercorns - 2 tbsp neutral oil - 2 tbsp palm sugar - 2 tbsp dark soy sauce - 2 tbsp light soy sauce - 1 tbsp oyster sauce - 1 star anise (optional) - 600 ml water - Jasmine rice and pickled mustard greens, to serve Moo hong comes from Phuket’s Peranakan (Baba) community, descended from Hokkien Chinese settlers who came to work in the tin mines. It is a simple dish with a deep flavour: pork belly braised with a lot of garlic and black pepper in soy sauce until the sauce turns dark and sticky. ### Method 1. Pound the garlic and peppercorns together in a mortar to a coarse paste. 2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the garlic and pepper paste for 1–2 minutes until golden and fragrant. 3. Add the pork and stir-fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add the palm sugar and stir until it melts and coats the pork. 4. Add both soy sauces, the oyster sauce, star anise and water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring now and then, until the pork is very tender. 5. Uncover and simmer for another 10–15 minutes until the sauce reduces to a thick, glossy glaze. Taste and adjust with soy sauce or sugar. 6. Serve with jasmine rice and pickled mustard greens to cut the richness. ### Cook’s tips - Do not skimp on the pepper; moo hong should have a real peppery warmth. - Like most braises, it tastes even better reheated the next day. --- ## Recipe: Kluay Buat Chi (Bananas in Coconut Milk) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/kluay-buat-chi Category: Desserts | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy Ripe bananas simmered in salted, sweetened coconut milk with pandan: a warm, simple Thai dessert ready in twenty minutes. ### Ingredients - 6 small ripe bananas (kluay nam wa, or 3 large ripe but firm bananas) - 400 ml coconut milk - 150 ml water - 60–80 g palm sugar, chopped - ¾ tsp salt - 2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot - Topping: 100 ml coconut cream with a pinch of salt (optional) - Topping: 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds (optional) Kluay buat chi is one of the first desserts Thai children learn to love, and one of the easiest to make at home. The name means bananas ordained as nuns, because the pale fruit sits in white coconut milk like the white robes of Buddhist nuns (mae chi). The secret is salt. A good kluay buat chi is sweet but clearly salty too, which makes the coconut taste richer and stops the dessert from being cloying. Thai cooks use kluay nam wa, a small, slightly starchy banana that holds its shape; ordinary bananas work if they are ripe but still firm. ### Method 1. Peel the bananas. Cut small bananas in half lengthways and then in half across; cut large bananas into 4 cm pieces, then halve them lengthways. 2. Put the coconut milk, water and pandan leaves in a saucepan and bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Do not let it boil hard or the coconut milk will split. 3. Add the palm sugar and salt and stir until the sugar has dissolved. 4. Add the bananas and simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, until they are soft and just turning translucent at the edges but still hold their shape. 5. Taste the coconut milk: it should be sweet with a definite salty edge. Adjust with a little more sugar or salt. Remove the pandan. 6. If using the topping, warm the coconut cream with the pinch of salt until just hot. Serve the bananas in small bowls with plenty of the coconut milk, a spoonful of salted cream and a few sesame seeds. Eat warm or at room temperature. ### Cook’s tips - Bananas that are too ripe fall apart; slightly underripe ones stay firm but taste starchy. Aim for yellow with a few brown freckles. - Do not add the bananas until the coconut milk is hot, or they sit too long in the pan and go mushy. --- ## Recipe: Sangkaya Fak Thong (Pumpkin Coconut Custard) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/sangkaya-fak-thong Category: Desserts | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 60 min | Serves: 8 | Difficulty: Medium A whole kabocha pumpkin filled with palm sugar and coconut custard, steamed until set and cut into striking orange and gold wedges. ### Ingredients - 1 kabocha pumpkin, about 1.2–1.5 kg, with a flat base - 5 large eggs (or 4 duck eggs) - 200 ml coconut cream - 130 g palm sugar, finely chopped - ¼ tsp salt - 3 pandan leaves, cut into 2 cm pieces - 1 tbsp water - Neutral oil, for the inside of the pumpkin Sangkaya is a Thai coconut custard, and steaming it inside a whole pumpkin is the most spectacular way to serve it. When the pumpkin is cut, each wedge shows a band of dense orange flesh around a smooth, caramel-coloured custard. It is a favourite at markets and temple fairs, sold by the slice and wrapped in banana leaf. It needs a little care: a pumpkin with no cracks, a custard that is strained so it sets smooth, and a gentle steam. Once it is in the steamer, there is nothing to do but wait. ### Method 1. Wash the pumpkin well. Cut a lid around the stem at an angle, so it sits back in place without falling in. Scoop out the seeds and fibres from the pumpkin and the lid with a spoon, scraping the inside clean. Rub the inside lightly with oil and pat away any moisture. 2. Pound or blend the pandan leaves with the water, then squeeze the pulp through a cloth or sieve to get about 1 tbsp of green juice. 3. In a bowl, squeeze and mix the palm sugar with the eggs with your hands or a whisk until the sugar has fully dissolved; this takes a few minutes. Do not whisk hard, as you do not want foam. 4. Stir in the coconut cream, salt and pandan juice. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug. 5. Set the pumpkin on a heatproof plate in a steamer and pour in the custard, leaving 1 cm at the top. Put the lid on top, or steam it separately alongside. 6. Steam over medium heat, not a hard boil, for 45–60 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the custard comes out clean and the pumpkin flesh is tender. Wipe the steamer lid now and then so water does not drip onto the custard. 7. Leave the pumpkin to cool completely, then chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife and serve cold or at room temperature. ### Cook’s tips - A rolling boil makes the custard puff up and turn spongy. Keep the steam gentle and steady for a smooth, dense set. - Cutting the pumpkin warm makes the custard slip out of the shell. Patience, and an overnight chill, give the cleanest slices. --- ## Recipe: Khao Kha Moo (Braised Pork Leg on Rice) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/khao-kha-moo Category: Braises & Stews | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 180 min | Serves: 6 | Difficulty: Medium Pork leg slow-braised in soy, palm sugar and five spice until it falls apart, sliced over rice with kale, pickles and chilli vinegar. ### Ingredients - 1 pork leg (hock or knuckle), about 1.5 kg, skin on, cut into 2 or 3 pieces by the butcher - Paste: 4 coriander roots, 8 cloves garlic and 1 tsp white peppercorns - 2 tbsp neutral oil - 80 g palm sugar - 4 tbsp light soy sauce - 3 tbsp dark soy sauce - 2 tbsp oyster sauce - 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tsp five-spice powder - 2 litres water - 6 eggs - 1 bunch Chinese kale (kana), cut into 5 cm lengths - 150 g pickled mustard greens (phak kad dong), rinsed and sliced - Chilli vinegar: 6 bird’s eye chillies, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tbsp white vinegar, a pinch each of salt and sugar - Jasmine rice, to serve Khao kha moo is a Bangkok institution, a one-plate meal sold from shops with a huge pot of dark, glistening pork legs simmering at the front. The cook pulls out a leg, chops meat, skin and fat on a wooden block and lays it over rice with a ladle of the braising liquid, a boiled egg, blanched kale and sour pickled greens. It is a Teochew Chinese dish at heart, but the sharp green chilli vinegar and the raw garlic and chillies served alongside make it unmistakably Thai. At home it takes time, not skill, and the leftovers are even better. ### Method 1. Put the pork in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the pork and scrub off any scum. Scrape the skin with a knife to remove any stray hairs. 2. Pound the coriander roots, garlic and peppercorns to a coarse paste. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat and fry the paste for 1 minute until fragrant. 3. Add the palm sugar and stir until it melts and turns a deep amber. Add the pork and turn it in the caramel for 3–4 minutes so it colours on all sides. 4. Add the soy sauces, oyster sauce, star anise, cinnamon, five-spice powder and water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for 2½ to 3 hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes, until the skin is soft and the meat comes away from the bone. 5. Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 8 minutes, cool and peel them. Add them to the pot for the last hour so they turn brown. 6. Make the chilli vinegar: pound the chillies and garlic roughly, then stir in the vinegar, salt and sugar. 7. Blanch the Chinese kale in boiling salted water for 1 minute and drain. Taste the braising liquid and adjust with soy sauce or sugar; it should be rich, savoury and gently sweet. 8. Lift out the pork, slice the meat, skin and fat, and pile it on rice with a halved egg, kale and pickled mustard greens. Spoon over some of the braising liquid and serve with the chilli vinegar and extra raw garlic and chillies. ### Cook’s tips - Chill leftovers overnight and lift off the fat from the top of the liquid; the braise reheats beautifully. - A pressure cooker cuts the braising time to about 50 minutes, though the skin will be a little less glossy. --- ## Recipe: Moo Palo (Five-Spice Pork and Egg Stew) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/moo-palo Category: Braises & Stews | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 90 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy A sweet, aromatic Thai-Chinese stew of pork belly and boiled eggs in a soy and five-spice broth, simmered until meltingly tender. ### Ingredients - 600 g skin-on pork belly, cut into 3 cm chunks - 6 eggs - Paste: 4 coriander roots, 6 cloves garlic and 1 tsp white peppercorns - 1 tbsp neutral oil - 60 g palm sugar - 3 tbsp light soy sauce - 2 tbsp dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp fish sauce - 2 tsp five-spice powder - 2 star anise and 1 small cinnamon stick - 1.2 litres water - 150 g fried tofu puffs (optional) - Jasmine rice and pickled mustard greens or chilli vinegar, to serve Kai palo, or moo palo when pork is the star, is everyday home cooking in Bangkok and the central plains: a pot of eggs and pork belly simmered in a dark, sweet broth scented with five spice. The word palo comes from the Teochew name for the spice mix, and the dish is a gentle, comforting reminder of how deeply Chinese cooking runs through Thai kitchens. It is soupier than most braises, meant to be ladled over rice, and sweeter too, balanced with a sharp chilli vinegar or sour pickled greens on the side. ### Method 1. Boil the eggs for 8 minutes, cool them in cold water and peel. Blanch the pork in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse. 2. Pound the coriander roots, garlic and peppercorns to a coarse paste. 3. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the paste for 1 minute until golden. Add the palm sugar and stir until it melts and darkens to a light caramel. 4. Add the pork and stir for 3–4 minutes to coat it in the caramel. Add the five-spice powder and stir for 30 seconds, then add the soy sauces, fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon and water. 5. Bring to the boil, skim off any scum, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. 6. Add the eggs and the tofu puffs, if using, and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes, turning the eggs now and then so they colour evenly, until the pork is very tender. 7. Taste the broth: it should be sweet, salty and fragrant. Adjust with soy sauce, fish sauce or sugar, and serve with rice and chilli vinegar or pickled greens. ### Cook’s tips - Five-spice powder varies a lot in strength. Start with 1½ tsp if yours is fresh, and add more at the end if you want it stronger. - Like khao kha moo, moo palo is better the next day, when the eggs have soaked up more of the broth. --- ## Recipe: Phak Boong Fai Daeng (Stir-fried Morning Glory) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/recipes/phak-boong-fai-daeng Category: Stir-fries | Region: Central Thailand | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 3 min | Serves: 2 | Difficulty: Easy Morning glory flash-fried in a roaring hot wok with garlic, chillies, yellow bean sauce and oyster sauce: crunchy, savoury and done in a minute. ### Ingredients - 300 g morning glory (water spinach, phak boong) - 5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed - 3–5 bird’s eye chillies, lightly crushed - 1 tbsp yellow bean sauce (tao jiao) - 1½ tbsp oyster sauce - 1 tsp light soy sauce - 1 tsp sugar - 2 tbsp water or chicken stock - 2 tbsp neutral oil - Jasmine rice, to serve Phak boong fai daeng means morning glory on red fire, after the burst of flame that leaps up when street cooks throw it into a blazing wok. In some Bangkok and Phitsanulok restaurants the cook even flings the cooked greens across the room to a waiter holding a plate. At home you do not need the theatrics, just a very hot pan and everything ready before you start. The whole dish takes about a minute, and the hollow stems should stay crunchy and bright green. ### Method 1. Wash the morning glory and shake it dry. Cut it into 8–10 cm lengths, discarding any tough ends at the bottom of the stems. 2. Mix the yellow bean sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl. 3. Put the morning glory in a bowl with the garlic, chillies and the sauce, and toss so it is lightly coated. This is how many street cooks do it, so everything hits the wok at once. 4. Heat the oil in a wok over the highest heat until it is smoking. 5. Tip in the morning glory and all the seasonings and stir-fry hard for 45–60 seconds, tossing constantly, until the leaves have just wilted and the stems are bright green but still crisp. 6. Taste a stem and add a dash more soy sauce if needed. Serve straight away with jasmine rice. ### Cook’s tips - Do not crowd the wok. If your burner is not strong, cook the morning glory in two batches so it fries rather than stews. - If you cannot find morning glory, the same seasoning works well with Chinese kale, pak choi or tenderstem broccoli; cook the stems a little longer. --- ## Regions: Central Thailand (ภาคกลาง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/regions/central-thailand Bangkok and the rice plains: balanced, coconut-rich curries, soups and the dishes the world knows as “Thai food”. The central plains around the Chao Phraya river are Thailand’s rice bowl, and the cooking here is the one most people outside Thailand know. It is the food of Bangkok and of the old royal courts of Ayutthaya: polished, balanced, and generous with coconut milk and palm sugar. Central Thai cooking aims for harmony. A good dish hits sweet, sour, salty and hot together, and the table is built so that every flavour appears somewhere in the meal. ### Flavours Coconut milk and palm sugar soften curries and soups. Fish sauce is the main seasoning, lime and tamarind bring the sourness, and fresh chillies the heat. Herbs are central: lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and Thai basil appear again and again. ### Signature dishes - Green curry (gaeng keow wan) and red curry (gaeng phed) - Tom yum goong and tom kha gai - Pad Thai and pad kra pao - Khao man gai, Bangkok’s chicken rice - Mango sticky rice in the hot season ### How people eat Meals are shared: a few dishes in the middle of the table, eaten with jasmine rice, a spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left to push food onto it. Bangkok also has one of the world’s great street-food cultures, with single-dish stalls that often cook one thing for decades. --- ## Regions: Northern Thailand (ภาคเหนือ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/regions/northern-thailand Lanna cooking from Chiang Mai and the mountains: sticky rice, grilled sausages, chilli dips and khao soi. The north was the independent Lanna kingdom until the late 19th century, and its food still feels like its own cuisine. The mountains are cooler, coconuts are scarce, and the cooking leans on dried spices, herbs, pork and bitter greens instead of coconut milk. Burmese, Shan and Yunnanese influences run through it, most clearly in dishes like khao soi and gaeng hang lay. ### Flavours Less sweet than central cooking, often salty, bitter and herbal. Curries are usually thin and coconut-free. Dried chillies, garlic, makhwaen (a local prickly ash with a numbing, citrus heat) and fermented soybean discs (thua nao) give the region its taste. ### Signature dishes - Khao soi: curry noodle soup with crispy noodles - Sai oua: grilled pork sausage with herbs and curry paste - Nam prik noom: roasted green chilli dip, eaten with pork crackling and vegetables - Gaeng hang lay: a Burmese-style pork belly curry with ginger and tamarind - Khanom jeen nam ngiao: rice noodles in a tomato and pork-rib broth ### How people eat Sticky rice, not jasmine rice, is the staple. It is served in small woven baskets and eaten by hand, pressed into a ball and used to scoop up dips and curries. --- ## Regions: Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) (อีสาน) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/regions/isaan The northeast: fiery salads, grilled meats, fermented fish and sticky rice. The food Thailand eats when it eats out. Isaan is Thailand’s largest region, a dry plateau bordering Laos and Cambodia, and its cooking shares a great deal with Lao food. It is direct and intense: very hot, very sour, deeply savoury, and rarely sweet. Isaan workers carried their food to Bangkok, and today som tam, larb and grilled chicken are eaten all over the country. ### Flavours Heat from fresh and roasted dried chillies, sourness from lime, savouriness from pla ra (fermented fish sauce), and fragrance from mint, sawtooth coriander and toasted ground rice (khao khua). Grilling is the main cooking method. ### Signature dishes - Som tam: pounded green papaya salad, in many styles - Larb: minced meat salad with lime, chilli, herbs and toasted rice - Gai yang: grilled marinated chicken - Nam tok: grilled beef or pork salad - Jaew: a dark dipping sauce of dried chilli, tamarind and toasted rice ### How people eat With sticky rice, by hand, from shared plates, often with a pile of raw vegetables and herbs on the side to cool the heat. --- ## Regions: Southern Thailand (ภาคใต้) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/regions/southern-thailand The peninsula: the hottest curries in the country, turmeric, seafood, and Malay and Muslim influences. The narrow southern peninsula runs between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand down to Malaysia. Seafood, coconuts and rubber plantations shape daily life, and the large Muslim communities of the far south bring Malay and Indian spices to the table. Southern food is widely held to be the spiciest in Thailand. ### Flavours Fiery, salty and sour, with fresh turmeric colouring many dishes yellow. Shrimp paste is used heavily, and dry spices such as cumin, cardamom and cinnamon appear in Muslim dishes. Fresh vegetables (phak nam) are always served alongside to temper the heat. ### Signature dishes - Gaeng som / gaeng lueang: sour yellow curry with fish - Kua kling: dry-fried minced meat with a very hot curry paste - Massaman curry, linked to the Muslim communities of the south - Khao mok gai: Thai-Muslim chicken biryani - Roti with curry or sweet condensed milk ### How people eat With jasmine rice and a plate of raw vegetables. In the far south, breakfast is often roti and curry, or khanom jeen rice noodles with a choice of curries. --- ## Condiments: Fish Sauce (น้ำปลา) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/fish-sauce Nam pla: the salt of Thai cooking, made from anchovies fermented with salt for a year or more. Fish sauce is to Thai cooking what salt is to European cooking. Open any Thai kitchen cupboard and there will be a bottle of it, usually more than one, and almost every savoury dish on the table has some in it. Straight from the bottle it smells strong, even alarming. Cooked into food, the smell disappears and leaves a rounded, savoury saltiness (the taste Japanese cooks call umami) that plain salt cannot give. - **Pronunciation:** nam plaa - **Flavour:** Salty, savoury, deep; pungent raw, mellow once cooked - **Used in:** Almost every savoury dish: curries, soups, stir-fries, dressings, dips - **Substitute:** Light soy sauce plus a pinch of salt (less depth) ### How it is made Small fish, usually anchovies (pla katak), are layered with sea salt in a ratio of roughly three parts fish to one part salt, packed into large concrete or wooden vats, weighted down, and left to ferment in the heat for 12 to 18 months. Enzymes in the fish break the flesh down into a clear, amber liquid. The first liquid drawn off the vats is the finest, called “first press” or nam pla thae. Later extractions are made by adding brine and pressing again; they are lighter, saltier and cheaper, and are often blended with sugar and flavourings. The coastal provinces of Chonburi, Rayong and Chanthaburi on the eastern Gulf are Thailand’s main producers. ### How to cook with it Fish sauce is usually added towards the end of cooking, then tasted and adjusted. In curries and soups, season once the meat and vegetables are cooked; in stir-fries, add it with the other sauces in the last minute so it can caramelise slightly on the hot wok. It is also used raw. Mixed with lime juice, palm sugar and chilli it becomes the dressing for yam salads and som tam; with sliced chillies it becomes prik nam pla, the condiment on every Thai table; with lime, garlic and chilli it becomes nam jim seafood, the classic dip for grilled prawns and squid. A splash in a marinade for grilled chicken or pork (gai yang, moo ping) seasons the meat all the way through and helps it brown. ### Grades and brands Look at the label before the price. Good fish sauce lists only anchovy and salt, sometimes a little sugar. Cheaper sauces add hydrolysed protein, flavour enhancers and colouring. Colour is a useful guide: clear, reddish-brown like weak tea is good; very dark, murky sauce is usually old or oxidised. Widely available Thai brands such as Tiparos, Squid and Megachef are reliable everyday choices. Vietnamese premium sauces such as Red Boat (made from just anchovy and salt) are excellent for dipping sauces. ### Buying and storing An unopened bottle keeps for years. Once opened, keep it in a cool, dark cupboard and use it within a year; it slowly darkens and its flavour gets stronger, which is harmless. Salt crystals at the bottom of the bottle are normal. Refrigeration is not necessary but slows the darkening. ### Substitutes There is no perfect substitute. Light soy sauce with a pinch of salt gives saltiness and some savouriness. A mashed anchovy fillet dissolved in a little water gets closer. For vegetarian and vegan cooking, use “vegan fish sauce” made from seaweed, mushrooms and soy, or light soy sauce with a little crumbled kombu or nori soaked in it. > **Cook’s tip:** Season in small steps. Add half of what the recipe says, stir, taste, and then add the rest only if the dish needs it. Different brands vary a lot in saltiness, and too much fish sauce cannot be undone. --- ## Condiments: Shrimp Paste (กะปิ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/shrimp-paste Kapi: fermented krill paste that gives curry pastes and chilli dips their deep, savoury backbone. Kapi is the hidden ingredient in Thai cooking. You rarely taste it directly, but take it out of a curry paste and the curry tastes thin and flat. It is a dense, purple-grey paste of fermented shrimp, and a teaspoon of it goes a long way. - **Pronunciation:** ga-bpi - **Flavour:** Intensely savoury, salty and funky; mellows into depth when cooked - **Used in:** Curry pastes, nam prik kapi, stir-fried rice (khao kluk kapi), sour curries - **Substitute:** Extra fish sauce or a mashed anchovy; miso for vegetarian pastes ### How it is made Tiny shrimp or krill (kuey) are mixed with salt, sun-dried on mats, ground, and packed into containers to ferment for weeks or months. The process is repeated until the paste is smooth and dense. Coastal towns such as Klong Khon in Samut Songkhram and Rayong are famous for their kapi, and the best is soft, aromatic and a deep purplish colour. ### How to cook with it In curry pastes, it is pounded in at the end with the other ingredients, usually half a teaspoon to a teaspoon per batch of paste. When the paste is fried in coconut cream, the kapi cooks out and becomes a rich, savoury base. In nam prik kapi, the most traditional of all Thai chilli dips, it is the star: pounded with garlic, bird’s eye chillies, palm sugar, lime juice and pea eggplants, and eaten with fried mackerel (pla tu), omelette and a basket of raw and blanched vegetables. It also seasons khao kluk kapi, rice fried with shrimp paste and served with sweet pork, green mango, shallots and omelette, and southern sour curries like gaeng som. ### Toasting kapi Many cooks toast kapi before using it. Wrap a teaspoon in foil or banana leaf and toast it in a dry pan for a minute or two on each side, until fragrant. This deepens the flavour and takes the raw edge off the smell. Open a window: it is pungent while it toasts. ### Buying and storing Thai kapi is sold in small plastic tubs or glass jars in Asian grocers; it is softer and more aromatic than the dry blocks used in Malaysian (belacan) or Indonesian (terasi) cooking, though those can be used. Keep it tightly sealed in the fridge, ideally inside a second container or zip bag to contain the smell. It keeps for many months. ### Substitutes For a non-vegetarian substitute, use an extra splash of fish sauce or a mashed anchovy fillet. For vegetarian curry pastes, use a teaspoon of fermented soybean paste (tao jiew), white miso or Korean doenjang, with a little extra salt. > **Cook’s tip:** If you are making curry paste for the first time and are nervous about the smell, start with half a teaspoon. You will not taste shrimp in the finished curry, only a rounder, deeper sauce. --- ## Condiments: Palm Sugar (น้ำตาลปี๊บ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/palm-sugar Nam tan pip: soft, caramel-scented sugar that rounds off curries, dressings and desserts. Palm sugar is the sweetness of Thai cooking. It is softer and rounder than white sugar, with a gentle caramel taste, and it melts easily into sauces. In savoury dishes it is not there to make food taste sweet. It balances the salt of fish sauce and the sourness of lime and tamarind, so that no single flavour sticks out. - **Pronunciation:** nam dtaan bpip - **Flavour:** Mellow, caramel and butterscotch notes; less sharp than cane sugar - **Used in:** Curries, pad Thai, som tam, salad dressings, desserts - **Substitute:** Light brown or muscovado sugar, slightly less of it ### How it is made Farmers climb coconut or sugar palms (tan) at dawn and dusk to collect the sap that drips from cut flower stalks into bamboo tubes. The sap is boiled in wide pans for hours until it thickens and turns golden, then poured into moulds or tins to set. The Thai name nam tan pip comes from the large square tins (pip) it was traditionally sold in. Samut Songkhram, west of Bangkok, is famous for coconut palm sugar, and Phetchaburi for sugar palm (tan) sugar, which goes into many of the province’s famous desserts. ### How to cook with it In curries, add it with the fish sauce near the end, then taste and adjust both together. In pad Thai sauce, it is melted with tamarind and fish sauce. In som tam, it is pounded in the mortar until it dissolves into the dressing before the papaya goes in. In desserts it is everywhere: in the coconut sauce for khanom krok, in syrups for bananas and pumpkin, and in the caramel-like topping of khanom tuay. ### Buying and storing Palm sugar is sold as soft cakes, round discs or in tubs. For cooking, choose pale, soft sugar that you can dent with a fingernail. Very hard, dark blocks are usually older or mixed with cane sugar. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool place; if it hardens, microwave it for a few seconds or grate it. ### Preparing it Chop soft palm sugar finely with a heavy knife, or shave it with a peeler. For sauces and dressings, melt it with a tablespoon of water over low heat so it dissolves evenly. ### Substitutes Light brown sugar or muscovado, used at about three-quarters of the amount. Coconut sugar from health-food shops is related but drier and less caramel-like; it works in a pinch. > **Cook’s tip:** Taste a curry before and after adding palm sugar. The difference is not sweetness but balance: the salt and heat come into focus. --- ## Condiments: Tamarind (มะขามเปียก) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/tamarind Makham piak: a fruity sourness for pad Thai, massaman and sour curries. Tamarind is one of Thailand’s main sources of sourness, along with lime. Its sourness is rounder and fruitier than lime juice, and it gives sauces body and colour as well as tang. - **Pronunciation:** ma-kaam bpiak - **Flavour:** Fruity, tart, slightly sweet, with a hint of date and prune - **Used in:** Pad Thai, massaman curry, sour curries, jaew, nam jim - **Substitute:** Lime juice with a little brown sugar (sharper, less fruity) ### Sour and sweet tamarind The tamarind tree grows all over Thailand, and its brown pods come in two kinds. Sour tamarind (makham priao) is used for cooking. Sweet tamarind (makham waan), especially from Phetchabun province, is eaten as a snack straight from the pod. For cooking, you want the sour kind, sold as a block of pressed pulp, called makham piak (“wet tamarind”). ### Making tamarind water Break off about 50 g of pulp and cover it with 150 ml of warm water. Leave it for 15 minutes, then squeeze and mash it with your fingers until the pulp comes away from the seeds and fibres. Push it through a sieve, scraping the underside of the sieve with a spoon. The thick, brown liquid is what recipes call tamarind concentrate or tamarind water. Use less water for a thicker paste. ### How to cook with it It is the sour backbone of pad Thai sauce, melted with palm sugar and fish sauce. In massaman curry it balances the richness of coconut and the sweetness of palm sugar and peanuts. In the south, it sours fish curries and gaeng som. It also goes into dipping sauces: jaew, the dark Isaan dip for grilled meat, and nam jim for grilled chicken. ### Buying and storing Blocks of pulp keep for a year in a cool cupboard, wrapped. Tamarind water keeps for about a week in the fridge, and freezes well in ice-cube trays. Ready-made concentrates in jars and tubs vary hugely in strength and some add sugar or vinegar. Indian “tamarind concentrate” is often much darker and stronger than Thai tamarind water. Taste before you use them and start with less. ### Substitutes Lime juice with a little brown sugar gives sourness without the fruitiness. In a pinch, a mixture of lime juice and a little Worcestershire sauce (which itself contains tamarind) works in pad Thai. > **Cook’s tip:** Make a batch of tamarind water and freeze it in an ice-cube tray. One cube is roughly two tablespoons, which is the amount most recipes ask for. --- ## Condiments: Oyster Sauce (น้ำมันหอย) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/oyster-sauce Nam man hoi: a thick, glossy sauce that brings savoury sweetness to stir-fries. Oyster sauce arrived with Chinese cooks and became a fixture of Thai stir-frying. It is thick and glossy, sweet and savoury at once, and it gives a stir-fry a sauce that clings to every piece. - **Pronunciation:** nam man hoi - **Flavour:** Savoury, sweet and briny, thick and glossy - **Used in:** Pad kra pao, stir-fried greens, pad see ew, marinades - **Substitute:** Vegetarian mushroom “oyster” sauce ### What it is Traditionally, oyster sauce was made by slowly simmering oysters in water until the liquid reduced to a thick, brown extract. Today most oyster sauce is made from oyster extract cooked with sugar, salt and cornflour, with colouring and flavour enhancers in cheaper brands. It does not taste fishy; it tastes savoury and slightly sweet. ### How to cook with it Thai stir-fries usually combine it with light soy sauce, fish sauce and a little sugar: oyster sauce for body and gloss, soy for saltiness, fish sauce for depth. A tablespoon is plenty for two portions. It is essential in pad kra pao, phak boong fai daeng (stir-fried morning glory), pad pak ruam (mixed vegetable stir-fry), pad see ew and stir-fried Chinese kale with crispy pork. It is also good in marinades for grilled pork and chicken. Add it in the last minute of cooking, so the sugar in it does not burn on the hot wok. ### Choosing a good one Read the ingredient list: the higher up oyster extract appears, the better. Thai brands such as Maekrua (Mae Krua) are well liked by Thai cooks; Lee Kum Kee Premium is widely available and good. ### Storing Refrigerate after opening. It keeps for months, but check for mould on the neck of the bottle if it has been open a long time. ### Substitutes Vegetarian “oyster” sauce made from shiitake mushrooms is widely available and works almost identically. Otherwise, use soy sauce with a little sugar and a pinch of cornflour to thicken. > **Cook’s tip:** Mix your stir-fry sauce in a small bowl before you start cooking. Thai stir-fries take two or three minutes, and there is no time to open bottles once the wok is hot. --- ## Condiments: Thai Soy Sauces (ซีอิ๊ว) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/thai-soy-sauces Si-io khao, si-io dam and seasoning sauce: the light, dark and sweet soys of the Thai kitchen. Soy sauce came to Thailand with Chinese immigrants, and Thai-Chinese cooking is a large part of everyday Thai food. A Thai kitchen typically has several soy sauces, and they are not interchangeable: a recipe that says “dark soy sauce” means something very different from “light”. - **Pronunciation:** see-ew kao, see-ew dam - **Flavour:** From thin and salty to thick, dark and sweet - **Used in:** Stir-fries, noodle dishes, braises, dipping sauces, marinades - **Substitute:** Chinese light and dark soy sauces are the closest match ### The main types - Light soy sauce (si-io khao, “white soy”): thin, light brown and salty. The everyday seasoning soy for stir-fries, soups, fried rice and marinades, often used alongside fish sauce. - Dark soy sauce (si-io dam, “black soy”): thick, almost black, slightly sweet and less salty. Used in small amounts mainly for colour and a molasses depth, as in pad see ew, khao man gai sauce and braised pork leg (khao kha moo). - Sweet soy sauce (si-io wan): thick and syrupy, sweetened with sugar or molasses. Used in dipping sauces and for glazing, and in some noodle dishes. - Seasoning sauce (such as Golden Mountain or Maggi): a savoury, slightly sweet soy-based sauce. Splashed into stir-fries, fried eggs and fried rice, and on rice soup at breakfast. ### How to cook with them Most Thai stir-fries combine a light soy sauce for salt, oyster sauce for body and a few drops of dark soy for colour. In noodle dishes like pad see ew, the dark soy caramelises on the wide rice noodles and gives them their characteristic colour and smoky sweetness. ### Brands Thai brands such as Healthy Boy (Dek Som Boon) make all three types and are worth seeking out; their balance differs from Chinese and Japanese soy sauces. Japanese soy (shoyu) is fine in place of light soy sauce but is a little sweeter and more aromatic. ### Storing All soy sauces keep well in a cool cupboard for months. Sweet soy sauce is best refrigerated once opened. > **Cook’s tip:** If you only buy one, buy light soy sauce. Add a bottle of dark soy sauce when you start making noodle dishes; a small bottle lasts a long time. --- ## Condiments: Nam Prik Pao (น้ำพริกเผา) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/nam-prik-pao Roasted chilli paste: smoky, sweet and savoury, for tom yum, stir-fries and spreading on toast. Nam prik pao is the most versatile of the Thai chilli pastes. Despite the name, it is not very hot: it is a dark, glossy, sweet and smoky paste, sold in English as “chilli paste in soybean oil” or simply “chilli jam”. - **Pronunciation:** nam prik pao - **Flavour:** Smoky, sweet, savoury and gently hot - **Used in:** Tom yum, yam salads, stir-fries, as a relish with rice - **Substitute:** No close one; a little sweet chilli sauce plus fried garlic and shallots ### How it is made Pao means roasted or burnt. Dried long chillies, shallots and garlic are roasted or fried until deeply browned, then pounded with dried shrimp, shrimp paste, tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce, and slowly fried in oil until thick and dark. The roasting gives it its smoky taste and its deep red-brown colour. ### How to cook with it It is what gives tom yum its red colour and roundness, especially the creamy (nam khon) style; stir in a tablespoon at the end of cooking. It is also the base of yam dressings such as yam pla muk (squid salad) and the classic yam with crispy rice, and goes into stir-fries such as pad prik pao with chicken or seafood and cashew chicken (gai pad med mamuang). At home, Thais eat it as a relish with rice and an omelette, or spread on toast or crackers, the way other people use jam. ### Buying and storing Sold in jars in Asian grocers; Pantainorasingh and Maepranom are widely available Thai brands. Keep it in the fridge once opened. The layer of oil on top protects it, and it keeps for months. ### Making your own Homemade nam prik pao is far better than most bought versions and keeps for weeks. Fry 10 deseeded dried long chillies, 10 shallots and 10 garlic cloves (sliced) separately in oil until golden, pound or blend them with 2 tbsp dried shrimp and 1 tsp shrimp paste, then cook the paste gently in the frying oil with 3 tbsp palm sugar, 2 tbsp tamarind water and 2 tbsp fish sauce until thick and dark. > **Cook’s tip:** Use the oil from the top of the jar to start a stir-fry. It is already flavoured with chilli, garlic and shallot. --- ## Condiments: Prik Nam Pla (พริกน้ำปลา) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/prik-nam-pla Fish sauce with sliced chillies and lime: the little bowl on every Thai table. Prik nam pla is the condiment you will see on every Thai table, from street stalls to family kitchens: a small bowl of fish sauce with sliced bird’s eye chillies, often with garlic and lime. It is how Thai diners season their own plate, a few drops at a time. - **Pronunciation:** prik nam plaa - **Flavour:** Salty, hot and sour - **Used in:** Over rice dishes, fried rice, omelettes, noodle soups - **Substitute:** Soy sauce with sliced chillies for a vegetarian version ### How to make it Slice 5–10 bird’s eye chillies thinly, keeping the seeds. Slice 1–2 cloves of garlic thinly too. Put them in a small bowl, add 4 tbsp fish sauce and the juice of half a lime. Leave it for 10 minutes so the chillies infuse the sauce. Some cooks add thinly sliced shallot as well. ### How it is used A spoonful goes over rice dishes like pad kra pao, khao pad (fried rice) and kai jiao (Thai omelette), and into noodle soups. It adds a final lift of salt and heat at the table, so each person can season their food to taste. Its close relatives are the four condiments on every noodle stall (kruang prung): fish sauce, dried chilli flakes, sugar and vinegar with sliced chillies (prik nam som). Thai diners adjust their noodle soup with all four. ### Storing It keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge without lime, and gets hotter the longer it sits. Add the lime juice fresh each time if you want to keep it longer. > **Cook’s tip:** Eat the chilli slices too, or not: many Thais only spoon up the sauce, which carries the heat without the bite of the chilli itself. --- ## Condiments: Pla Ra (ปลาร้า) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/pla-ra Fermented fish from Isaan: pungent, cloudy and the soul of northeastern cooking. If fish sauce is the salt of central Thai cooking, pla ra is the salt of Isaan. It is fermented freshwater fish: thick, cloudy, very pungent, and loved across the northeast and Laos, where it is called padaek. For many Isaan cooks, food without pla ra simply does not taste like home. - **Pronunciation:** bplaa raa - **Flavour:** Very pungent, salty, earthy and deeply savoury - **Used in:** Som tam pla ra, jaew, Isaan curries and soups - **Substitute:** Fish sauce with a little mashed anchovy (much milder) ### How it is made Freshwater fish from rice paddies, rivers and reservoirs, such as snakehead or gourami, are cleaned, salted and packed in jars with rice bran or roasted ground rice. The jars are sealed and left to ferment for months, sometimes years. The fish breaks down into a thick, grey-brown mash with chunks of fish and a rich, strong smell. ### How it differs from fish sauce Fish sauce is clear, filtered liquid from salted sea fish. Pla ra is cloudy, chunky and made from freshwater fish with rice, so it tastes earthier and funkier. They are not interchangeable: replacing one with the other changes the dish completely. ### How to cook with it Traditionally, the liquid and some of the fish are boiled together with lemongrass and makrut lime leaves, then strained to make nam pla ra, a cooked pla ra sauce. This is what goes into som tam pla ra (also called som tam Lao or tam Lao), the funky papaya salad loved across Isaan, and into jaew bong, a thick chilli relish. It also seasons gaeng om (herb curry), gaeng pa (jungle curry), and many soups and stews of the northeast. ### Buying it safely Raw pla ra should always be cooked before eating. The easiest option outside Thailand is bottled, pasteurised “pla ra sauce” (nam pla ra or nam pla ra pasteurised), sold in Thai grocers, which is cooked, strained and ready to use. Keep it in the fridge once opened. > **Cook’s tip:** Start with a teaspoon in som tam alongside the usual fish sauce, and work up from there. Pla ra is an acquired taste, and a little goes a long way. --- ## Condiments: Sriracha Sauce (ซอสศรีราชา) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/condiments/sriracha-sauce Sauce Si Racha: the original tangy, garlicky chilli sauce from a seaside town on the Gulf. Sriracha is named after Si Racha, a fishing town on the eastern Gulf coast in Chonburi province. A local cook is said to have first made the sauce in the early 20th century, and in the 1930s it was bottled and sold under the name Sriraja Panich. Today the name is famous worldwide, mostly because of an American version made in California. - **Pronunciation:** sot see-raa-chaa - **Flavour:** Tangy, garlicky, sweet and moderately hot - **Used in:** Dipping sauce for omelettes, seafood, fried chicken and snacks - **Substitute:** Any thin garlic-chilli sauce; American sriracha is thicker and hotter ### Thai versus American sriracha Thai sriracha is thinner, tangier and usually sweeter, with a lighter, fresher heat and more vinegar and garlic. The American rooster-bottle sauce is thicker, hotter and less sweet. Thai brands also come in different strengths, often marked with a mild, medium or hot label. ### How it is used In Thailand, sriracha is a dipping sauce, not a cooking ingredient. It is served with kai jiao (Thai omelette), hoi tod (crispy oyster or mussel omelette), fried and grilled seafood, fried chicken and spring rolls. In Si Racha itself it is the classic sauce for fresh seafood. ### Buying and storing Look for Thai brands such as Sriraja Panich or Golden Mountain. Refrigerate once opened; it keeps for months. ### Thai brands Sriraja Panich is the brand that grew out of the original family recipe. The family sold it in the 1980s to Thaitheparos, the company that also makes Golden Mountain sauces, and it is still the bottle most Thais think of as the real thing. Other Thai and Thai-style brands are widely sold, often in several heat levels. Check the label: Thai sriracha is made from chillies, sugar, garlic, vinegar and salt, and should taste bright and sharp rather than heavy. ### Using it at home - Pour a little into a saucer next to fried eggs, omelettes or fried fish, rather than stirring it into the cooking. - Serve it with hoi tod, fried spring rolls, fishcakes and grilled squid or prawns. - Keep a bottle with your morning khao tom (rice soup) or fried rice for those who want extra heat and tang. > **Cook’s tip:** Try Thai sriracha with a crispy fried egg on rice. It is one of the simplest and best Thai breakfasts. --- ## Vegetables: Lemongrass (ตะไคร้) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/lemongrass Takrai: the lemony, floral stalk behind curries, soups and salads. Lemongrass is one of the three aromatics, with galangal and makrut lime leaf, that make the scent of Thai soups and curries. It is a tall tropical grass, and its pale lower stalk carries a bright lemon fragrance without any sourness. - **Pronunciation:** dta-krai - **Flavour:** Fresh lemon and floral, with a hint of ginger - **Used in:** Tom yum, tom kha, curry pastes, larb, yam salads - **Substitute:** Lemon zest with a little ginger (only roughly similar) ### Which part to use Only the bottom 10–15 cm of the stalk, where it is pale and tightly packed, is tender enough to eat. Trim the root end and peel off the dry outer layer or two. The tough green tops are full of flavour but too fibrous to eat; tie them in a knot and use them in stocks, rice, or a pot of tea. ### How to prepare it - For soups such as tom yum and tom kha: cut into 5 cm lengths and bruise firmly with the back of a knife or a pestle so the oils come out. These pieces flavour the broth and are not eaten. - For curry pastes: slice the tender part into very thin rounds across the grain before pounding. Thin slices break down; thick ones stay fibrous. - For salads such as larb and yam: slice paper-thin and use raw. It adds crunch and a burst of fragrance. - For grilling: bruised stalks are stuffed into fish or used as skewers for minced meat. ### Buying and storing Choose firm, heavy stalks with a pale green-white base and no dry, brown patches. Wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a bag, lemongrass keeps for two weeks in the fridge. It freezes very well: slice or chop it, freeze it flat in a bag, and use it straight from frozen in pastes and soups. Frozen pre-chopped lemongrass from Asian grocers is also good. Dried lemongrass has little of the fresh fragrance and is best kept for tea. ### Grow your own Supermarket stalks with a little root base will often sprout roots if stood in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. Plant them in a pot once the roots are a few centimetres long, and they will grow into a large clump over a summer. > **Cook’s tip:** Smell the stalk after bruising it. If the fragrance fills the room, it is fresh. If you have to search for it, use more. --- ## Vegetables: Galangal (ข่า) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/galangal Kha: ginger’s piney, peppery cousin, essential in tom yum and curry pastes. Galangal looks like ginger, with pale, ringed skin and pink shoots, but it tastes quite different. Where ginger is warm and spicy-sweet, galangal is sharp, piney and peppery, with a clean citrus scent. It is the backbone of Thai soups and curry pastes. Using ginger instead is the most common mistake in home-cooked tom yum; it makes the soup taste muddy and Chinese rather than Thai. - **Pronunciation:** kaa - **Flavour:** Sharp, peppery, piney and citrusy, with a medicinal edge - **Used in:** Tom yum, tom kha, almost every curry paste, larb - **Substitute:** Dried galangal slices or galangal paste; not ginger ### Young and old galangal Young galangal (kha on) is pale, with pink tips, a thin skin and juicy, crisp flesh that slices easily. It is milder, and is even eaten raw with nam prik dips. Mature galangal is tougher, more fibrous and much more pungent; it needs a sharp knife and is best for pastes and broths. ### How to prepare it - For soups: slice thinly across the grain into coins, no need to peel. The slices flavour the broth and are left on the side of the bowl. - For curry pastes: peel, slice thinly, then chop finely before pounding. Galangal is very fibrous, so it goes into the mortar early, with the lemongrass. - For larb: some cooks add a little finely chopped galangal or toast and grind dried galangal into the dressing. ### Buying and storing Look for firm, plump roots with smooth, shiny skin and no wrinkles. Wrapped in paper inside a bag, it keeps for two to three weeks in the fridge. Sliced galangal freezes very well and can go straight into soups. Dried galangal slices, soaked briefly, work well in soups if fresh is unavailable; galangal powder is a poor substitute. > **Cook’s tip:** The kha in tom kha gai means galangal, and the soup should taste of it. Be generous: ten thin slices for four bowls is not too many. --- ## Vegetables: Makrut Lime (มะกรูด) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/makrut-lime Bai makrut: the glossy double leaves and bumpy zest that perfume curries and soups. The makrut lime tree gives Thai cooks two ingredients: its glossy, hourglass-shaped double leaves (bai makrut) and its small, knobbly green fruit. The leaves have one of the most intense citrus perfumes of any plant. The fruit has very little juice; its value is in its thick, bumpy zest. You may see it labelled kaffir lime. Makrut is the Thai name and is now preferred, as the older English name is an offensive term in some countries. - **Pronunciation:** ma-kroot - **Flavour:** Intense, floral citrus; the zest is bitter-aromatic - **Used in:** Tom yum, curries, tod man pla, curry pastes, salads - **Substitute:** Lime zest with a little bay leaf (only roughly similar) ### Using the leaves - Torn: tear the leaves off the tough centre vein and drop them into soups and curries in the last minutes of cooking. Like lemongrass, they flavour the dish and are not usually eaten. - Shredded: stack a few leaves, roll them tightly and slice into hair-thin threads with a sharp knife. Thin threads are eaten in salads, scattered over red and panang curries, and mixed into tod man pla (fish cakes). - Fried: deep-fried leaves become crisp and fragrant, and are a garnish for fried fish and salads. ### Using the fruit The zest is grated or finely chopped and pounded into red, green, panang and other curry pastes. Only the green outer layer is used; the white pith below is bitter. The juice is very sour and bitter and is used mainly in traditional shampoos and cleaning, not cooking. ### Buying and storing Fresh leaves keep for one to two weeks in the fridge in a sealed bag. They freeze better than almost any other herb: keep a bag in the freezer and use them straight from frozen, they lose almost nothing. Dried leaves have very little flavour. The fruit is harder to find; frozen fruit and zest from Asian grocers work well in pastes. > **Cook’s tip:** Buy a large bag of fresh leaves whenever you find them, and freeze them. They will last for months and you will always have the scent of tom yum on hand. --- ## Vegetables: Thai Basil (โหระพา) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/thai-basil Horapha: sweet basil with an anise edge, for green curry and stir-fries. Thai sweet basil has purple stems, purple flower buds and pointed green leaves with a strong scent of anise and liquorice. It is sturdier than Italian basil, so it holds up well in hot curries and stir-fries. - **Pronunciation:** hor-ra-paa - **Flavour:** Sweet, anise and liquorice, slightly spicy - **Used in:** Green and red curries, stir-fries, noodle soups, larb - **Substitute:** Italian basil with a few fennel fronds or a pinch of anise ### Thailand’s three basils - Thai sweet basil (horapha): anise-scented, used in curries, stir-fries and as a raw side herb. - Holy basil (kra pao): peppery and clove-like, always cooked, the star of pad kra pao. - Lemon basil (maenglak): lemon-scented, used in some soups, kanom jeen, and its seeds in desserts and drinks. ### How to cook with it In curries, stir in a big handful of leaves right at the end of cooking, after you turn off the heat; they wilt in seconds and keep their perfume. In stir-fries, add it in the last 10 seconds. Raw, it is served in the plate of herbs that comes with larb, nam tok and noodle soups, and with Vietnamese-style dishes such as pho, where diners tear leaves into their bowl. ### Buying and storing Choose bunches with perky, unspotted leaves. Basil hates the cold: in the fridge the leaves turn black within a day or two. Instead, trim the stems and stand them in a glass of water on the kitchen counter, loosely covered with a bag, like a bouquet. It keeps for several days this way. ### Grow your own Thai basil grows easily from seed in a sunny spot or on a windowsill in summer. Pinch out the flower buds to keep the plant producing leaves. > **Cook’s tip:** Add Thai basil after you turn off the heat. Its fragrance is volatile, and a minute of boiling cooks most of it away. --- ## Vegetables: Holy Basil (กะเพรา) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/holy-basil Kra pao: peppery, clove-scented basil that gives pad kra pao its name. Holy basil has soft, slightly hairy leaves with jagged edges, and a peppery, clove-like heat that blooms the moment it hits a hot wok. It is the defining herb of pad kra pao, the stir-fry that is probably Thailand’s most ordered lunch. Outside Thailand, pad kra pao is often made with Thai sweet basil, and it is still good, but it tastes different: sweeter and more anise-like rather than peppery. - **Pronunciation:** ga-prao - **Flavour:** Peppery, clove-like, slightly minty; strongest when cooked - **Used in:** Pad kra pao, jungle curry, stir-fried seafood - **Substitute:** Thai sweet basil with extra black pepper ### Red and white holy basil Red holy basil (kra pao daeng) has purplish stems and leaves, and is more pungent and aromatic. White or green holy basil (kra pao khao) is milder and more common. Thai cooks often prefer the red for stir-fries; a mixture of both is ideal. ### How to cook with it Holy basil is almost always cooked. Add a large handful at the very end of a stir-fry and toss until just wilted, about 10 seconds. Fried for longer it turns bitter and dark. Besides pad kra pao with pork, chicken, beef or seafood, it goes into gaeng pa (jungle curry), stir-fried seafood with chilli paste, and drunken noodles (pad kee mao). A few leaves are sometimes deep-fried until crisp and scattered on top. ### Buying and storing Fresh holy basil is sold in Thai and some Asian grocers, and frozen in bags. Store fresh leaves like Thai basil, stems in water at room temperature. Frozen leaves turn dark but keep their flavour well for stir-fries; add them straight from the freezer. ### Holy basil and tulsi Holy basil is the same species as tulsi, the sacred basil of India, which is used there mainly in tea and in worship rather than in cooking. Tulsi seeds sold for gardening grow plants that work for pad kra pao. > **Cook’s tip:** If you can only find a few holy basil leaves, mix them with Thai sweet basil and add a good grind of black pepper. You will get much of the peppery character. --- ## Vegetables: Bird’s Eye Chilli (พริกขี้หนู) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/birds-eye-chilli Prik kee noo: small, fierce chillies that bring the heat to almost everything. Prik kee noo means “mouse-dropping chilli”, after its small size. These little chillies, usually 2–3 cm long, are very hot, with a sharp, bright heat that hits fast and fades fairly quickly. They are the main source of heat in Thai cooking. - **Pronunciation:** prik kee noo - **Flavour:** Very hot, sharp and bright; roughly 50,000–100,000 Scoville units - **Used in:** Som tam, stir-fries, tom yum, dipping sauces, chilli flakes - **Substitute:** Any small, hot fresh chilli; use fewer if hotter ### Thai chillies at a glance - Bird’s eye chilli (prik kee noo): small, very hot, used fresh and dried. - Garden chilli (prik kee noo suan): even smaller and hotter, prized for its fragrance. - Long chilli (prik chee fa): long, mild to medium heat, used for colour and in curry pastes; dried long chillies give red curry paste its colour. - Dried chilli flakes (prik pon): dried bird’s eye or long chillies, toasted and ground; on every noodle stall and in larb. ### How to cook with it Pounded with garlic, it is the start of som tam and pad kra pao. Lightly crushed, it goes into tom yum and tom kha, where it releases heat into the broth. Thinly sliced, it goes into prik nam pla and nam jim dipping sauces. Toasted and ground, it becomes prik pon for larb and noodle soups. ### Controlling the heat The heat is mostly in the seeds and white membrane. For milder food, crush the chillies lightly rather than pounding them to a paste, or slice them lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Heat increases as a dish stands, especially in salads and dips. Wash your hands well after handling chillies, or wear gloves, and never touch your eyes. Rice, sticky rice and raw cucumber are the traditional ways to cool your mouth; water does not help much. ### Buying and storing Choose glossy, firm chillies. They keep for one to two weeks in the fridge in a paper-lined container. They freeze perfectly whole: use them straight from frozen, and slice them while still frozen for easy, neat slices. > **Cook’s tip:** Thai cooks ask how many chillies you want in som tam: one, two, five, ten. Start with one or two and add more next time; the mortar spreads the heat through everything. --- ## Vegetables: Coriander Root (รากผักชี) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/coriander-root Rak phak chi: the earthy, intense root that goes into pastes and marinades. Thai cooks use the whole coriander plant: leaves to garnish, stems in soups and salads, and roots, the most prized part, in pastes and marinades. The roots have a deeper, earthier flavour than the leaves, and unlike the leaves, they keep their taste when cooked. - **Pronunciation:** raak pak chee - **Flavour:** Earthy, deep coriander flavour, peppery - **Used in:** Curry pastes, marinades, soups, sam gler paste - **Substitute:** Coriander stems, about twice the amount ### Sam gler: the “three companions” The most important use of coriander root is sam gler, a paste of coriander root, garlic and white peppercorns pounded together in roughly equal amounts. It is the starting point of countless Thai dishes: rubbed onto chicken for gai yang, mixed into minced pork for meatballs and stuffed omelettes, fried at the start of clear soups (gaeng jued), and stirred into marinades for grilled and fried pork. ### Other uses It is pounded into green curry paste and other pastes, added whole and bruised to broths, and used in dipping sauces such as nam jim seafood. ### Buying and storing Supermarket coriander usually has its roots cut off; look for bunches with roots in Asian grocers or at markets, or grow your own. Scrub the roots well with a small brush, as soil hides between the hairs. Roots freeze very well: every time you use the leaves, cut off the roots, clean them and add them to a bag in the freezer. > **Cook’s tip:** Make a jar of sam gler paste on the weekend: equal weights of coriander root and garlic, a quarter as much white pepper, pounded with a pinch of salt. It keeps for a week in the fridge and starts dozens of dishes. --- ## Vegetables: Thai Eggplant (มะเขือเปราะ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/thai-eggplant Makheua pro: small, round and crunchy, for curries and nam prik. Thai round eggplants are golf-ball sized, usually pale green with white or darker stripes. They are crunchy and slightly bitter raw, and when cooked they soften but keep a little bite, soaking up the curry around them. They are a very different vegetable from the large purple aubergine. - **Pronunciation:** ma-keua bproh - **Flavour:** Mildly bitter, grassy; crisp raw, tender-firm cooked - **Used in:** Green curry, red curry, nam prik dips, sour curries - **Substitute:** Small Italian or Japanese aubergines, cut into chunks ### Thai eggplants at a glance - Round eggplant (makheua pro, “crisp eggplant”): golf-ball sized, green and white, for curries and eating raw. - Pea eggplant (makheua puang): tiny, bitter, in clusters; see its own guide. - Long green eggplant (makheua yao): slender and light green, softer, for grilling and the smoky salad yam makheua yao. - Yellow eggplant (makheua khai): small, egg-shaped and yellow, mostly in the north and northeast. ### How to cook with it In green and red curries, add the quartered eggplants once the curry is simmering; they take 6–10 minutes to soften. In the north and northeast they are grilled or boiled for dips. Raw, they come in the basket of vegetables served with nam prik kapi and other chilli dips. ### Preparing them Cut off the stem and quarter or halve them just before cooking. The flesh browns within minutes of cutting; if you need to wait, drop the pieces into a bowl of salted water. The small seeds inside are edible. ### Buying and storing Choose firm, heavy eggplants with shiny skin and fresh green caps. They keep for about a week in the fridge in a paper bag. Frozen whole Thai eggplants are sold in Asian grocers and work well in curries. > **Cook’s tip:** Do not salt or pre-cook Thai eggplants for curries. Their slight crunch is the point; add them to the simmering curry and stop when a knife slides in easily. --- ## Vegetables: Pea Eggplant (มะเขือพวง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/pea-eggplant Makheua puang: tiny, bitter berries that pop in green curry and jungle curry. Pea eggplants grow in clusters of small green berries about the size of a pea, on the stems of a wild eggplant bush. They are bitter, crunchy, and burst when you bite them, and that is exactly their purpose in Thai cooking: a sharp, bitter pop against rich coconut and fiery chilli. - **Pronunciation:** ma-keua puang - **Flavour:** Distinctly bitter, grassy; pops when bitten - **Used in:** Green curry, jungle curry, nam prik kapi - **Substitute:** No close one; leave out, or add fresh peas for texture ### How to cook with them Pull them off their stems and add them whole to green curry and jungle curry (gaeng pa) for the last 5 minutes of cooking. In nam prik kapi they are pounded lightly into the dip, or served raw on the side. They also go into some stir-fries with curry paste. Bitterness is valued in Thai food; it is considered cooling and good for health, and it balances the other flavours on the table. Eat them with the rest of the curry rather than on their own. ### Buying and storing Sold on the stem in Thai grocers, fresh or frozen. Fresh, they keep for a week in the fridge. Frozen ones are perfectly good for curries. > **Cook’s tip:** If the bitterness is new to you, crush a few lightly before adding them to the curry. They will flavour the sauce more evenly and the bitter burst will be softer. --- ## Vegetables: Yard-long Beans (ถั่วฝักยาว) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/yard-long-beans Tua fak yao: long, crisp green beans for som tam, stir-fries and red curry. Yard-long beans are not really a yard long, but they can grow to half a metre. They are thinner, denser and less juicy than ordinary green beans, with a nutty, grassy taste, and they stay crunchy whether pounded, stir-fried or simmered. - **Pronunciation:** tua fak yao - **Flavour:** Grassy, nutty, mildly sweet; dense and crunchy - **Used in:** Som tam, pad prik khing, red curry, raw with larb and nam prik - **Substitute:** Green beans, cooked a little less ### How to cook with them - In som tam: cut into 3 cm lengths and bruised in the mortar with the dressing, so they soak up flavour but stay crisp. - In pad prik khing: stir-fried with red curry paste, pork or crispy pork belly, and makrut lime leaf. A dry, intensely flavoured stir-fry where the beans are the star. - In curries: added to red curry and jungle curry for the last few minutes. - Raw: served on the side with larb, nam tok, som tam and nam prik dips, to cool the heat between bites. ### Buying and storing Choose slender, firm, dark green beans that snap when bent. Avoid ones with bulging seeds or soft, wrinkled patches. Wrap them loosely in a paper towel inside a bag and keep them in the fridge for up to five days. ### Substitutes Ordinary green beans or French beans work well. They are juicier and softer, so pound them less in som tam and cook them a little less in stir-fries. > **Cook’s tip:** For pad prik khing, fry the beans until a few blister and darken in spots before adding the curry paste. It gives them a sweet, slightly smoky edge. --- ## Vegetables: Morning Glory (ผักบุ้ง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/morning-glory Phak boong: water spinach with hollow stems, flash-fried with garlic and chilli. Morning glory, also called water spinach, grows in wet ground and on the surface of canals and ponds. Its long, hollow stems stay crunchy when cooked, while the arrow-shaped leaves wilt into silky greens, which makes it one of the best vegetables for fast stir-frying. - **Pronunciation:** pak boong - **Flavour:** Mild, green and slightly sweet; crunchy stems, soft leaves - **Used in:** Stir-fried morning glory, sour curries, raw with som tam - **Substitute:** Spinach with sliced celery for crunch, or tenderstem broccoli ### Phak boong fai daeng Its most famous dish is phak boong fai daeng, “morning glory over a red flame”. Morning glory, garlic, chilli, fermented soybean paste, oyster sauce and a little sugar are piled on a plate, then thrown all at once into a smoking-hot wok, which often flares up in a sheet of flame. It is stir-fried for less than a minute. In Phitsanulok, cooks famously toss it across the street to a waiter catching it with a plate. ### Thai and Chinese morning glory Thai morning glory has thinner stems and narrower leaves, and is crisper. Chinese morning glory has thicker stems and broader leaves, is more common in shops outside Asia, and works just as well in stir-fries. ### Preparing it Wash it well and cut it into 8–10 cm lengths. Separate the thick lower stems from the leafy tops: the stems go into the wok first, the leaves for the last 20 seconds. Discard any hard, woody ends. ### Other uses It is added to sour curries (gaeng som), served raw and crisp next to som tam, and shredded into long curls for some noodle dishes and salads. ### Buying and storing Buy it from Asian grocers, look for crisp stems and bright leaves, and cook it within one or two days. Wrap it in damp paper in the fridge. > **Cook’s tip:** Everything must be in the wok within a minute. Mix the sauce, garlic and chilli in a bowl with the morning glory before you heat the wok, then tip it all in at once. --- ## Vegetables: Green Papaya (มะละกอดิบ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/green-papaya Malakor dip: unripe papaya, shredded for som tam and cooked in sour curries. Green papaya is simply papaya picked long before it ripens. The flesh is pale, firm, crunchy and almost tasteless, which is its great quality: it soaks up the hot, sour, salty and sweet dressing of som tam while staying crisp. - **Pronunciation:** ma-la-gor dip - **Flavour:** Neutral, crisp and faintly vegetal; takes on the dressing - **Used in:** Som tam, sour curries, pickles, soups - **Substitute:** Cucumber, carrot, kohlrabi or green mango, shredded ### How to shred it Peel the papaya with a vegetable peeler, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the white seeds. In Thailand, cooks hold the papaya in one hand and hack into it with a heavy knife, making dozens of parallel cuts, then shave off the strips. This gives rough, uneven shreds that hold the dressing well. At home, a julienne peeler or the coarse shredding blade of a mandoline is easier and safer. Aim for long strips about 3 mm thick. Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes for extra crunch, then drain well. ### The many kinds of som tam - Som tam Thai: sweeter and milder, with dried shrimp and peanuts. - Som tam pla ra (or som tam Lao): with fermented fish sauce, funkier, saltier and hotter. - Som tam poo: with salted black field crabs. - Tam sua: mixed with fresh rice noodles. - Tam ponlamai: made with mixed fruit instead of papaya. ### Cooking with it Green papaya is also cooked: in southern sour curries (gaeng som), in clear soups with pork ribs, and pickled. Cooked, it becomes soft and absorbs the broth, a little like marrow. ### Buying and storing Choose a completely green, very hard papaya with no yellow patches or soft spots, ideally 500 g to 1 kg. Whole, it keeps for about a week in the fridge. Once shredded, keep it in a bowl of cold water in the fridge and use it the same day. Pre-shredded green papaya is sold in some Asian grocers. > **Cook’s tip:** Make the dressing in the mortar first and taste it before the papaya goes in. Adjusting a dressing is easy; adjusting a dressed salad is not. --- ## Vegetables: Thai Shallots (หอมแดง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/thai-shallots Hom daeng: small red shallots for pastes, soups, salads and crispy toppings. Thai shallots are small, red-purple and more aromatic and sweeter than onions. Thai cooking uses them far more than onions: they go into almost every curry paste, into soups and salads, and fried until crisp they are one of the most common toppings in Thai food. - **Pronunciation:** hom daeng - **Flavour:** Sweet, pungent and aromatic; milder than onion - **Used in:** Curry pastes, tom yum, yam salads, larb, fried shallots - **Substitute:** Ordinary shallots, or red onion in salads ### How to cook with them - In curry pastes: peeled, chopped and pounded, they give the paste body and sweetness. - In soups: halved and lightly crushed into tom yum and tom kha, where they soften and add sweetness. - In salads: thinly sliced and raw, in yam, larb and nam tok. - Grilled: charred whole in their skins over coals, then peeled and pounded into nam prik dips such as nam prik noom. - Fried: thinly sliced and fried until golden and crisp, for topping noodles, rice soup, salads and khao soi. ### Making crispy shallots Slice shallots evenly and thinly, about 2 mm. Put them in a pan with enough cold neutral oil to cover, and heat gently, stirring often. They will bubble for a long time, then suddenly start to colour. When they are light golden, lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper; they keep cooking and darken as they cool. Store them in an airtight jar for up to two weeks, and use the shallot-flavoured oil for cooking. ### Substitutes Ordinary shallots are a good stand-in; use slightly fewer of the larger ones. Red onion works in salads. Ready-made fried shallots are sold in tubs in Asian grocers and are a useful shortcut. > **Cook’s tip:** Take crispy shallots out of the oil a shade lighter than you want them. Thirty seconds too long and they turn bitter. --- ## Vegetables: Pandan Leaf (ใบเตย) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/pandan-leaf Bai toey: long green leaves with a sweet, grassy, vanilla-like scent, for rice and desserts. Pandan is a tropical plant with long, glossy, blade-like leaves. Crushed or warmed, they release a sweet, nutty, grassy scent that Thai cooks use the way European cooks use vanilla, but in savoury food too. - **Pronunciation:** bai dtoei - **Flavour:** Sweet, grassy, nutty, often compared to vanilla and fresh rice - **Used in:** Rice, desserts, sticky rice, drinks, gai hor bai toey - **Substitute:** A drop of vanilla in desserts; pandan extract for colour ### How it is used - In rice: one or two leaves tied in a knot and cooked with jasmine rice or khao man gai rice, perfuming the grains. - In sticky rice and coconut desserts: warmed in coconut milk for mango sticky rice and in syrups and custards. - For colour: blended with water and squeezed to make pandan juice, which gives many Thai desserts their green colour, such as khanom chan (layered cake) and sangkaya (custard). - For wrapping: chicken marinated in garlic, coriander root and pepper is wrapped in pandan leaves and fried, for gai hor bai toey. - In drinks: boiled with water and sugar for nam bai toey, a cooling pandan drink. ### Making pandan juice Cut 10 leaves into short pieces and blend them with 100 ml water. Squeeze the pulp through a cloth or fine sieve. The bright green juice keeps for a day in the fridge, or freeze it in ice-cube trays. ### Buying and storing Fresh and frozen pandan leaves are sold in Asian grocers. Fresh leaves keep for a week in the fridge wrapped in paper. Frozen leaves keep their scent very well and can be used straight from the freezer. Bottled pandan extract gives colour but tastes artificial; use it sparingly. > **Cook’s tip:** Scrape or twist the leaf before tying the knot. Bruising it releases more of the oils, and the rice will smell noticeably better. --- ## Vegetables: Garlic (กระเทียม) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/garlic Kratiam: small, papery Thai garlic, pounded into pastes, fried golden and pickled whole. Garlic is in almost every savoury Thai dish. Thai garlic is small, with thin pink-purple skins and tiny cloves that are often used skin and all, because the skin is soft enough to pound or fry. - **Pronunciation:** gra-tiam - **Flavour:** Pungent and sharp raw; sweet and nutty fried - **Used in:** Curry pastes, stir-fries, dips, fried garlic, pickles - **Substitute:** Ordinary garlic, using a little less ### How it is used - Pounded raw with chillies for som tam, pad kra pao and dipping sauces. - Pounded with coriander root and white pepper into sam gler, the base of countless marinades. - Fried slowly until golden for kratiam jiao, crispy garlic in its oil, spooned over noodles, rice soup and khao man gai. - Pickled whole in sweet vinegar as kratiam dong, which goes into gaeng hang lay and alongside rich dishes. ### Thai garlic and imported garlic Thai garlic is more aromatic and slightly less sharp than the large-cloved garlic sold in Europe. If you can only find large cloves, use about two-thirds of the amount a Thai recipe asks for, and peel them. ### Buying and storing Choose firm, heavy bulbs with tight skins and no green shoots. Keep them somewhere cool, dry and airy, not in the fridge. Crispy fried garlic keeps for two weeks in a sealed jar. > **Cook’s tip:** Fry garlic in oil from cold over low heat and lift it out when it is pale gold. It keeps cooking off the heat, and garlic that looks brown in the pan turns bitter. --- ## Vegetables: Fresh Turmeric (ขมิ้น) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/fresh-turmeric Khamin: bright orange root that colours and flavours the curries of the south. Fresh turmeric looks like a smaller, knobbly ginger root, with a startling orange inside. It is the signature of southern Thai cooking, where it turns curries and marinades a deep yellow and gives them a fresh, earthy flavour that dried turmeric cannot quite match. - **Pronunciation:** ka-min - **Flavour:** Earthy, peppery and slightly bitter, with a fresh, gingery edge - **Used in:** Southern curries, kua kling, gaeng lueang, marinades, khao mok - **Substitute:** Ground turmeric, about ½ tsp for every 2 cm fresh ### How it is used Pounded into southern curry pastes for gaeng lueang, kua kling and gaeng tai pla, into the marinade for grilled chicken and fried fish, and into sai oua in the north. Thai-Muslim dishes such as khao mok gai use it both fresh and dried. ### Preparing it Scrape off the thin skin with the edge of a spoon, then chop finely before pounding. Turmeric stains hands, boards and plastic yellow: wear gloves or rub your fingers with a little oil first, and use a glass or steel board. ### Buying and storing Look for firm, plump roots with no soft or shrivelled spots, in Asian grocers and health-food shops. Wrapped in paper, it keeps for two to three weeks in the fridge, and it freezes well whole: grate it straight from frozen. > **Cook’s tip:** If a curry tastes flat and dusty with dried turmeric, add a few slices of fresh ginger with it. It brings back some of the fresh root's brightness. --- ## Vegetables: Ginger (ขิง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/ginger Khing: warm, juicy root for stir-fries, Chinese-Thai dishes and northern curries. Ginger is used far less than galangal in Thai cooking, and the two are not interchangeable. Where galangal is sharp and piney, ginger is warm and sweet, and it shows up mostly in dishes with Chinese roots and in the north. - **Pronunciation:** king - **Flavour:** Warm, spicy-sweet and juicy - **Used in:** Gai pad khing, gaeng hang lay, khao man gai sauce, soups - **Substitute:** None for its own dishes; do not use it in place of galangal ### How it is used - Cut into fine matchsticks and stir-fried with chicken, mushrooms and soybean paste in gai pad khing. - Shredded into gaeng hang lay, the northern pork curry, where it is almost a vegetable. - Grated into the soybean-chilli sauce for khao man gai, and simmered into its chicken stock. - Sliced into fish soups and steamed fish to freshen them. - Served raw in slivers with sai oua and other grilled northern sausages. ### Young and mature ginger Young ginger (khing on) has thin, pinkish skin and tender, mild flesh that can be cut into matchsticks and eaten raw or pickled. Mature ginger is fibrous and hotter; peel it and use it grated or in thin slices. ### Buying and storing Choose firm, smooth roots that snap cleanly. Keep ginger in the fridge in a paper bag for two to three weeks, or freeze it and grate it from frozen. > **Cook’s tip:** Peel ginger with the edge of a teaspoon. It follows the bumps and wastes far less than a knife. --- ## Vegetables: Dried Red Chillies (พริกแห้ง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/dried-red-chillies Prik haeng: the colour and smoky depth behind red curry pastes and chilli flakes. Fresh chillies give Thai food its bright heat, but dried chillies give it colour, smokiness and depth. Almost every red curry paste starts with a handful of soaked dried chillies, and dried, toasted and ground chillies are on every noodle stall table. - **Pronunciation:** prik haeng - **Flavour:** Fruity, smoky and warm; heat depends on the type - **Used in:** Red and dry curry pastes, nam prik, chilli flakes, jaew - **Substitute:** Dried guajillo or Kashmiri chillies for colour without much heat ### The two main kinds - Dried long chillies (prik chee fa haeng): large, deep red and mild to medium. Used for colour and body in red, panang, massaman and northern curry pastes. - Dried bird's eye chillies (prik kee noo haeng): small and very hot. Used when a paste or dip needs fire, and for chilli flakes. ### Preparing them for pastes Cut off the stems and shake out the seeds for a milder, smoother paste. Soak the chillies in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes until soft, squeeze them dry and chop them before pounding. Soaking makes them much easier to break down in a mortar. ### Making roasted chilli flakes (prik pon) Toast dried bird's eye chillies in a dry pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until they darken and smell smoky, about 3 to 5 minutes. Let them cool, then pound or grind them to coarse flakes. Homemade flakes are smokier and far more aromatic than bought ones, and keep for a month in a jar. ### Buying and storing Choose chillies that are still deep red and slightly flexible, not brown, brittle or dusty. Keep them in a sealed jar away from light; they lose colour and flavour after about six months. > **Cook’s tip:** Toast chilli flakes with the window open and the extractor on. The fumes from hot chillies in a dry pan will make everyone in the house cough. --- ## Vegetables: Mint (สะระแหน่) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/mint Saranae: cool spearmint that finishes larb, nam tok and other Isaan salads. Mint is the herb of Isaan salads. A big handful of leaves cools the chilli heat of larb and nam tok and lifts the smoky toasted rice, and the herbs are as much a part of the dish as the meat. - **Pronunciation:** sa-ra-nae - **Flavour:** Cool, fresh and sweet - **Used in:** Larb, nam tok, yam salads, tom saep, khao mok sauce - **Substitute:** Any spearmint; avoid strong peppermint ### How it is used Torn or left whole and folded into larb, nam tok and yam salads at the very end, so it stays bright and fresh. It is added to tom saep and some hot and sour soups just before serving, and blended into the green sauce for khao mok gai. Sprigs are also served on the side with Isaan meals to eat between bites. ### Buying and storing Thai mint is a small-leaved spearmint. Choose perky bunches without black spots. Keep the stems in a glass of water in the fridge, loosely covered with a bag, and use within a few days. ### Grow your own Mint grows almost anywhere, often too well. Keep it in a pot so it does not take over the garden, and pick it often to keep it bushy. > **Cook’s tip:** Add mint to larb only after the dressing has gone in and the meat has cooled slightly. On very hot meat it wilts and darkens in seconds. --- ## Vegetables: Sawtooth Coriander (ผักชีฝรั่ง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/sawtooth-coriander Phak chi farang: long, serrated leaves with a stronger coriander flavour, essential in Isaan cooking. Sawtooth coriander, also called culantro, has long, narrow leaves with serrated edges and a flavour like a concentrated version of coriander. Unlike coriander leaves, it holds its flavour when cooked, which is why Isaan cooks put it in soups as well as salads. - **Pronunciation:** pak chee fa-rang - **Flavour:** Like coriander, but stronger, earthier and more robust - **Used in:** Larb, tom saep, nam tok, noodle soups, jaew - **Substitute:** Coriander leaves and stems, about twice as much ### How it is used Sliced finely into larb, nam tok and jaew dipping sauce; torn into tom saep and other Isaan soups; and served whole in the plate of herbs that comes with noodle soups and grilled meats. ### Buying and storing Sold in Thai and Vietnamese grocers, sometimes labelled ngò gai or culantro. Wrap it in damp paper and keep it in the fridge; it lasts longer than coriander, about a week. > **Cook’s tip:** Roll a few leaves tightly and slice them as thinly as you can. The fine threads spread the flavour evenly through a salad. --- ## Vegetables: Coriander Leaves (ผักชี) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/coriander-leaves Phak chi: the fresh green finish on soups, salads, noodles and rice dishes. Thai cooks use the whole coriander plant. The roots go into pastes (see coriander root), the stems into soups and salads, and the leaves on top of almost everything as a fresh, green finish. - **Pronunciation:** pak chee - **Flavour:** Fresh, citrusy and green - **Used in:** Tom yum, larb, noodle soups, khao man gai, garnishes - **Substitute:** Sawtooth coriander, or Thai basil for a different fresh note ### How it is used Leaves and fine stems are scattered over tom yum, tom kha and clear soups, folded into larb, yam and nam tok, sprinkled on noodles and rice soup, and served with khao man gai. Chopped stems add flavour to dipping sauces and marinades. ### When to add it Coriander leaves lose their fragrance quickly with heat, so add them right at the end or at the table. The stems are sturdier and can go in a minute earlier. ### Buying and storing Buy bunches with roots still attached when you can, and save the roots for pastes. Stand the stems in a glass of water in the fridge with a bag over the leaves, and change the water every couple of days; it keeps for a week. > **Cook’s tip:** Some people find coriander tastes of soap, partly for genetic reasons. For them, swap in Thai basil or mint. --- ## Vegetables: Bean Sprouts (ถั่วงอก) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/bean-sprouts Tua ngok: crunchy mung bean sprouts for pad Thai, noodle soups and stir-fries. Bean sprouts are sprouted mung beans. They bring crunch and freshness to rich noodle dishes, and in Thailand they are served both cooked and raw on the side. - **Pronunciation:** tua ngok - **Flavour:** Mild, fresh and crisp - **Used in:** Pad Thai, noodle soups, stir-fries, khanom jeen - **Substitute:** Shredded cabbage or thinly sliced celery for crunch ### How it is used Tossed into pad Thai for the last 20 seconds so they stay crisp, with more served raw on the side. Blanched in noodle soups, stir-fried with tofu, and piled on top of khanom jeen nam ngiao and other noodle dishes. ### Buying and storing Choose sprouts that are white, plump and crisp, with no brown tips, slime or sour smell. Use them within a day or two. Rinse them in cold water and drain well before using. ### Food safety Raw sprouts carry a small risk of bacteria. For young children, pregnant women or anyone with a weak immune system, blanch them for 30 seconds before eating. > **Cook’s tip:** Pinch off the stringy tails for a neater dish. It is fiddly, but Bangkok restaurants do it for their best pad Thai. --- ## Vegetables: Garlic Chives (กุยช่าย) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/garlic-chives Kui chai: flat, garlicky chives for pad Thai and dumplings. Garlic chives have long, flat leaves and a gentle garlic flavour. They came to Thailand through Chinese cooking and are one of the defining ingredients of pad Thai. - **Pronunciation:** gui chai - **Flavour:** Mild garlic and onion, fresh and grassy - **Used in:** Pad Thai, kanom kui chai dumplings, stir-fries - **Substitute:** Spring onion greens with a little crushed garlic ### How it is used Cut into 4 cm lengths and tossed into pad Thai at the very end, with a few more served raw on the side. Chopped finely into the filling of kanom kui chai, steamed or fried chive dumplings, and stir-fried with pork, tofu or bean sprouts. ### Buying and storing Sold in bunches in Asian grocers. Choose dark green, flat leaves without yellow or slimy ends. Wrap them in paper and keep them in the fridge for up to five days. > **Cook’s tip:** Add garlic chives after the heat is off. Cooked for more than a few seconds, they turn limp and lose their colour. --- ## Vegetables: Pickled Mustard Greens (ผักกาดดอง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/pickled-mustard-greens Phak kad dong: sour, crunchy pickled greens that cut through rich curries and noodles. Pickled mustard greens are Chinese mustard greens fermented in brine until sour and crunchy. In Thai food they are a condiment more than a vegetable: a spoonful on the side cuts through rich, fatty dishes. - **Pronunciation:** pak gaat dong - **Flavour:** Sour, salty and crunchy, slightly sweet - **Used in:** Khao soi, nam ngiao, khao kha moo, moo hong - **Substitute:** Sauerkraut, rinsed, or quick-pickled cabbage ### How it is used Chopped and served with khao soi and khanom jeen nam ngiao in the north; with khao kha moo (braised pork leg) and moo hong; and stir-fried with egg or pork as a simple dish of its own. In soups, it adds a gentle sourness. ### Buying and preparing Sold in vacuum packs or tins in Asian grocers, sometimes labelled sour mustard or pak gard dong. Rinse it and taste: if it is very salty, soak it in water for 10 minutes. Squeeze it dry and chop it finely. ### Storing Once opened, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks. > **Cook’s tip:** A small bowl of chopped pickled greens with a little sugar and a few drops of sesame oil turns into a quick relish for any rich braise. --- ## Vegetables: Fingerroot (กระชาย) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/fingerroot Krachai: finger-shaped rhizomes with an earthy, peppery flavour, made for fish curries. Fingerroot, also called lesser galangal or Chinese keys, grows as a bunch of long, thin rhizomes that look like fingers. It is especially good with fish and seafood, where it tames strong flavours. - **Pronunciation:** gra-chai - **Flavour:** Earthy, peppery and camphor-like - **Used in:** Gaeng pa (jungle curry), fish curries, khanom jeen nam ya - **Substitute:** Jarred krachai in brine; a little galangal at a push ### How it is used Cut into fine matchsticks and added to gaeng pa (jungle curry) and stir-fried fish curries, or pounded into the fish curry sauce for khanom jeen nam ya. It is also infused in drinks and used in traditional medicine. ### Buying and storing Fresh krachai is sold in Thai grocers, often frozen. Jars of shredded krachai in brine are easier to find; rinse them before using. Fresh roots keep for a week in the fridge and freeze well. ### Pad cha Fingerroot is the defining flavour of pad cha, a fierce, dry stir-fry named after the sizzle of the hot pan. Seafood or fish, often catfish, is stir-fried with garlic, chillies, strips of krachai, sprigs of fresh green peppercorns, makrut lime leaves and holy basil, and seasoned simply with fish sauce and a little sugar. The krachai and peppercorns go in after the protein has seared so they do not scorch. Jarred krachai works well here if fresh is hard to find. ### Yellow, red and black krachai The everyday cooking root is krachai lueang, with yellow flesh. Krachai daeng, a red-skinned form, is used in much the same way. Krachai dam, black ginger, is a different plant altogether (Kaempferia parviflora), with purple-black flesh. It is sold dried or as a tonic and is not a substitute in curries. > **Cook’s tip:** Peel fingerroot by scraping it with a spoon, then cut it into thin matchsticks so diners can eat it rather than picking it out. --- ## Vegetables: Lemon Basil (แมงลัก) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/lemon-basil Maenglak: the third Thai basil, lemony and peppery, for soups and khanom jeen. Lemon basil is the least known of Thailand's three basils. It has small, pale green leaves with a clear lemon scent, and its seeds swell into little jelly balls when soaked, which are used in drinks and desserts. - **Pronunciation:** maeng-lak - **Flavour:** Lemony, peppery and slightly minty - **Used in:** Gaeng liang, khanom jeen, Isaan soups, basil seed desserts - **Substitute:** Thai basil with a little lemon zest ### How it is used Stirred into gaeng liang, a peppery vegetable soup; eaten raw with khanom jeen rice noodles and their curries; and added to Isaan soups and fish dishes. The seeds (med maenglak) are soaked and added to coconut milk drinks and syrups. ### Buying and storing Fresh lemon basil is found in Thai grocers and at farmers' markets in summer. Keep it like Thai basil, with the stems in water at room temperature. Basil seeds are sold dried in packets. ### Telling the three basils apart - Horapha (Thai basil): glossy green leaves on purple stems, with purple flowers and an aniseed scent; used in green curry and stir-fries. - Kraphao (holy basil): smaller, slightly hairy, jagged-edged leaves with a peppery, clove-like taste that comes out when cooked; used in pad kraphao. - Maenglak (lemon basil): pale green, narrow, softly hairy leaves and white flowers, with a clear lemon scent; used fresh or added at the very end of cooking. ### Cooking with it In Isaan, lemon basil goes into gaeng no mai, the bamboo shoot soup thickened with pounded sticky rice and yanang leaf, and into herby soups such as gaeng om, where its lemon note lifts earthy flavours. Add it in the last minute of cooking: the leaves wilt and darken quickly, and long simmering kills the scent. When buying, look for bunches with flowers still attached, which shows the plant was cut fresh. > **Cook’s tip:** Soak a teaspoon of basil seeds in water for 10 minutes and add them to iced coconut milk or lemonade for a classic Thai summer drink. --- ## Vegetables: Chinese Kale (คะน้า) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/chinese-kale Kana: thick-stemmed greens for stir-fries with crispy pork and in pad see ew. Chinese kale, also called kai lan or Chinese broccoli, has thick, juicy stems and flat, waxy leaves. It is one of the most common green vegetables in Thai street food. - **Pronunciation:** ka-naa - **Flavour:** Slightly bitter, sweet and juicy, like broccoli stems - **Used in:** Kana moo krob, pad see ew, rad na, stir-fries - **Substitute:** Tenderstem broccoli or choy sum ### How it is used Stir-fried over high heat with garlic, chilli, oyster sauce and crispy pork belly in kana moo krob; tossed with wide rice noodles and dark soy in pad see ew; and served under a thick gravy in rad na. ### Preparing it Peel the tough skin from the thicker stems, then slice them diagonally so they cook as quickly as the leaves. Add stems first and leaves for the last 30 seconds. ### Buying and storing Choose firm stems with dark green leaves and few open yellow flowers. Keep it in the fridge in a bag for up to four days. > **Cook’s tip:** A splash of water in the very hot wok creates steam that cooks the stems through in seconds without overcooking the leaves. --- ## Vegetables: Bamboo Shoots (หน่อไม้) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/bamboo-shoots Nor mai: crunchy shoots used fresh in curries and fermented in sour dishes. Bamboo shoots are the young shoots of the bamboo plant, harvested in the rainy season. They are crunchy and absorb curry beautifully, and in the north and northeast they are also fermented until sour. - **Pronunciation:** nor mai - **Flavour:** Mild, sweet and crunchy; sour when fermented - **Used in:** Red and green curries, gaeng nor mai, sup nor mai, gaeng lueang - **Substitute:** Tinned bamboo shoots, rinsed well ### Fresh and sour - Fresh or boiled shoots (nor mai sod): added to red curry with chicken or duck, green curry and jungle curry. - Sour fermented shoots (nor mai dong): used in southern sour curries and gaeng lueang, and in northern soups. - Shredded shoots: the base of sup nor mai, an Isaan salad with herbs, toasted rice and yanang leaf juice. ### Preparing them safely Raw bamboo shoots contain compounds that are toxic until cooked. Fresh shoots must be peeled and boiled for at least 20 minutes before use. Tinned and vacuum-packed shoots are already cooked; rinse them well to remove the tinny taste. ### Buying and storing Vacuum-packed whole or shredded shoots from Thai grocers taste much better than tinned. Once opened, keep them covered in water in the fridge, changing the water daily, for up to a week. > **Cook’s tip:** Blanch tinned bamboo shoots in boiling water for 2 minutes before adding them to a curry. It removes most of the canned flavour. --- ## Vegetables: Banana Blossom (หัวปลี) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/banana-blossom Hua plee: the purple flower of the banana plant, sliced raw into salads and served with noodles. The banana blossom is the large, teardrop-shaped, purple flower that hangs from the end of a bunch of bananas. Its pale inner layers are crunchy and mild, and they are eaten raw, in salads and in curries. - **Pronunciation:** hua plee - **Flavour:** Mild, slightly astringent and crunchy, like artichoke heart - **Used in:** Yam hua plee salad, with pad Thai and khanom jeen, curries - **Substitute:** Tinned banana blossom in brine, or artichoke hearts ### How it is used Sliced thinly and served raw beside pad Thai and khanom jeen; tossed in yam hua plee, a salad with chicken or prawns, coconut cream and chilli jam; and added to curries and soups such as tom kha. ### Preparing it Peel away the tough outer purple layers and the small flowers between them until you reach the pale heart. Rub your knife and hands with lime or oil, because the sap stains. Slice the heart thinly and drop it straight into water with lime juice or salt to stop it browning. ### Buying and storing Choose a firm, heavy blossom with tightly closed layers. It keeps for a few days in the fridge, but prepare it just before using. > **Cook’s tip:** Soak sliced banana blossom in salted, lemony water for 15 minutes. It loses some astringency and stays pale and crisp. --- ## Vegetables: Cha-om (ชะอม) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/cha-om Feathery acacia shoots with a pungent smell, cooked into omelettes and sour curries. Cha-om are the young, feathery shoots of a climbing acacia. Raw, they have a strong smell that surprises newcomers; cooked, they turn mild, nutty and savoury, and Thais love them. - **Pronunciation:** cha-om - **Flavour:** Pungent raw; nutty and savoury when cooked - **Used in:** Cha-om omelette, gaeng som, gaeng khanun, with nam prik - **Substitute:** None close; spinach in an omelette for texture ### How it is used Beaten into eggs and fried in a thick square omelette (kai jiao cha-om), which is cut into pieces and served with gaeng som (sour curry) or nam prik kapi. It also goes into northern jackfruit curry and some soups. ### Preparing it The stems have small thorns: wear gloves or hold the tips and strip the soft leaves downward, leaving the stems behind. Only the tender tips are eaten. ### Buying and storing Sold in small bundles in Thai grocers, often frozen. Fresh cha-om keeps for two days in the fridge; frozen leaves can be added straight to the egg mixture. > **Cook’s tip:** Fry cha-om omelette slowly in plenty of oil so it puffs up and browns, then cut it into squares. It soaks up the sour curry like a sponge. --- ## Vegetables: Stink Bean (สะตอ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/stink-bean Sator: bright green beans from the south, bitter and pungent, stir-fried with shrimp paste. Sator, also called petai or stink bean, grows in long twisted pods on tall trees in southern Thailand. The bright green beans have a bitter, garlicky flavour and a smell that lingers, and they are much loved in the south. - **Pronunciation:** sa-tor - **Flavour:** Bitter, nutty and garlicky, with a lingering smell - **Used in:** Pad sator with shrimp paste, southern curries, with nam prik - **Substitute:** Broad beans for texture, without the flavour ### How it is used Stir-fried with prawns or pork and a lot of shrimp paste and chilli in pad sator kapi goong, the classic southern dish. The beans are also eaten raw or blanched with nam prik, and added to southern curries. ### Preparing it Pop the beans out of the pods and peel off the thin skin if it is tough. Halve large beans so they cook evenly. Frozen beans are already shelled. ### Buying and storing Sold in pods, shelled or frozen in Southeast Asian grocers. Pods keep for a few days in the fridge; shelled beans are best frozen. > **Cook’s tip:** If you are new to sator, start with a few beans in a dish with plenty of shrimp paste and chilli. The strong seasoning balances its bitterness. --- ## Vegetables: Winged Bean (ถั่วพู) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/winged-bean Tua phu: frilly four-winged beans, crunchy in salads and with chilli dips. Winged beans have four frilly ridges running along the pod, so they look like stars when sliced. They are crunchy and juicy, and they are one of the prettiest vegetables in Thai cooking. - **Pronunciation:** tua poo - **Flavour:** Crisp, mild and slightly sweet, like a green bean - **Used in:** Yam tua phu salad, with nam prik, stir-fries - **Substitute:** Green beans or sugar snap peas ### How it is used Sliced and briefly blanched in yam tua phu, a salad with prawns, toasted coconut, shallots and a dressing of lime, fish sauce and chilli jam. Served raw with nam prik kapi and other dips, and stir-fried with garlic and oyster sauce. ### Buying and storing Choose young, bright green beans with crisp wings and no brown edges. They keep for two to three days in the fridge in a bag. ### Every part is edible The young pods are what most people buy, but the whole plant can be eaten: the young shoots and leaves, the pale blue flowers, the tuberous roots and the dried mature seeds. In Thai home cooking the shoots and flowers are sometimes blanched or added to curries and soups, while the pods are the everyday vegetable. ### More ways to cook it - Raw with nam prik pla ra or nam prik kapi, as part of a plate of fresh vegetables. - Fried in a light, crisp batter and served with sweet chilli sauce. - Sliced thinly into stir-fries with pork or prawns, added at the last minute so the wings stay crisp. ### Outside Thailand Look for them in Asian grocers, sometimes labelled four-angled bean or dragon bean. Frozen sliced winged beans are also sold and are fine for stir-fries, though not for salads. > **Cook’s tip:** Blanch winged beans for 30 seconds and plunge them into iced water. They stay bright green and crunchy for salads. --- ## Vegetables: Water Mimosa (ผักกระเฉด) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/water-mimosa Phak krachet: a floating water plant with crunchy stems, stir-fried and added to sour curries. Water mimosa grows floating on ponds and canals, held up by a white spongy layer around its stems. The young stems and small leaves are crunchy and mild, and they are a favourite in central Thailand. - **Pronunciation:** pak gra-chet - **Flavour:** Mild, green and nutty, with a crunchy stem - **Used in:** Stir-fries, gaeng som, with nam prik - **Substitute:** Morning glory or asparagus tips ### How it is used Stir-fried quickly over high heat with garlic, chilli and oyster sauce, like morning glory; added to gaeng som (sour curry); and blanched to serve with nam prik. ### Preparing it Peel away the white spongy covering from the stems, then cut them into finger lengths. Use only the tender tips and upper stems. ### Buying and storing Found in Thai grocers, fresh or frozen. Fresh water mimosa wilts quickly; use it within a day. ### Classic dishes - Phak krachet fai daeng: stir-fried over a fierce flame with garlic, chilli, oyster sauce and fermented soy beans, the 'red fire' method also used for morning glory. - Gaeng som phak krachet: sour orange curry with prawns or fish, the stems added at the end so they keep their crunch. - With nam prik kapi: blanched and served in the central Thai set of shrimp paste relish, fried mackerel and boiled or raw vegetables. ### Buying it safely Water mimosa grows in standing water, so buy it from a trusted grocer, wash it well in several changes of water and cook it, even briefly, rather than eating it raw. In Thai markets it is sold in bundles, often already stripped of its spongy collar. Choose stems that are firm and pale green, with fresh leaves; limp or yellowing bunches are old. > **Cook’s tip:** Cook water mimosa for no more than a minute. Its appeal is the crunch, which disappears fast. --- ## Vegetables: Pumpkin (ฟักทอง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/vegetables/pumpkin Fak thong: sweet, dense Thai pumpkin for curries, stir-fries, custard and coconut desserts. Thai pumpkin is a dense, deep orange squash with green, knobbly skin, close to the Japanese kabocha. It holds its shape when cooked and is sweet enough for both curries and desserts. - **Pronunciation:** fak tong - **Flavour:** Sweet, nutty and dense - **Used in:** Red curry, stir-fried pumpkin with egg, desserts, with nam prik - **Substitute:** Kabocha or butternut squash ### How it is used - Simmered in red curry with pork or chicken (gaeng phed fak thong), where it soaks up the coconut sauce. - Stir-fried with egg, garlic and oyster sauce (fak thong pad kai), a homely everyday dish. - Steamed whole with a coconut custard inside (sangkaya fak thong), a classic dessert. - Simmered in sweet coconut milk (fak thong kaeng buat), and steamed to serve with nam prik. ### Buying and storing Choose a heavy pumpkin with hard skin and a dry stem. Whole, it keeps for weeks in a cool place; once cut, wrap it and keep it in the fridge for up to five days. > **Cook’s tip:** Leave the skin on when cooking pumpkin in curry. It is edible, holds the pieces together and adds colour. --- ## Fruits: Mango (มะม่วง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/mango Mamuang: eaten ripe with sticky rice, or green and sour with chilli salt. The Thai hot season is mango season. In March, April and May, markets pile up mangoes in every shade from hard green to deep gold, and mango sticky rice appears on every street corner. Thais love mangoes at both ends of ripeness: soft, golden and perfumed as a dessert, and hard, green and sour as a snack with salt, sugar and chilli. - **Pronunciation:** ma-muang - **Flavour:** Ripe: honeyed, floral and fragrant. Green: crisp and sour - **Season:** March to May, peaking in April - **Eaten:** With sticky rice, in salads, green with chilli salt ### Varieties - Nam Dok Mai (“flower nectar”): slender, golden, very sweet and fibre-free. The classic mango for mango sticky rice. - Ok Rong: rounder, intensely fragrant and very sweet, the old favourite for sticky rice. - Mahachanok: long, with a red-orange blush and a slightly tangy sweetness; often exported. - Khiao Sawoei: eaten green and crunchy; it is sweet even when unripe. - Kaew and Fa Lan: used green and sour, for salads and dipping. ### How Thais eat it Ripe, it is served with sweet coconut sticky rice (khao niao mamuang), or just sliced and chilled. Green, it is cut into long slices and dipped in prik kluea, a mixture of sugar, salt and dried chilli, or in nam pla wan, a thick sweet fish-sauce syrup with shallots and chilli. Shredded green mango goes into yam mamuang, a sour salad with dried shrimp, cashews and shallots, and is served alongside fried fish. ### Choosing and storing For ripe mangoes, choose fruit that smells sweet at the stem end and gives slightly when pressed; colour is not a reliable guide. Ripen hard mangoes at room temperature in a paper bag, then keep them in the fridge for a few days. For green mango, choose very firm, heavy fruit with no yellow patches. ### How to cut it Slice the two “cheeks” off either side of the flat stone. Peel them, or score the flesh in a grid and push the skin inside out. Trim the remaining flesh from around the stone. > **Cook’s tip:** Outside Asia, look for Ataulfo (also called honey) mangoes from Mexico or Kesar and Alphonso from India. They are the closest in texture and sweetness to Nam Dok Mai. --- ## Fruits: Mangosteen (มังคุด) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/mangosteen Mangkhut: the “queen of fruits”, snowy segments inside a hard purple shell. Mangosteen is called the queen of fruits, and durian the king. Inside its thick, deep purple rind are four to eight snow-white segments that are soft, juicy and both sweet and tart. Many people who try one in Thailand say it is the best fruit they have ever eaten. - **Pronunciation:** mang-koot - **Flavour:** Sweet-tart, juicy and delicate, like peach, lychee and pineapple - **Season:** May to September, peaking in May and June - **Eaten:** Fresh, on its own ### Where it grows Mangosteen trees need heat and humidity, and grow mainly in the eastern provinces of Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat, and in the south, in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani. The eastern crop arrives first, in May and June; the southern crop follows into August and September. ### How to open it Hold the fruit in both hands and press firmly with your thumbs around the middle until the rind cracks, then pull it apart. Or score around the middle with a knife, cutting only through the rind, and twist the halves apart. The purple juice stains clothes and wooden boards, so be careful. Turn the fruit over before opening it: the number of petal-like lobes on the bottom tells you how many segments are inside. ### Choosing and storing Choose fruit with a deep purple, slightly glossy rind that gives a little when squeezed. Rock-hard rinds mean old fruit that has dried out inside. Green caps that look fresh are a good sign. Eat them within a few days; refrigerated, they keep for about a week but the rind hardens. > **Cook’s tip:** Thais say mangosteen “cools” the body after eating “hot” durian, so the two are often eaten together. It is also a good excuse to buy both. --- ## Fruits: Durian (ทุเรียน) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/durian Thurian: the “king of fruits”, custardy and famously pungent. Durian is the king of fruits, and the most argued-about food in Southeast Asia. Its spiky husk holds pods of creamy, custard-like flesh that people describe as anything from heavenly to rotten onions. The smell is so strong that durian is banned on public transport and in many hotels. Thailand is the world’s largest durian exporter, and in season Thais queue at orchards and roadside stalls to buy the best fruit. - **Pronunciation:** too-rian - **Flavour:** Rich, sweet and custardy, with notes of caramel, almond and onion - **Season:** April to August; east first, then the south - **Eaten:** Fresh, with sticky rice, in desserts and as dried chips ### Varieties - Monthong (“golden pillow”): the most common; large, thick, mild and sweet, with a gentle smell. A good first durian. - Chanee: smaller, softer, stronger-smelling and more bitter-sweet; loved by enthusiasts. - Kanyao (“long stem”): rich, creamy and expensive. - Puang Manee: small, very sweet and creamy. - Nonthaburi durians: rare, prized and very expensive, from historic orchards near Bangkok. ### How Thais eat it Mostly fresh, at the stall or at home. In season, durian is served with sweet coconut sticky rice (khao niao thurian), much like mango sticky rice. It is also made into durian paste (thurian kuan), ice cream and crispy fried durian chips. ### Choosing one Buy from a stall where the seller opens the fruit for you and packs the pods in a sealed box: that is how most Thais buy it. The flesh should be thick, creamy-yellow and soft, without dark or watery patches. If you buy a whole fruit, a good one smells strongly at the stem and sounds hollow when tapped. ### Before you buy Eat it outdoors or keep it tightly sealed. Do not take it into hotels, taxis or the Skytrain: you can be fined. Many Thais also advise against drinking alcohol with durian. > **Cook’s tip:** Start with Monthong. Its milder smell and sweet, thick flesh make it the easiest introduction, and you can work up to the stronger varieties. --- ## Fruits: Rambutan (เงาะ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/rambutan Ngoh: a hairy red shell around sweet, juicy, lychee-like flesh. Rambutan’s name comes from the Malay word for hair, and its red shell is covered in soft, hair-like spines. Inside is a translucent, juicy white fruit around a single seed, sweeter and milder than a lychee. - **Pronunciation:** ngor - **Flavour:** Sweet, juicy and mildly tart, like a milder lychee - **Season:** May to September - **Eaten:** Fresh; also canned in syrup or stuffed with pineapple ### Varieties and where they grow Rong Rien rambutan from Surat Thani in the south is the most famous: crisp, sweet and easy to peel away from the seed. Si Chompoo, with a pinkish shell, is common in the east around Chanthaburi. The town of Ban Na San in Surat Thani even holds an annual rambutan festival in August. ### How to open it Pinch or score the shell around the middle with your thumbnail or a knife and pull off one half. Pop the fruit into your mouth and eat around the seed, which is not eaten; it has a thin papery skin that sometimes sticks to the flesh. ### Choosing and storing Choose bright red fruit with fresh, flexible spines that are still green or red at the tips. Black, dry spines mean old fruit. Rambutans keep only a few days, so keep them in a bag in the fridge. ### In Thai food Mostly eaten fresh. Peeled, seeded rambutans stuffed with pineapple are a classic canned dessert, and rambutans sometimes appear in red curry with roast duck, in place of lychees. > **Cook’s tip:** Chill rambutans for an hour before eating. Cold, they are crisp and refreshing, the perfect hot-season snack. --- ## Fruits: Longan (ลำไย) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/longan Lamyai: small, tan-skinned fruit from the north with musky, honeyed flesh. Longan means “dragon’s eye” in Chinese, after the dark seed showing through its translucent flesh. The fruit is small, with a thin, light brown shell, and grows in large bunches. It is the signature fruit of northern Thailand. - **Pronunciation:** lam-yai - **Flavour:** Sweet, musky and honeyed, less tart than lychee - **Season:** July and August - **Eaten:** Fresh, dried, in drinks and syrups ### Where it grows Most of Thailand’s longans come from Chiang Mai and Lamphun in the north, where the cool winters suit the trees. Lamphun holds a longan festival every August, complete with a beauty pageant, a parade of longan-covered floats and stalls selling every kind of longan product. ### How it is eaten Fresh, by pressing the thin shell until it cracks and popping out the fruit. Dried longan (lamyai haeng), dark brown and chewy with a smoky sweetness, is eaten as a snack and boiled with water and sugar to make nam lamyai, a cooling longan drink sold at street stalls everywhere. Longans in syrup are served over shaved ice. ### Choosing and storing Choose bunches with fruit still attached to the stems and shells that are dry and unblemished. They keep for about a week in the fridge in a bag. > **Cook’s tip:** Make nam lamyai at home: simmer 100 g dried longan in a litre of water for 20 minutes, sweeten to taste, chill and serve over ice with a few of the plumped fruit in each glass. --- ## Fruits: Lychee (ลิ้นจี่) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/lychee Linchee: a short, sweet spring season of fragrant, floral fruit from the northern hills. Lychees have a bumpy, red shell and glossy, white, intensely fragrant flesh. In Thailand the season is short, from late spring into early summer, and the best fruit comes from the cool hills of the north. - **Pronunciation:** lin-jee - **Flavour:** Sweet, floral and perfumed, slightly tart - **Season:** April to June - **Eaten:** Fresh, in syrup, in drinks and in red curry with duck ### Varieties and where they grow Most Thai lychees grow in Chiang Rai, Phayao, Chiang Mai and Nan. Hong Huay is the most common, with a bright red shell and a tangy sweetness. Chakrapad is large and very sweet. There are also lychees grown in the central province of Samut Songkhram, where the variety Kom is prized. ### How it is eaten Fresh, chilled, in syrup over shaved ice, blended into lychee shakes and juices, and in a few savoury dishes: lychees are a classic addition to gaeng phed ped yang, red curry with roast duck. ### Choosing and storing Choose heavy fruit with bright, reddish shells, and buy them on the branch if you can. The shells brown within days, but the fruit inside is usually still fine. Keep them in a bag in the fridge and eat them within a week. > **Cook’s tip:** Freeze peeled, seeded lychees. They make perfect ice cubes for a glass of sparkling water or a cocktail. --- ## Fruits: Pomelo (ส้มโอ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/pomelo Som o: the giant citrus, sweet and mildly bitter, and the base of a famous salad. Pomelo is the largest of the citrus fruits, sometimes the size of a football. Under its thick green or yellow rind and a deep layer of white pith are large segments of pale yellow or pink flesh, sweeter and less bitter than grapefruit, with firm, separate juice sacs. - **Pronunciation:** som oh - **Flavour:** Sweet, mildly sour and slightly bitter, less juicy than grapefruit - **Season:** Year-round, best from August to November - **Eaten:** Fresh, and in yam som o (pomelo salad) ### Varieties - Khao Nam Phueng (“honey white”): sweet and juicy, a favourite from Nakhon Pathom. - Thong Dee: pinkish flesh, sweet and mild, from Nakhon Pathom. - Khao Yai: large, pale and sweet, from Samut Songkhram. - Thapthim Siam: deep red-pink flesh, from Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south. ### How to peel one Cut off the top, then score the thick rind from top to bottom in six or eight places, cutting only through the rind. Peel it away like the petals of a flower. Pull the segments apart and peel away the tough membrane from each one, leaving just the flesh. ### In Thai food Yam som o, pomelo salad, is one of the great Thai salads: pomelo flesh tossed with prawns or chicken, toasted coconut, roasted peanuts, fried shallots and a dressing of lime, fish sauce, palm sugar and nam prik pao. Pomelo is also a common offering in Chinese-Thai festivals and at temples. ### Choosing and storing Choose heavy fruit with a fragrant, slightly soft rind; heavy means juicy. Whole pomelos keep for two to three weeks at room temperature. > **Cook’s tip:** Peeled pomelo segments separate into individual sacs when they dry a little. For salads, peel them a few hours ahead and leave them uncovered in the fridge. --- ## Fruits: Jackfruit (ขนุน) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/jackfruit Khanun: the world’s biggest tree fruit, with sweet golden pods. Jackfruit is the largest fruit that grows on a tree, often 10 kg or more, with a knobbly green skin. Inside, between sticky white fibres, are dozens of golden, waxy pods with a sweet, fruity flavour and a chewy texture. In Thai, its name khanun sounds like the word for “support”, so jackfruit trees are planted for luck. - **Pronunciation:** ka-noon - **Flavour:** Ripe: sweet, like banana, pineapple and bubblegum. Young: neutral - **Season:** Year-round, peaking from January to June - **Eaten:** Ripe and fresh, in desserts; young in curries ### Ripe and young jackfruit Ripe jackfruit is eaten as a fruit and in desserts. Young, green jackfruit has a mild flavour and a meaty texture and is cooked as a vegetable, especially in the north, in gaeng khanun, a jackfruit curry with pork ribs and cha-om. Young jackfruit is also the jackfruit used in vegan “pulled pork”. ### How it is eaten Ripe pods are eaten fresh and chilled, sliced into desserts with coconut milk and shaved ice, and stuffed with sticky rice. The large seeds are boiled or roasted and eaten like chestnuts. ### Buying it Preparing a whole jackfruit is a sticky job, so in Thailand most people buy the pods ready-prepared in bags from market vendors. Outside Thailand, look for prepared pods in Asian grocers, or canned jackfruit: in syrup for ripe, in brine for young. > **Cook’s tip:** If you do cut a whole jackfruit, oil your knife and hands first. The sap is like glue and very hard to wash off. --- ## Fruits: Coconut (มะพร้าว) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/coconut Maprao: fresh coconut water to drink, and the cream and milk behind curries and desserts. Coconut is everywhere in Thai food: young coconuts are sold chilled for their sweet water and soft jelly, and the grated flesh of mature coconuts is squeezed into the coconut cream and milk that make central and southern Thai curries and desserts so rich. - **Pronunciation:** ma-prao - **Flavour:** Young: sweet, delicate water and soft jelly. Mature: rich, creamy and nutty - **Season:** Year-round - **Eaten:** Drunk fresh; milk and cream in curries, soups and desserts ### Young coconuts Thailand’s nam hom (“fragrant water”) coconuts, grown around Ratchaburi and Samut Sakhon, are famous for their sweet, faintly pandan-scented water. They are sold chilled, trimmed into a point, with a hole punched in the top for a straw. Scoop out the soft jelly-like flesh inside with a spoon when you have finished the water. ### Coconut cream and milk Traditionally, grated mature coconut is mixed with warm water and squeezed by hand. The first, thick pressing is coconut cream (hua kati); the thinner second and third pressings are coconut milk (hang kati). In curries, the cream is fried with the curry paste, and the milk is used to make the sauce. In cans and cartons, coconut cream is thicker and richer; coconut milk is the same thing with more water. If a recipe calls for both, you can use the thick layer that settles at the top of an unshaken can of milk as cream. ### “Cracking” the cream Thai cooks fry curry paste in coconut cream heated until it bubbles hard and its oil separates, called taek man (“breaking the oil”). This fries the paste properly and gives the finished curry a glossy surface. Cartons and cans with stabilisers do not split easily; brands with only coconut and water, such as Aroy-D and Chaokoh, work best. ### In desserts Salted, lightly sweetened coconut cream is spooned over sticky rice and many Thai sweets. Coconut is the base of khanom krok (coconut pancakes), sangkaya (custard), and countless jellies and puddings. > **Cook’s tip:** Do not shake the can before opening it if you need coconut cream. Spoon the thick layer off the top for frying the paste, and use the thinner milk below for the sauce. --- ## Fruits: Banana (กล้วย) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/banana Kluay: dozens of varieties, eaten fresh, grilled, fried and cooked in coconut milk. Thailand grows dozens of banana varieties, and almost every part of the plant is used: the fruit, the flower (hua plee), which is eaten in salads and with noodles, and the large leaves, which wrap and steam food all over the country. - **Pronunciation:** gluay - **Flavour:** From tangy and firm to very sweet and custardy, depending on variety - **Season:** Year-round - **Eaten:** Fresh, grilled, fried, in coconut milk; leaves for wrapping ### Common varieties - Kluay Hom (“fragrant banana”): long and sweet, the closest to the bananas sold in Western supermarkets. - Kluay Khai (“egg banana”): small, thin-skinned and very sweet, famous from Kamphaeng Phet province. - Kluay Nam Wa: short and stubby, slightly tart, and the most common cooking banana. - Kluay Leb Mue Nang (“lady finger”): tiny, fragrant and sweet, from the south. ### Banana desserts and snacks - Kluay tod: bananas fried in a crisp, coconut and sesame batter, a classic street snack. - Kluay ping: whole bananas grilled over charcoal until smoky, sometimes flattened and drizzled with syrup. - Kluay buat chi: bananas simmered in salted, sweetened coconut milk. - Kluay tak: sun-dried bananas, chewy and caramel-sweet. ### Banana leaves Banana leaves wrap grilled and steamed food such as hor mok (steamed fish curry custard), khao tom mat (sticky rice parcels) and grilled fish, adding a subtle, tea-like aroma. They are also folded into cups and plates. Frozen leaves are sold in Asian grocers; soften them briefly over a flame or in hot water before folding. > **Cook’s tip:** For kluay tod and kluay buat chi, use slightly under-ripe cooking bananas, or the firmest ordinary bananas you can find. Very ripe ones fall apart. --- ## Fruits: Pineapple (สับปะรด) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/pineapple Sapparot: small, sweet and fragrant, eaten fresh and cooked into curries and fried rice. Thailand is one of the world’s biggest pineapple producers. Thai pineapples are often smaller than supermarket ones, with a crunchier core and a sweet, fragrant flesh, and they are sold everywhere from fruit carts, peeled, cut and served on a stick. - **Pronunciation:** sap-pa-rot - **Flavour:** Sweet, fragrant and tangy - **Season:** Year-round, best from April to June - **Eaten:** Fresh, in curries, fried rice and khanom jeen sao nam ### Varieties - Phuket (also grown in the east and south): small, crisp and very sweet, with a tender, edible core. - Phu Lae: tiny pineapples from Chiang Rai, sweet and crunchy, eaten core and all. - Pattavia (Smooth Cayenne): the large, juicy pineapple grown in Prachuap Khiri Khan and used for canning. ### In Thai food Pineapple goes into red curry with roast duck (gaeng phed ped yang), sour curry, and the sweet-sour stir-fry pad priao wan. It is the star of khao pad sapparot, fried rice served in a hollowed-out pineapple, and of khanom jeen sao nam, cold rice noodles with pineapple, coconut milk, dried shrimp and ginger. At fruit carts, fresh pineapple is sprinkled with prik kluea (sugar, salt and chilli), which makes it taste even sweeter. ### Choosing one Choose a heavy pineapple that smells sweet at the base and has golden skin near the bottom. The leaves should be fresh and green; a leaf that pulls out easily from the top is another sign of ripeness. > **Cook’s tip:** Sprinkle a little salt on fresh pineapple, as Thais do. It cuts the acidity, takes away the tingle on your tongue, and brings out the sweetness. --- ## Fruits: Guava (ฝรั่ง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/guava Farang: eaten crisp and green, dipped in sugar, salt and chilli. Thai guava is eaten green and crunchy, not soft and ripe. It is pale green, with crisp, white flesh that is mildly sweet and refreshing, and it is one of the most common fruits on Thai fruit carts. The Thai word for guava, farang, is also the word for a Westerner. One explanation is that the fruit was brought to Thailand by Portuguese traders; another is that the word for Westerner came from “Frank”. Either way, Thais enjoy the joke. - **Pronunciation:** fa-rang - **Flavour:** Crisp, mildly sweet and slightly tart, like a cross between apple and pear - **Season:** Year-round - **Eaten:** Crisp and green, with prik kluea; as juice ### How it is eaten Cut into wedges, with the seedy core usually removed, and dipped in prik kluea: a mixture of sugar, salt and dried chilli flakes. It is also pressed into a pale pink juice, sold chilled with a pinch of salt. ### Varieties Kim Ju is a popular, seedless, very crunchy variety. Pan Sitong is large, sweet and crisp. Pink-fleshed guavas are less common in Thailand and are softer and more fragrant. ### Choosing and storing For the Thai style, choose firm, pale green guavas that are heavy for their size. They keep for about a week in the fridge. Left at room temperature they soften, turn yellow and become sweeter and more fragrant. > **Cook’s tip:** Make your own prik kluea: two parts sugar, one part salt and one part dried chilli flakes, pounded briefly in a mortar. It is good on guava, green mango, pineapple and rose apple. --- ## Fruits: Rose Apple (ชมพู่) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/rose-apple Chomphu: bell-shaped, crisp and watery, the most refreshing fruit in the hot season. Rose apples are small, bell-shaped fruits with glossy skin in pink, red or green. The flesh is spongy, crisp and very juicy, more refreshing than sweet, with a faint floral scent. On a hot day, a chilled bag of rose apples from a fruit cart is hard to beat. - **Pronunciation:** chom-poo - **Flavour:** Crisp, watery and lightly sweet, with a faint rose scent - **Season:** Year-round, best from December to April - **Eaten:** Fresh and chilled, with prik kluea ### Varieties - Chomphu Phet (“diamond rose apple”): green with a pink blush, crisp and sweet, from Phetchaburi; the most prized. - Thapthim Chan (“ruby”): deep red and glossy, very crisp and sweet, now the most popular. - Chomphu Mamieo: dark red, rounder and softer. - Chomphu Kaew: pale green-white, very watery and lightly sweet. ### How it is eaten Fresh, chilled, sliced into wedges with the seedy centre trimmed out, and often with prik kluea for dipping. It is not usually cooked. ### Choosing and storing Choose firm, glossy fruit without bruises. Rose apples bruise easily and keep only two or three days in the fridge. ### In Thai markets Phetchaburi's Chomphu Phet Sai Rung is a registered geographical indication product, grown in the province's orchards and sold at a premium for its sweetness and crunch. Most rose apples are sold from fruit carts, trimmed and chilled in plastic bags with a small packet of prik kluea, or by the kilo in markets. The cooler, drier months bring the crispest, sweetest fruit. ### Outside Thailand In English the Thai chomphu is also called wax apple, wax jambu or java apple, and it is sold under those names in Asian grocers, often imported from Taiwan. Do not confuse it with the true rose apple, a different species that is round, pale yellow and strongly rose-scented, with drier flesh. Choose glossy, firm fruit and use it within a day or two. > **Cook’s tip:** Serve rose apples very cold. Their crunch and juiciness are at their best straight from the fridge. --- ## Fruits: Dragon Fruit (แก้วมังกร) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/dragon-fruit Kaew mangkon: a pink, flame-shaped fruit with speckled white or magenta flesh. Dragon fruit is the fruit of a climbing cactus. Its bright pink skin has green-tipped scales like flames, and inside is white or magenta flesh speckled with tiny black seeds that you eat, like kiwi seeds. The Thai name kaew mangkon means “dragon crystal”. - **Pronunciation:** gaeo mang-gon - **Flavour:** Mild and lightly sweet, like kiwi and pear; red-fleshed is sweeter - **Season:** Year-round, best from June to September - **Eaten:** Fresh and chilled, in shakes and fruit salads ### White and red dragon fruit White-fleshed dragon fruit is the most common and has a mild, refreshing taste. Red- or magenta-fleshed dragon fruit is sweeter and more flavourful, with striking colour, and is used in shakes and smoothies. Be warned: the red flesh stains hands, boards and clothes. ### How to eat it Cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, or cut it into wedges and peel back the skin. Chill it first; it tastes better cold. ### Choosing and storing Choose bright, evenly coloured fruit that gives slightly when pressed, with fresh scales. Dry, brown scale tips mean older fruit. It keeps for about a week in the fridge. ### In Thai markets Dragon fruit is grown all over Thailand and is also imported from neighbouring Vietnam, so it is cheap and easy to find all year. Fruit carts sell it peeled and cubed in bags, and markets sell it whole by the kilo. Yellow dragon fruit, a different species with a yellow, spiny skin and sweeter white flesh, appears in upmarket supermarkets at a much higher price. ### Ways to eat it Beyond eating it chilled, Thais blend red-fleshed dragon fruit into vivid pink shakes with ice and a little syrup, add cubes to fruit salads and serve it on fruit plates next to watermelon and pineapple. The mild white type is best paired with something sharper, such as lime juice or passion fruit, which gives it the flavour it lacks on its own. > **Cook’s tip:** A squeeze of lime over chilled dragon fruit brings out its gentle flavour. --- ## Fruits: Lime (มะนาว) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/lime Manao: small, juicy Thai limes, the main source of sourness in Thai cooking. Thai limes are small, round and thin-skinned, and they are very juicy. Lime is the most important souring ingredient in Thai cooking: the sour in hot-sour-salty-sweet nearly always comes from a squeeze of manao. It is a different fruit from the makrut lime, which is used for its leaves and zest rather than its juice. - **Pronunciation:** ma-nao - **Flavour:** Sharp, sour and fragrant - **Used in:** Tom yum, larb, som tam, dipping sauces, drinks - **Substitute:** Ordinary limes; lemon only in an emergency ### How it is used Squeezed into tom yum and tom saep, larb, nam tok, som tam and yam salads, and into almost every dipping sauce, from nam jim seafood to jaew. Wedges are served on the side with noodles, khao soi and grilled meats. Lime juice also goes into iced tea and soda drinks (manao soda). ### When to add it Add lime juice at the end, off the heat. Boiled lime juice turns bitter and loses its fragrance, which is why tom yum gets its lime after the pot comes off the stove. ### Choosing and storing Choose heavy limes with thin, smooth, glossy skin; they have the most juice. Roll them firmly on the counter before cutting. Keep them in the fridge in a bag for two to three weeks. > **Cook’s tip:** Taste as you add lime. Limes vary a lot in sourness, and it is the one seasoning in a Thai dish that cannot be fixed once there is too much. --- ## Fruits: Ripe Papaya (มะละกอสุก) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/ripe-papaya Malakor suk: soft, sweet orange papaya, eaten with a squeeze of lime. The same papaya that is shredded green for som tam ripens into soft, sweet, orange-fleshed fruit. Ripe papaya is one of the cheapest and most common fruits in Thailand, on every breakfast buffet and fruit cart. - **Pronunciation:** ma-la-gor suk - **Flavour:** Sweet, soft and musky - **Season:** Year-round - **Eaten:** Fresh, with lime, in fruit plates and shakes ### Varieties - Khaek Dam: long, with deep orange-red flesh, very sweet; the most popular eating papaya. - Holland (Hawaii-type): smaller and rounder, with orange flesh and a milder, sweeter taste. - Khaek Nuan: pale yellow flesh, often used green for som tam. ### How to eat it Halve it lengthways, scoop out the black seeds and cut it into wedges or cubes. A squeeze of lime lifts its sweetness and tones down the musky smell. It is also blended into shakes and served in fruit plates. ### Choosing and storing Choose fruit with mostly yellow-orange skin that gives slightly when pressed. Green papayas ripen at room temperature in a few days; once ripe, keep them in the fridge and eat within two to three days. ### Ways to eat it - With lime: the classic breakfast plate, chilled wedges with a lime half on the side. - Shakes: blended with ice, a little syrup and sometimes milk or yoghurt at fruit-shake stalls. - Fruit plates: alongside pineapple, watermelon and guava, often with prik kluea for the less sweet fruit. - Not for som tam: ripe papaya is too soft and sweet for the salad, which always uses firm green fruit. ### Outside Thailand The small, pear-shaped papayas sold in supermarkets are usually Hawaiian Solo types, close to the Thai Holland papaya. Larger, longer fruit with red-orange flesh, often from Brazil or Mexico, is nearer to Khaek Dam in taste. Both ripen well at room temperature. For som tam, buy green papaya from an Asian grocer instead; an underripe supermarket papaya will not give the same crunch. > **Cook’s tip:** Ripe papaya contains an enzyme that tenderises meat. Thai cooks sometimes add a little mashed papaya to marinades for tough beef. --- ## Fruits: Watermelon (แตงโม) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/watermelon Taeng mo: the hot-season thirst quencher, eaten chilled, blended and with salty fish. Watermelon is everywhere in Thailand, sold by the slice from iced fruit carts and blended into shakes. Thai watermelons are usually smaller than Western ones, with red or yellow flesh. - **Pronunciation:** taeng mo - **Flavour:** Sweet, juicy and refreshing - **Season:** Year-round, best from February to May - **Eaten:** Chilled, as a shake, with sweet dried fish ### How Thais eat it Chilled and sliced, or blended with ice and a pinch of salt into taeng mo pan. A classic old-style snack is taeng mo pla haeng: chilled watermelon cubes topped with crispy, sweet-salty shredded dried fish and fried shallots. The contrast of icy fruit and savoury crunch is unexpectedly good. ### Choosing and storing Choose a watermelon that is heavy for its size, with a creamy yellow patch where it rested on the ground and a deep, hollow sound when tapped. Whole, it keeps for a week at room temperature; cut, keep it covered in the fridge for three to four days. ### In Thai markets Whole watermelons are sold piled high from pick-up trucks at the roadside and in markets, while fruit carts sell chilled wedges or bags of cubes with a wooden skewer. Yellow-fleshed watermelons are common alongside red ones and taste a little milder and more honeyed. The hot season, from about March to May, is when they are sweetest and cheapest. ### Beyond the slice - Fruit carving: watermelon is the classic canvas for kae sa-lak, the Thai art of carving fruit and vegetables into flowers and leaves for weddings and banquets. - Seeds: roasted watermelon seeds (med taeng mo), cracked open with the teeth, are a traditional snack around Chinese New Year. - Rind: thrifty home cooks peel off the green skin and slice the pale inner rind, which can be stir-fried with egg and garlic or added to clear soups, much like a mild squash. > **Cook’s tip:** Add a small pinch of salt to watermelon juice. It makes the fruit taste sweeter, as Thai shake vendors know. --- ## Fruits: Longkong (ลองกอง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/longkong Longkong and its cousin langsat: clusters of small, pale fruit with sweet, translucent segments, from the south. Longkong and langsat are close relatives that grow in bunches like grapes. Each small, round, beige fruit holds five translucent segments that are sweet with a gentle tartness. Longkong comes mainly from the south, especially Narathiwat, while langsat is also grown in Uttaradit in the north. - **Pronunciation:** long-kong - **Flavour:** Sweet and slightly tart, like a mild grapefruit - **Season:** July to October - **Eaten:** Fresh, peeled by hand ### Longkong and langsat Longkong is the more popular of the two: it has thicker skin with no sticky sap, few or no seeds, and sweeter flesh. Langsat has thinner skin that releases a sticky white latex when peeled, and its segments can taste slightly bitter if you bite the seeds. ### How to eat them Squeeze the fruit gently at the stem end until the skin splits, then peel it back and pull the segments apart. Eat the flesh and spit out any seeds; they are bitter. ### Choosing and storing Choose bunches with plump, golden-beige fruit without black spots. They keep for only a few days at room temperature; refrigerate them to stretch it to a week. ### In Thai markets Narathiwat's Longkong Tanyongmat, from Ra-ngae district, is a registered geographical indication product and is prized for its sweet, firm, rather dry flesh. Uttaradit in the north is better known for langsat and holds fairs for both fruits in season. Good growers cut the fruit from the bunch by hand rather than pulling it, which keeps the skins intact. Whole bunches cost more than loose fruit, which has usually been picked over or has dropped from the stem. ### Duku and other relatives A third type, duku, is also sold in the south. It is larger and rounder, with thicker skin, fewer fruit per bunch and very sweet flesh. In the Philippines the same fruit is called lanzones, and it is common in Malaysia and Indonesia too. Fresh longkong is rarely exported, so outside the region you will mostly find it in Asian grocers that import from Southeast Asia during the season. > **Cook’s tip:** Rub a little oil on your fingers before peeling langsat. It stops the sticky sap from clinging. --- ## Fruits: Salak (สละ) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/salak Sala: snake fruit, with scaly brown skin and crunchy, sweet-sour flesh. Salak is called snake fruit because of its scaly, reddish-brown skin. Inside are three creamy segments with a crunchy, juicy texture and a sweet, tart, slightly astringent flavour. Thailand grows it mostly in the east, in Chanthaburi. - **Pronunciation:** sa-la - **Flavour:** Crunchy, sweet and tart, with a hint of pineapple and banana - **Season:** May to August - **Eaten:** Fresh, peeled by hand ### Sala and rakam Thais distinguish two types. Sala is longer and pointed, with sweeter, more fragrant flesh. Rakam is rounder and more sour, and is often preserved in syrup or used in sweet-sour dishes. ### How to eat it Pinch the pointed tip to crack the skin, then peel it off like a hard-boiled egg; it comes away easily. Separate the segments and eat around the large brown seeds. ### Choosing and storing Choose firm, glossy fruit with tightly packed scales. Salak keeps for about a week at room temperature. ### Chanthaburi varieties Most Thai salak comes from orchards in Chanthaburi, where growers recognise several named types. Sala Noen Wong is the most widely planted and the one you are most likely to buy, with crunchy flesh and a good balance of sweetness and acidity. Sumali and Mo are the other main commercial varieties. The province holds an annual fruit festival in the hot season where they are sold alongside durian, rambutan and mangosteen. ### Outside Thailand Salak is grown widely in Indonesia and Malaysia, and the snake fruit sold in Asian grocers abroad is often Indonesian, such as the sweet salak from Bali. It travels reasonably well because of its tough skin. Tins and jars of salak in syrup are also available; they are softer and sweeter than fresh fruit and are best served chilled as a simple dessert. > **Cook’s tip:** Be careful of the small spines at the base of the fruit when you first pick it up. --- ## Fruits: Santol (กระท้อน) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/santol Krathon: a sweet-sour fruit with fluffy white segments, also cooked in curries and pickled. Santol is a round, yellow-brown fruit about the size of an apple. Inside are white, cottony segments around large seeds, sweet and sour like a peach crossed with a mangosteen. The thick rind is also edible and is used in cooking. - **Pronunciation:** gra-ton - **Flavour:** Sweet, sour and peachy, with a cottony texture - **Season:** May to August - **Eaten:** Fresh, in som tam krathon, pickled and candied ### How it is used Eaten fresh, sucking the sweet pulp from around the seeds. The sour rind is shredded for som tam krathon, a santol papaya salad, cooked into curries with pork, and pickled or candied as a snack. Pickled santol with chilli-salt is sold at markets everywhere in season. ### Eating it safely Never swallow santol seeds. They are large, hard and can cause serious intestinal blockages. Suck the pulp off and discard them. ### Choosing and storing Choose golden fruit that gives slightly when pressed. It keeps for a week at room temperature. ### Varieties - Puifai: large, with thick, sweet, fluffy flesh; the best known and most planted, especially around Nonthaburi. - Tubtim: smaller than Puifai but valued for its sweetness. - Ela and Nimnuan: other named cultivars grown for eating fresh. - Wild and local types: smaller and much more sour, used mainly for cooking and pickling. ### Outside Thailand Fresh santol rarely reaches shops abroad, but Asian grocers stock it tinned in syrup and sometimes frozen. Tinned santol is usually the peeled rind, sweet and chewy, and is good chilled on its own or with shaved ice. In the Philippines santol is used as a souring agent in sinigang, a tamarind-style sour soup, which is another way to use the frozen fruit. > **Cook’s tip:** The Pui Fai variety from Nonthaburi is the sweetest and largest; look for it at Bangkok markets in early summer. --- ## Fruits: Sapodilla (ละมุด) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/sapodilla Lamut: brown-skinned fruit with soft, malty flesh that tastes of brown sugar. Sapodilla looks like a small, rough brown potato, but inside it is soft, grainy and intensely sweet, with a malty, caramel taste often compared to brown sugar or a very ripe pear. - **Pronunciation:** la-moot - **Flavour:** Very sweet, malty, like brown sugar and pear - **Season:** Year-round, best from September to December - **Eaten:** Fresh, chilled, scooped with a spoon ### How to eat it Cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, or peel it and cut it into wedges. Remove the shiny black seeds, which are not eaten. It is best chilled. ### Ripeness matters An unripe sapodilla is full of sticky, bitter latex and tastes chalky. A ripe one gives like a ripe kiwi and has no green under the skin when scratched with a fingernail. Ripen them at room temperature for a few days. ### Choosing and storing Choose smooth, tan fruit without wrinkles. Once ripe, keep it in the fridge and eat within a few days. ### Ways to eat it Most Thais eat lamut simply, chilled and cut into wedges, but its malty sweetness also suits drinks. Fruit-shake stalls blend it with ice and a little syrup or milk, and it pairs well with lime, which cuts its richness. Very ripe fruit can be mashed and frozen into a simple sorbet with nothing more than a squeeze of lime juice. ### Outside Thailand Sapodilla is native to Mexico and Central America and is known by many names: chikoo in India, naseberry in the Caribbean and chicozapote in Mexico. Indian grocers are often the easiest place to find it, sold as chikoo. The tree's latex, chicle, was the original base of chewing gum, which is why underripe fruit feels so sticky. Imported fruit is usually hard, so ripen it at room temperature until it gives to gentle pressure. > **Cook’s tip:** Scratch the skin lightly with a fingernail. If it is brown underneath, the fruit is ripe; if green, give it more days. --- ## Fruits: Custard Apple (น้อยหน่า) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/custard-apple Noi na: knobbly green fruit with creamy white segments that taste like vanilla custard. Custard apple, or sugar apple, is a round green fruit covered in knobbly segments. When ripe, it pulls apart easily to reveal creamy, sweet, white flesh around shiny black seeds. Thailand grows a lot of it in the dry northeast, especially Nakhon Ratchasima. - **Pronunciation:** noi naa - **Flavour:** Creamy, sweet and fragrant, like vanilla custard - **Season:** June to September - **Eaten:** Fresh, pulled apart by hand ### How to eat it Pull the ripe fruit apart with your hands, then eat the creamy segments one at a time, spitting out the seeds. The seeds are toxic if crushed and should never be eaten. ### Choosing and storing Choose fruit whose segments are starting to separate, with pale creamy lines between them, and that gives when pressed. Hard fruit ripens at room temperature in two to three days. Once ripe, eat it quickly; it bruises easily. ### Varieties - Noi na fai: the traditional Thai favourite, with deep ridges, thin skin and very soft, intensely sweet flesh that almost melts. - Noi na nang: smoother and thicker-skinned, with firmer, slightly chewy flesh and a faint tartness. It travels better and bruises less. ### In Thai markets The main growing area is around Pak Chong in Nakhon Ratchasima, on the road up to Khao Yai, where roadside stalls sell boxes of fruit in season. In Bangkok they turn up on fruit carts and in markets from early in the rainy season, usually sold by the kilo and often slightly underripe so they survive the journey home. ### Outside Thailand Look for sugar apples in Asian, Indian and Caribbean grocers. In British supermarkets the label custard apple is often used for cherimoya or atemoya, which are larger, smoother-skinned relatives with a similar creamy flesh. Frozen pulp is sold in some Asian and Latin American shops and works well in shakes. > **Cook’s tip:** Chill a ripe custard apple and eat it with a spoon straight from the shell. It is like eating ice cream. --- ## Fruits: Thai Tangerine (ส้มสายน้ำผึ้ง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/thai-tangerine Som sai nam phueng: sweet, juicy northern tangerines, sold fresh and squeezed everywhere. Thailand's tangerines are sweet and very juicy, often with green or green-yellow skin even when ripe. Bottles of freshly squeezed tangerine juice, sold chilled with a pinch of salt, are one of the great everyday drinks of the country. - **Pronunciation:** som sai nam peung - **Flavour:** Very sweet and juicy, with little acidity - **Season:** November to February - **Eaten:** Fresh, and as freshly squeezed juice ### Varieties - Som sai nam phueng ("honey-stream orange"): from Chiang Mai's Fang district, golden-skinned and very sweet; the most prized. - Som khiao wan ("sweet green orange"): green-skinned and juicy, the everyday tangerine sold all over the country. - Som bang mot: an old Bangkok variety from the Thonburi orchards, now rare. ### How it is used Eaten fresh and squeezed into juice (nam som khan). Occasionally the juice replaces lime in desserts and drinks. ### Choosing and storing Choose fruit that is heavy for its size, with thin, shiny skin. Colour is not a guide to sweetness in Thai tangerines. They keep for a week at room temperature and two weeks in the fridge. ### In Thai markets Most Thai tangerines are grown in the north, around Fang and other districts of Chiang Mai and in neighbouring Chiang Rai, and the cool season brings the sweetest fruit. They are sold loose or in net bags by the kilo. Juice vendors squeeze them to order on hand presses, or sell small bottles kept on ice, usually with a pinch of salt already added. Som bang mot, once grown in the orchards of Thonburi, has largely disappeared as the area was built over. ### Outside Thailand Clementines, satsumas and other mandarins are the closest substitutes. They are usually a little more acidic, so for Thai-style juice choose the sweetest you can find, squeeze them fresh and add a small pinch of salt. Chill the juice well and drink it the same day. > **Cook’s tip:** Add a small pinch of salt to fresh tangerine juice, as Thai vendors do. It sharpens the sweetness. --- ## Fruits: Marian Plum (มะปราง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/marian-plum Maprang: small, bright orange fruit with a short spring season, sweet or sour by variety. Marian plum is a small, egg-shaped fruit that turns bright orange when ripe. It has a short season at the start of the year, and its flavour runs from sweet to sharply sour depending on the variety. Nakhon Nayok, north-east of Bangkok, is famous for it. - **Pronunciation:** ma-prang - **Flavour:** Sweet to very sour, juicy, like a mango-plum - **Season:** February to April - **Eaten:** Fresh, with chilli-salt, in syrups and preserves ### Sweet, sour and in between - Maprang wan: the sweet type, eaten fresh. - Maprang priao: sour, eaten unripe and green with chilli-salt, or made into preserves. - Mayong chid: larger and sweet-sour, the most prized of all. ### How to eat it Eat ripe marian plums whole, skin and all, and discard the large purple seed. Green, sour ones are dipped in prik kluea (sugar, salt and chilli). ### Choosing and storing Choose bright, unblemished fruit. Marian plums are delicate and keep only two to three days, even in the fridge. ### In Thai markets The main growing provinces are Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Ang Thong, Nakhon Sawan and Phichit, and the fruit reaches markets in February and March. Mayong chid in particular is sold carefully packed in boxes and baskets, often as a gift, because the thin skin bruises at the slightest knock. Sour maprang is sold green, by the bag, from the same stalls that sell other fruit for dipping in prik kluea. ### Ways to eat it - Fresh: sweet maprang and ripe mayong chid are eaten whole and chilled. - Chae im: sour types preserved in sugar syrup, sometimes with a little salt, as a sweet-sour snack. - Dong: pickled in brine and eaten with chilli-salt. - Outside Thailand: the same species is known as gandaria in Indonesia. Fresh fruit is seldom exported, so frozen or preserved versions in Asian grocers are the realistic option. > **Cook’s tip:** Look for them at Bangkok markets in March. The season is short, and they rarely reach shops outside Thailand. --- ## Fruits: Toddy Palm Fruit (ลูกตาล) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/toddy-palm-fruit Luk tan: translucent, jelly-like seeds from the sugar palm, cool and lightly sweet. The sugar palm, which gives Thailand its palm sugar, also gives this fruit. Young fruit (luk tan on) hold soft, translucent, jelly-like seeds that are cool and lightly sweet, much like the jelly of a young coconut. Phetchaburi province is famous for them. - **Pronunciation:** look taan - **Flavour:** Mild, cool and lightly sweet, like coconut jelly - **Season:** March to June for young fruit - **Eaten:** In syrup, fresh and in khanom tan cakes ### How it is eaten Young luk tan are peeled and eaten fresh, or served chilled in light syrup, often with shaved ice. The pulp of ripe fruit is mixed with rice flour and coconut to make khanom tan, small, fluffy, yellow steamed cakes with a sweet, fragrant flavour. ### Buying it Fresh luk tan are sold peeled, in bags, at markets in the dry season. Outside Thailand, look for tins labelled palm seed or attap seed in syrup in Asian grocers. ### Opening a fresh fruit A whole toddy palm fruit is round, dark purple-black and very hard. Vendors split the husk with a heavy knife to free the seeds inside, usually two or three per fruit. Each translucent seed is wrapped in a thin, pale brown skin that tastes slightly bitter, so it is peeled away before eating. The jelly should be soft and wobbly; older seeds become firm and less juicy. ### More from the same palm - Nam tan sot: the fresh, sweet sap tapped from the flower stalks, sold chilled at Phetchaburi roadside stalls and boiled down to make palm sugar. - Khanom tan: the steamed cakes made from the fragrant pulp of ripe fruit. - Hua tan: the crunchy young flesh, which looks a little like bamboo shoot, sliced into curries such as kaeng khua hua tan, often with fish. > **Cook’s tip:** Drain tinned palm seeds and add them to a glass of iced coconut water. It is the closest thing to a Phetchaburi roadside treat. --- ## Fruits: Star Fruit (มะเฟือง) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/fruits/star-fruit Ma fueang: crisp, juicy, star-shaped slices that are lightly sweet and tart. Star fruit has five ridges that make perfect stars when sliced. It is crisp and juicy, with a mild sweet-tart flavour somewhere between apple, grape and citrus. - **Pronunciation:** ma-feuang - **Flavour:** Crisp and juicy, mildly sweet and tart - **Season:** Year-round, best from August to December - **Eaten:** Fresh, with chilli-salt, juiced and preserved ### How it is eaten Sliced fresh, sometimes dipped in prik kluea (sugar, salt and chilli), squeezed into juice, and preserved in syrup. The star-shaped slices are also a common garnish on fruit plates. ### Choosing and cutting Choose firm, yellow fruit with just a little brown on the ridges; green fruit is sour. Trim the brown edges of the ridges with a peeler, then slice across. ### A health note Star fruit contains a toxin that healthy kidneys clear easily, but it can be dangerous for people with kidney disease. They should avoid it. ### Sweet and sour types Thai markets sell two broad kinds. Sweet eating types (ma fueang wan) are large, with thick, fleshy ridges, and turn golden when ripe. Sour types (ma fueang priao) are smaller and sharper, and are mostly used for preserving in syrup or with salt and sugar, or eaten green with prik kluea by those who like a pucker. ### Outside Thailand Star fruit, also called carambola, is one of the easier Thai fruits to find abroad, in supermarkets as well as Asian grocers. Imported fruit is often picked green, so leave it at room temperature until it turns fully yellow and smells fragrant, then refrigerate it and use it within a few days. Slices make a crisp addition to fruit salads, and a squeeze of the juice with a pinch of salt over ice is close to what Thai juice stalls serve. > **Cook’s tip:** Sweet star fruits are the fully yellow ones with slightly browned ridges. Leave green ones on the counter for a few days. --- ## Place: Jay Fai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/jay-fai - Address: 327 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7525710, 100.5046981 - Phone: +66 2 223 9384 - Opening hours: Sun-Tue Closed; Wed-Sat 09:00-19:30 The goggle-wearing wok master of Maha Chai Road, whose Michelin-starred crab omelette draws queues that can last hours. Jay Fai is a roadside shophouse kitchen in the old town run by Supinya Junsuta, known to everyone by her nickname. She cooks over charcoal-fired woks in ski goggles, turning out seafood dishes that cost far more than typical street food, because the crab and prawns are bought for size and freshness. She opened in the 1980s, building on her mother's noodle recipes, and became the first street-side stall in Bangkok to receive a Michelin star in the inaugural 2018 guide. It still holds the star in the 2026 guide. Expect plastic stools, a clipboard queue system and a long wait, which most visitors accept as part of the experience. ### What to order - Crab omelette: a thick, golden roll packed with lump crab meat, the dish that made her famous - Stir-fried prawns in yellow curry: big prawns in a rich, eggy curry sauce - Drunken noodles with seafood: wide rice noodles wok-fried hard with chilli and holy basil - Tom yum with seafood: a hot and sour broth loaded with prawns and squid ### Good to know - Arrive well before opening and put your name on the list, then expect to wait anywhere from one to several hours at peak times. - Bring plenty of cash: card payment is not accepted and the crab omelette alone is priced like a restaurant main course. - It is open Wednesday to Saturday only, so plan old town sightseeing around those days. --- ## Place: Thipsamai Pad Thai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/thipsamai-pad-thai - Address: 313-315 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7527631, 100.5048237 - Phone: +66 2 226 6666 - Website: https://www.thipsamai.com/ - Opening hours: Tue Closed; Wed-Mon 09:00-24:00 The Pratu Phi shophouse that has defined Bangkok pad thai since 1966, famous for noodles wrapped in a paper-thin egg. Thipsamai is the original pad thai shop at Pratu Phi, the old Ghost Gate stretch of Maha Chai Road, a few doors from Jay Fai. Woks run nonstop at the front of the shophouse, and the queue on the pavement is part of the scenery most evenings. The family says Samai Baisamut started with a street stall before renting this shophouse in 1966, and the business is now run by later generations. Some of the founding legends are disputed by historians, but the cooking has kept its reputation, with prawn oil, Chanthaburi rice noodles and the signature egg wrap. Branches now exist in malls, but the Maha Chai Road original is the one people travel for. ### What to order - Pad thai wrapped in egg: noodles with shrimp oil and fresh prawns enclosed in a thin omelette - Classic pad thai with dried shrimp: the simple version with tofu, chives and bean sprouts - Superb pad thai: the top-tier plate made with thin Chanthaburi noodles and larger prawns ### Good to know - The queue moves quickly but is longest in the evening, so a late morning or mid-afternoon visit is calmer. - It is closed every Tuesday, which catches out a lot of visitors. - Combine it with Jay Fai and the Giant Swing area, all within a short walk. --- ## Place: Prachak Roasted Duck URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/prachak-roasted-duck - Address: 1415 Charoen Krung Road, Si Lom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7203440, 100.5160364 - Phone: +66 2 234 3755 A Charoen Krung institution roasting Cantonese-style duck since 1909, with plates of duck and pork rice at everyday prices. Prachak is a plain Cantonese roast shop on old Charoen Krung Road, with glazed ducks and slabs of red pork hanging in the front window. It is the best known of several roast duck specialists along this historic street in Bang Rak. The shop dates from 1909 and is still run by the founding family, who say the roasting method has hardly changed. The duck is glossy and aromatic, served in a sweet, soy-based gravy rather than with shatteringly crisp skin. Tables turn over fast, and locals come in for a quick plate as much as visitors do. ### What to order - Roast duck on rice: sliced duck over rice with the house's sweet, soy-based sauce - Roast duck with egg noodles: the same duck served over springy yellow noodles - Barbecued red pork: sweet, lacquered pork that some regulars rate above the duck - Mixed plate: duck with red pork, crispy pork belly and Chinese sausage on rice ### Good to know - Go before late afternoon, as duck can sell out towards the end of the day. - It is a short walk from BTS Saphan Taksin and the Sathorn pier, and pairs well with Jok Prince a few doors away. - Expect to share a table at lunchtime; service is quick. --- ## Place: Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/go-ang-kaomunkai-pratunam - Address: 960-962 Phetchaburi Road (corner of Soi Phetchaburi 30), Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7496404, 100.5420858 - Phone: +66 2 252 6325 Pratunam's pink-shirted chicken rice shop, serving Hainanese-style khao man gai since 1960 to a constant queue. Go-Ang is the chicken rice shop at the mouth of Soi Phetchaburi 30, recognisable by its staff in bright pink shirts. It serves one thing above all: khao man gai, poached chicken over rice cooked in chicken fat, with a punchy sauce of fermented soybean, ginger and chilli. Sombat Pruekpaiboon founded it in 1960 after learning the dish from his Hainanese father, and his son now runs the business, which has opened branches in Singapore. It held a Michelin Bib Gourmand from the first Bangkok guide in 2018 through at least 2022. Shared tables, fast turnover and a stream of shoppers from the Pratunam markets give it a busy canteen feel. ### What to order - Khao man gai: poached chicken on fragrant chicken-fat rice, in regular or large portions - Extra plate of chicken: worth adding if you are sharing or very hungry - Double-boiled bitter gourd soup: a clean, slightly bitter soup to balance the rich rice - The house chilli sauce: fermented bean paste, ginger and green chilli, the reason many regulars come ### Good to know - Lunchtime queues are long but move quickly; mid-morning or mid-afternoon is easier. - Pay in cash and expect to share a table. - Several chicken rice shops sit side by side here; look for the pink uniforms. --- ## Place: Nai Ek Roll Noodles URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/nai-ek-roll-noodles - Address: 442 Soi Yaowarat 9, Yaowarat Road, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7401918, 100.5099957 - Phone: +66 2 226 4651 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 08:00-24:00 A Chinatown shophouse famous for peppery rolled-noodle soup and crackling pork belly, open from breakfast to midnight. Nai Ek is a busy shophouse on Soi Yaowarat 9 specialising in guay jub, rolled rice noodles in a clear, peppery pork broth. Bowls come loaded with crispy pork, sliced pork, minced pork and offal, and the noodles here are thicker and chewier than at most stalls. The founder started with a pushcart in Chinatown more than fifty years ago and moved into this permanent shop in 1989. It was included in the Michelin Guide's Bangkok selection for several years. Long opening hours make it a reliable stop at almost any time of day. ### What to order - Guay jub: rolled noodle soup with your choice of pork cuts and offal, in three sizes - Crispy pork belly: crackling-topped pork served on the side - Braised pork rump or stewed spare ribs: rich, soy-braised alternatives to the soup - Pork blood soup: for those who want the broth without noodles ### Good to know - Morning and mid-afternoon are the quietest times; evenings fill up with Yaowarat food crawlers. - MRT Wat Mangkon is the closest station, a short walk away. - Ask for the crispy pork on the side so it stays crunchy. --- ## Place: Guay Jub Ouan Pochana URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/guay-jub-ouan-pochana - Address: 408 Yaowarat Road, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7406252, 100.5091948 - Phone: +66 86 508 9979 A Yaowarat Road cart serving fiercely peppery rolled-noodle soup with crispy pork belly for more than half a century. Ouan Pochana is a street cart with tables on the pavement of Yaowarat Road, in front of the old Chinatown Rama cinema. Its guay jub is known for a clear pork-bone broth so heavy with white pepper that some visitors compare it to bak kut teh. The family has been selling this soup for over fifty years, and the stall held a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the guides from 2019 to 2022. Bowls are cheap and come quickly, with crispy pork belly, offal and a soft-boiled egg. Seating is tight and the atmosphere is pure Chinatown, with traffic and neon a few feet away. ### What to order - Guay jub with crispy pork belly: rolled noodles in the signature peppery broth - Add an egg: a soft-boiled egg that softens the heat of the pepper - Mini you tiao: crisp fried dough pieces to dunk in the soup ### Good to know - It is an evening and late-night operation; check current hours before going, as they have changed over the years. - The pepper is strong, so order a cold drink. - It is about a ten-minute walk from MRT Wat Mangkon or Hua Lamphong. --- ## Place: Nai Mong Hoi Tod URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/nai-mong-hoi-tod - Address: 539 Phlap Phla Chai Road, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7420413, 100.5106525 - Phone: +66 89 773 3133 A tiny Phlap Phla Chai Road shop frying crisp oyster and mussel omelettes over charcoal for more than three decades. Nai Mong is a small, easy-to-miss shophouse on Phlap Phla Chai Road, on the edge of Chinatown, that does one thing: hoi tod, the Teochew-style oyster or mussel omelette. You choose between a crispy version, fried until lacy and brittle, and a softer, gooier one. The shop has been running for more than thirty years and held a Michelin Bib Gourmand in several Bangkok guides up to at least 2022. Mr Mong has passed the cooking to a trained successor who uses the same recipe and charcoal-fired pans. Service is brisk and seating is limited, so expect to wait at busy times. ### What to order - Crispy oyster omelette (or lua): a brittle, golden pancake studded with plump oysters - Soft oyster omelette (or suan): a looser, silkier version for those who prefer texture over crunch - Crispy mussel omelette: the same treatment with small mussels - Crab fried rice: a simple, popular side if you want something more filling ### Good to know - Arrive near opening time to avoid the longest queue. - It is a short walk from MRT Wat Mangkon on the Blue Line. - Plates come in small, medium and large; a small one is enough to share as a snack. --- ## Place: Wattana Panich URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/wattana-panich - Address: 336-338 Ekkamai Road (Sukhumvit 63), Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7341744, 100.5877215 - Phone: +66 2 391 7264 An Ekkamai shophouse where a giant pot of beef broth has been kept simmering and topped up for around half a century. Wattana Panich is an old shophouse on Ekkamai Road whose front is taken up by a huge pot of dark, herbal beef broth. The pot is never fully emptied: a portion of each day's stock is kept going overnight and built on the next morning, which gives the soup its deep, mellow flavour. The recipe came from the current owner's father, and the family has been serving it for close to fifty years. Bowls of beef noodles come with tender slices, tendon and beef balls, and there is a goat stew for the adventurous. It is a no-frills room that feels a world away from the bars of nearby Thonglor. ### What to order - Beef noodle soup: sliced beef, tendon and beef balls in the long-simmered broth - Goat stew: the shop's other speciality, rich and gamey - Stewed beef without noodles: a bowl of the braise with rice, for the purest taste of the pot ### Good to know - Around 11:00 is a good time to get a seat before the lunch rush. - It is roughly a 20-minute walk from BTS Ekkamai, so a short taxi or motorbike ride is easier. - Bowls come in sizes; the standard bowl is around 100 baht. --- ## Place: Jok Prince URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/jok-prince - Address: 1391 Charoen Krung Road, Si Lom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7209761, 100.5162387 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 06:00-13:00, 15:00-03:00 Bang Rak's favourite congee shop, known for silky, faintly smoky rice porridge with chunky pork balls and egg. Jok Prince is a small congee shop on Charoen Krung Road that takes its name from the old Prince Hotel it once operated behind. It moved from a narrow alley stall into a shophouse next door, and a takeaway queue still forms out front most mornings. The congee is cooked until it is smooth and carries a light, deliberate smoky edge from the pot, which divides opinion but has a loyal following. It held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for several years, including the 2022 and 2023 guides. Bowls are cheap and fast, making it an easy breakfast before exploring the riverside. ### What to order - Pork congee with pork balls: the classic bowl with large, soft hand-made balls - Congee with raw egg: stir the egg in while the porridge is hot so it turns silky - Congee with century egg: for a deeper, savoury contrast - Pa tong go: crisp Chinese dough sticks to tear into the bowl ### Good to know - Go early in the morning; the shop closes in the early afternoon and reopens later in the day. - Bring cash and add your own ginger, spring onion, chilli or vinegar at the table. - It is a short walk from BTS Saphan Taksin, and Prachak Roasted Duck is just along the road. --- ## Place: Rung Rueang Pork Noodle URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/rung-rueang-pork-noodle - Address: 21/2 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7284488, 100.5706711 - Phone: +66 84 527 1640 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 08:00-17:00 An open-air Sukhumvit 26 noodle shop with a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its pork noodles in clear or tom yum broth. Rung Rueang is an open-air pork noodle shop a short walk down Soi Sukhumvit 26, popular with office workers and visitors staying around Phrom Phong. You pick your noodle, then choose a clear broth or a tom yum version sharpened with lime, chilli and ground peanuts. It has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for years and keeps it in the 2026 guide, which praises its minced pork in a comforting soup. Bowls arrive quickly. Note that a similarly named shop sits across the lane; this one is on the left as you walk in from Sukhumvit Road. ### What to order - Pork noodles in tom yum broth: hot, sour and nutty, the most popular choice - Pork noodles in clear broth: lighter, letting the minced pork and pork balls shine - Fish balls and pork balls: bouncy house-made balls that come in the bowl - Blanched pork intestines: a side the Michelin inspectors specifically recommend ### Good to know - Lunchtime queues are long, so go mid-morning or after 14:00. - Cash only; bowls are cheap enough to order two different broths. - From BTS Phrom Phong, walk down Soi 26 and look for the shop on the left, not the namesake opposite. --- ## Place: Polo Fried Chicken (Gai Tod Jay Kee) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/polo-fried-chicken-gai-tod-jay-kee - Address: 137/1-3 Soi Sanam Khli (Soi Polo), Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7322889, 100.5459665 - Phone: +66 2 655 8489 Soi Polo's family-run Isaan shop, famous for whole fried chicken buried under a heap of crisp fried garlic. Gai Tod Jay Kee, better known as Polo Fried Chicken, sits on Soi Polo just off Witthayu Road beside Lumphini Park. The chicken is marinated and fried whole without batter, then chopped and piled with golden fried garlic, and eaten with sticky rice and Isaan dipping sauces. The family started out selling larb and som tam before the chicken took over, and the business is now in its third generation. It held a Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2019 to at least 2024. There are two dining rooms a few doors apart on the same lane: an open-air original and a newer air-conditioned room. ### What to order - Fried chicken with fried garlic: order a half or whole bird to share - Sticky rice: the essential partner for the chicken and sauces - Som tam Thai: papaya salad with dried shrimp, sweet, sour and spicy - Grilled pork neck (kor moo yang): smoky and fatty, good with nam jim jaew - Larb moo: minced pork salad with toasted rice and herbs ### Good to know - Lunch is busiest with office workers; arrive before noon or come in the evening. - Bring cash; there is a convenience store with an ATM near the corner. - From MRT Lumphini, walk north along Witthayu Road and turn into Soi Sanam Khli. --- ## Place: Somsak Pu Ob URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/somsak-pu-ob - Address: 199-205 Soi Charoen Rat 1, Khlong San, Bangkok 10600 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7254396, 100.4954550 - Phone: +66 81 400 0542 - Opening hours: Mon Closed; Tue-Sun 16:00-21:30 A Thonburi street cart with a Michelin Bib Gourmand for crab and prawns steamed in small pans of glass noodles. Somsak Pu Ob is a street cart in a lane off Charoen Rat Road in Thonburi, cooking one dish in small metal pans: pu ob woon sen, crab or prawns baked on glass noodles with pepper, ginger and soy. The noodles soak up the seafood juices at the bottom of the pan, which is the best part. It has been serving the neighbourhood for over three decades and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide, which praises the freshness of the seafood and the springy noodles. The cook makes only a few pans at a time, so there is usually a wait. ### What to order - Crab with glass noodles (pu ob woon sen): the signature pan, rich with crab juices - Prawns with glass noodles (goong ob woon sen): large prawns on the same peppery noodles - Mixed crab and prawn pan: a good choice for two people who want both ### Good to know - Arrive close to 16:00 opening; pans are cooked in small batches and the wait grows quickly. - Stir the noodles through the juices at the bottom before eating. - It is a short walk from BTS Wongwian Yai. Cash only, closed Mondays. --- ## Place: Lek & Rut Seafood URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/lek-and-rut-seafood - Address: Corner of Yaowarat Road and Phadung Dao Road (Soi Texas), Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7401233, 100.5104986 A corner seafood stall at Yaowarat and Soi Texas, where grilled river prawns and steamed lime squid fuel Chinatown nights. Lek & Rut is one of the two rival seafood operations facing each other across the mouth of Soi Phadung Dao, better known as Soi Texas, on Yaowarat Road. From early evening the corner fills with plastic tables, charcoal grills and staff in matching aprons ferrying plates of prawns, crab and fish. It is a classic Chinatown night out rather than a quiet meal: noisy, crowded and fast, with prices a little above ordinary street food because the seafood is the draw. The grilled freshwater prawns are the house speciality, with their rich head fat. It stays open into the early hours. ### What to order - Grilled river prawns (goong pao): the house speciality, best eaten with the head fat - Squid steamed with lime and garlic: sharp, spicy and fresh - Fried shrimp cakes (tod man goong): crisp patties with a plum dipping sauce - Stir-fried water mimosa: a crunchy green side to balance the seafood ### Good to know - Arrive soon after the stalls set up in the early evening; queues build after 19:00. - Agree on market-price items such as large prawns or crab before ordering. - MRT Wat Mangkon is the closest station; Hua Lamphong is about ten minutes on foot. --- ## Place: Krua Apsorn (Dinso Road) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/krua-apsorn-dinso-road - Address: 169/1 Dinso Road, Bowon Niwet, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7552200, 100.5016500 - Phone: +66 80 550 0310 - Website: https://www.facebook.com/kruaapsorn/ - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:30-20:30 A family-run old town dining room near Democracy Monument, loved for fluffy crab omelette and yellow curry with lotus shoots and prawns. Krua Apsorn is a family-run Thai kitchen with two Bangkok branches, and the Dinso Road shophouse is the one most visitors find, a short walk from Democracy Monument and the Giant Swing. The room is simple and air-conditioned, and the menu is long, built on central Thai home cooking rather than restaurant showmanship. The family has a long-standing reputation for cooking for members of the Thai royal household, and its recipes are guarded closely. Crab is the thing to come for: picked crab meat goes into an omelette, a yellow chilli stir-fry and a sour yellow curry. The sister branch on Sam Sen Road in Dusit holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide. ### What to order - Crab omelette: a thick, soft omelette packed with lumps of crab meat - Crab meat stir-fried with yellow chilli: sweet crab with mild, fragrant heat - Yellow curry with lotus shoots and prawns: sour, gently spicy and very balanced - Sataw beans stir-fried with prawns and minced pork: pungent, savoury and rich - Coconut ice cream: a cooling, fragrant finish ### Good to know - Lunch is the busiest time; arrive before noon or come mid-afternoon to avoid a queue. - Phone reservations are easiest in Thai, so walk-ins are the simplest option for visitors. - There is no dedicated car park; a taxi or a walk from the Democracy Monument area is easier. --- ## Place: Somtum Der (Sala Daeng) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/somtum-der-sala-daeng - Address: 5/5 Sala Daeng Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7275900, 100.5364000 - Phone: +66 82 294 2363 - Website: https://somtumder.com/ - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-23:00 The Sala Daeng shophouse that launched a global papaya salad brand, serving pounded-to-order som tam and grilled Isaan meats. Somtum Der opened in 2012 in a small shophouse on Sala Daeng Road and became a reference point for northeastern Thai food in central Bangkok. Papaya salads are pounded to order in a mortar, in versions that run from mild and sweet to sharply sour with fermented fish sauce. The brand later travelled to New York, Tokyo and Taipei; its New York branch won a Michelin star in 2015 and closed in May 2026, but the original Bangkok room carries on. It is run by the same group behind Supanniga Eating Room and was renovated in 2022 for its tenth anniversary. ### What to order - Tum Thai Kai Kem: classic papaya salad topped with salted egg - Tum Kaopod Kai Kem: spicy sweetcorn salad with salted egg - Moo Ping Kati Sod: grilled pork skewers marinated in coconut milk - Sapoak Gai Tod Der: the house fried chicken thigh - Suea Isan Wagyu Yang: charcoal-grilled Isaan wagyu brisket with a bitter, spicy dip ### Good to know - BTS Sala Daeng Exit 4 and MRT Silom Exit 2 are both a short walk away. - Last orders are at 22:15; book through the restaurant's website or Chope for evenings. - Tell staff how much heat you want, as salads come properly spicy by default. --- ## Place: Khao Gaeng Jek Pui URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khao-gaeng-jek-pui - Address: 25 Mangkon Road, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7437500, 100.5090200 - Phone: +66 2 222 5229 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 14:00-19:30 A decades-old Chinatown curry rice stall where diners perch on red stools with plates in hand, no tables in sight. Jek Pui is a curry rice stall on Mangkon Road in Bangkok's Chinatown that has been feeding the neighbourhood for around seventy years. Curries are cooked ahead and ladled from big pots over rice or khanom jeen rice noodles, at prices well under 100 baht. There are no tables at all, only a row of red stools, and seats change hands so fast that locals call it the musical chairs stall. The flavours lean salty, sweet and spicy, and the yellow pork curry with a slice of Chinese sausage is the order regulars swear by. ### What to order - Yellow curry with pork: mild, rich and slightly sweet - Green curry with chicken: herbal and coconut-heavy - Chinese sausage: a sweet, fatty add-on that suits every curry - Braised egg: an easy extra to round out the plate ### Good to know - Arrive close to opening; popular curries sell out well before closing time. - If you want to eat on site, grab a free stool rather than joining the takeaway queue. - Take the MRT Blue Line to Wat Mangkon; the stall is a couple of minutes' walk away. --- ## Place: Khua Kling Pak Sod (Thonglor) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khua-kling-pak-sod-thonglor - Address: 98/1 Soi Sukhumvit 53 (Pai Di Ma Di Klang Alley), Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7290500, 100.5793100 - Phone: +66 86 053 7779 - Website: https://khuaklingpaksod.com/ Family recipes from Chumphon, cooked by mum and aunt: fiery dry curries, turmeric-yellow fish curries and fragrant southern stir-fries. Khua Kling Pak Sod is a family-run southern Thai restaurant whose recipes come from the founders' grandmother, who grew up in Tha Sae district in Chumphon. The cooking is led by their mother and aunt, and the menu sticks to the home dishes the family grew up eating. The name says it all: khua kling, a dry-fried minced meat curry heavy with southern chilli paste, served with plates of fresh raw vegetables to cool the burn. The Thonglor branch sits on a small soi off Sukhumvit 53 and has been featured in earlier editions of the Michelin Guide Thailand. ### What to order - Khua kling moo: dry-fried minced pork with southern curry paste and fresh herbs - Gaeng luang yod maprao pla: sour turmeric curry with coconut shoots and fish - Crab meat stir-fried with yellow curry powder: richer and milder than the curries - Bai liang pad kai: liang leaves stir-fried with egg, a southern staple - Goong pad kapi: prawns stir-fried with shrimp paste ### Good to know - Heat levels are high; ask for a milder version if you are not used to southern chilli. - Book ahead through Chope at busy dinner times. - The soi can be hard for taxi drivers to find, so share the map pin rather than the address. --- ## Place: Supanniga Eating Room (Tha Tien) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/supanniga-eating-room-tha-tien - Address: 392/25-26 Soi Phen Phat 2, Maha Rat Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7441400, 100.4917000 - Phone: +66 92 253 9251 - Website: https://www.supannigaeatingroom.com - Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00 A grandmother's recipes from Trat and Khon Kaen, served beside the Chao Phraya with Wat Arun across the water. Supanniga Eating Room was founded in 2012 by Thanaruek "Eh" Laoraowirodge to serve the home cooking of his grandmother, Khun Yai Somsri, who was born in the eastern seaside province of Trat and later lived in Khon Kaen. The Tha Tien branch occupies a riverside shophouse near Wat Pho, facing Wat Arun across the Chao Phraya. The menu leans on seafood and the punchy fish sauces of the east coast, with a few Isaan touches. It is listed in the 2026 Michelin Guide Thailand, and the same group also runs Somtum Der. ### What to order - Fried Chinese cabbage with Trat fish sauce: caramelised, salty and addictive - Braised pork belly with herbs and cowa leaves: sour, savoury and tender - Crab and seafood dishes from the east coast menu, best shared ### Good to know - Book a river-facing table for sunset over Wat Arun. - It pairs well with a morning at Wat Pho or the Grand Palace, both close by. - Tha Tien pier on the Chao Phraya Express boat line is a short walk away. --- ## Place: Err Urban Rustic Thai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/err-urban-rustic-thai - Address: 2/4 Soi Sukhumvit 32, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7261500, 100.5749900 - Phone: +66 2 622 2292 - Website: https://errurbanrusticthai.co.th/ - Opening hours: Wed Closed; Thu-Tue 11:00-23:00 Bo.lan's casual sibling: cured sausages, charcoal grills and sharp salads made to go with a drink, now on Sukhumvit 32. Err is the relaxed sister restaurant of Bo.lan, with a menu curated by chefs Duangporn "Bo" Songvisava and Dylan "Lan" Jones. It started in an old shophouse near Wat Pho, moved to Thonglor and now runs as Err 32 on Sukhumvit Soi 32. The kitchen focuses on food that suits a drink: preserved and fermented things made in-house, charcoal grills, wok dishes and salads, cooked without MSG and with produce from Thai farmers and artisans. Think Isaan sausage cured with rice, Chiang Rai curry sausage and pork neck with a spicy tamarind dip. ### What to order - Sai krok Isaan: Isaan-style pork sausage cured with rice - Sai oua: coconut-smoked Chiang Rai curry sausage - Moo sam chan: koji-marinated grilled pork belly - Larb gai tsukune: northern-style larb shaped and grilled on a skewer - Pad pak bung: morning glory stir-fried with good shrimp paste ### Good to know - Closed on Wednesdays; last orders are at 22:00. - Book through TableCheck or Line (@errbkk), especially for dinner. - The restaurant is about 20 metres into Soi Sukhumvit 32 on the right, with space for a handful of cars. --- ## Place: Sorn URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/sorn - Address: 56 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7231300, 100.5684900 - Phone: +66 99 081 1119 - Website: https://www.sornfinesouthern.com - Opening hours: Sat Closed; Sun-Fri 18:00-22:00 Thailand's first three-Michelin-star restaurant, telling the story of the south through Andaman seafood and fierce curry pastes. Sorn serves the food of southern Thailand as a long, carefully paced tasting menu on Soi Sukhumvit 26. The self-taught chef-owner, Supaksorn "Ice" Jongsiri, builds the meal around produce from the south, from Tapi River prawns to Phuket lobster and Andaman squid. It was the first restaurant in Thailand to earn three Michelin stars and holds all three in the 2026 guide. The cooking keeps the heat, sourness and pungency of southern food while refining technique and presentation. ### What to order - The seasonal southern tasting menu: the only way to eat here - Tapi River prawns: a recurring showcase of southern produce - Phuket lobster and Andaman squid when in season - Southern curries and relishes served with rice: the backbone of the meal ### Good to know - Tables are notoriously hard to secure; book through the official website as early as you can. - Closed on Saturdays; dinner only. - Expect a long evening of many courses and tell the team about dietary needs when booking. --- ## Place: Le Du URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/le-du - Address: 399/3 Soi Silom 7, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7250300, 100.5293500 - Phone: +66 92 919 9969 - Website: https://www.ledubkk.com - Opening hours: Sun Closed; Mon-Sat 18:00-23:00 Chef Ton's seasonal Thai tasting menu in Silom, named Asia's best restaurant in 2023 and holder of a Michelin star. Le Du is the flagship of chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn, and its name comes from a Sanskrit-derived word for season. The tasting menu changes with the seasons, reworking Thai dishes and produce with modern technique, under a ceiling hung with thousands of test tubes. Le Du was named the best restaurant in Asia by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2023 and holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. River prawns and dishes built on khao chae and khao khluk kapi have been highlights of recent menus. ### What to order - Seasonal tasting menu: the main format, changing through the year - River prawn dishes, such as khao khluk kapi with river prawns - Khao chae: chilled jasmine rice with accompaniments, served in the hot season ### Good to know - Book online well ahead, especially for the chef's table. - Dinner only; closed on Sundays. - BTS Chong Nonsi is the closest Skytrain station. --- ## Place: Nusara URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/nusara - Address: 336 Maha Rat Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7457000, 100.4915200 - Phone: +66 97 293 5549 - Website: https://www.nusarabkk.com - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 18:00-23:00 An intimate tasting menu named after chef Ton's grandmother, beginning on a rooftop that looks straight onto Wat Pho. Nusara is the more personal project of chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn and his brother Chaisiri "Tam", named after their late grandmother and drawing on family recipes. The evening starts with snacks on a softly lit rooftop facing Wat Pho before guests move down to a small olive-green and gold dining room. It was promoted to one Michelin star in the 2026 guide and has ranked in the top ten of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, debuting at number three in 2023. The menu is classic Thai cooking given a refined, modern finish. ### What to order - Welcome bites on the rooftop with the Wat Pho view - Thai Wagyu stir-fried with holy basil: a menu signature - A quartet of regional relishes served with rice and vegetables - The full tasting menu, which changes over the year ### Good to know - Seating is very limited, so book well in advance. - Arrive on time to enjoy the rooftop course in the evening light. - It is in the old town near Tha Tien pier, so combine it with an evening boat ride. --- ## Place: Paste Bangkok URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/paste-bangkok - Address: 3rd Floor, Gaysorn Village, 999 Phloen Chit Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7451800, 100.5405500 - Phone: +66 2 656 1003 - Website: https://www.pastebangkok.com - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 12:00-15:30, 18:00-23:00 Chef Bee Satongun's take on historic Thai recipes, served in an airy room at Gaysorn Village with tasting menus and à la carte. Paste was opened in 2013 by chef Bee Satongun and her Australian-born husband Jason Bailey, and now occupies the third floor of Gaysorn Village at Ratchaprasong. The kitchen draws on old Thai cookbooks and royal cuisine, using long-standing techniques and local ingredients. Bee was named Asia's Best Female Chef in 2018 and Paste held a Michelin star for several years; it is listed as Michelin Selected in the 2026 guide. The dining room is dominated by a large spiralling silk cocoon sculpture. ### What to order - Roasted duck curry with lychee, fennel seed and fresh coconut milk - Char-grilled pork with fennel seed and smoked tomato relish - A tasting menu to see the range of the kitchen - Seasonal relishes and salads from the à la carte list ### Good to know - Lunch is a gentler way to try it than the full dinner tasting menu. - It is inside Gaysorn Village, linked to BTS Chit Lom by skywalk. - Book ahead for dinner and weekends. --- ## Place: Saneh Jaan URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/saneh-jaan - Address: Sindhorn Tower, 130-132 Wireless Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7356100, 100.5457500 - Phone: +66 62 534 3394 - Website: https://www.sanehjaan.com - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 11:30-14:00, 18:00-22:00 Refined Thai classics drawn from royal and regional recipe archives, and one of Bangkok's most affordable Michelin-starred meals. Saneh Jaan is an elegant, softly lit Thai restaurant in Sindhorn Tower on Wireless Road, decorated with Thai art. Its recipes are researched from Thai royal and regional archives and cooked with care rather than reinvented. It holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide and is often cited by Michelin as one of the least expensive starred restaurants in Bangkok. It suits business lunches and special occasions alike, with service at both lunch and dinner every day. ### What to order - Crispy rice vermicelli with river prawn: sweet, sour and crunchy - Catfish stir-fried with chilli, salted egg yolk and kaffir lime - Jasmine rice with a curry and a relish to share - The set menu for a broad tour of the kitchen ### Good to know - Lunch offers the best value for a starred Thai meal. - Book ahead; the room is intimate. - Smart casual dress fits the setting. --- ## Place: Charmgang URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/charmgang - Address: 14 Soi Charoen Krung 35, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100 - City: Bangkok - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7327800, 100.5150900 - Phone: +66 98 882 3251 - Website: https://facebook.com/charmgangcurryshop - Opening hours: Mon-Fri 18:00-23:00; Sat-Sun 12:00-13:30, 18:00-23:00 A modern take on the Thai curry-and-rice shop in Talat Noi, run by chefs who trained under David Thompson. Charmgang opened in 2019 in Talat Noi, the old riverside quarter off Charoen Krung Road, as a contemporary version of the raan khao gaeng, the classic curry and rice shop. It is run by chefs Geravich "Mew" Mesaengnilverakul, Atcharapon "Aew" Kiatthanawat and Aruss "Jai" Lerlerstkull, all of whom worked with David Thompson. The room is dark and red-lit, with a young crowd and cocktails, but the curries and relishes stay true to Thai flavour while playing with local ingredients and texture. It earned Bib Gourmands in 2024 and 2025 and is listed as Michelin Selected in the 2026 guide. ### What to order - A curry of the day with rice: the heart of the menu - Pomelo salad with cobia: sweet, sour and layered - Seared scallop on a crispy coconut milk cake with snow peas - A Thai-inspired cocktail to go with the spice ### Good to know - Weekend lunch is a short window, 12:00 to 13:30; dinner runs nightly. - Combine it with a walk around Talat Noi's lanes before dinner. - Phone ahead for evening tables, particularly at weekends. --- ## Place: Khao Soi Mae Sai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khao-soi-mae-sai - Address: 29/1 Ratchaphruek Road, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.8041250, 98.9851300 - Phone: +66 53 213 284 - Opening hours: Sunday Closed; Monday-Saturday 08:00-16:00 A small, plain khao soi shop near Chang Phueak that holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its rich, gently spiced curry noodle soup. Khao Soi Mae Sai is a modest noodle shop on Ratchaphruek Road, a short ride north-west of the old city. It does one thing above all: khao soi, the coconut curry noodle soup of northern Thailand, with your choice of meat. The Michelin Guide gives it a Bib Gourmand for good cooking at a low price, and inspectors single out the depth of its curry broth. Bowls are on the small side, which is why many people end up ordering a second. Expect simple tables, fast service and a steady stream of locals and visitors. It runs from breakfast to mid-afternoon and fills up quickly at lunchtime. ### What to order - Khao soi gai: chicken on the bone in rich curry broth with soft and crispy egg noodles - Khao soi neua: the same soup with tender stewed beef - A second smaller bowl with a different meat, since portions are modest - The side condiments for adjusting each bowl to taste ### Good to know - Go when it opens at 08:00 or mid-morning to avoid the lunchtime crowd. - Bring cash; Michelin lists it as cash only. - It is closed on Sundays. --- ## Place: Khao Soi Khun Yai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khao-soi-khun-yai - Address: Sri Poom Road Soi 8, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7953327, 98.9832947 - Opening hours: Sunday Closed; Monday-Saturday 10:00-14:00 A no-frills lunchtime khao soi stall inside the old city's north-east corner, open only four hours a day and often sold out before closing. Khao Soi Khun Yai is a small stall on Sri Poom Soi 8, just inside the northern moat of Chiang Mai's old city. Khun Yai means grandmother, and the set-up is as homely as the name suggests. It has built a strong following among locals and travellers for a well-balanced coconut curry broth topped with a crisp nest of fried noodles. The menu is short: khao soi with chicken, beef or pork, plus a few extras. Service runs only from late morning to early afternoon, six days a week, and the soup often runs out before closing time. ### What to order - Khao soi gai: chicken khao soi, the most popular bowl - Khao soi neua: beef khao soi for a deeper, meatier broth - Khao soi moo: the pork version - Thai iced tea to cool the chilli ### Good to know - Arrive before 13:00; the soup often runs out before the 14:00 close. - It is closed on Sundays. - Walk in from Chang Phueak Gate; the stall is a few minutes east along Sri Poom Road, at Soi 8. --- ## Place: Khao Soi Islam URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khao-soi-islam - Address: 22-24 Charoen Prathet Road Soi 1, Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50100 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7865837, 99.0021232 - Opening hours: Daily 07:30-17:00 A halal Thai-Muslim canteen in the Ban Haw quarter near the Night Bazaar, serving khao soi alongside biryani, oxtail soup and satay. Khao Soi Islam is a family-run Muslim restaurant on a lane off Charoen Prathet Road, in the Ban Haw neighbourhood east of the Night Bazaar. It is halal and alcohol-free, and the menu mixes khao soi with Thai-Muslim staples. The area has had a Muslim community since around the 19th century, and some accounts link it to how khao soi first reached Chiang Mai. The version here is lighter and more subtly spiced than many in the city, and some writers say it is close to the dish's likely Burmese roots. It is a plain, busy canteen that serves all day, which makes it useful when the lunch-only khao soi shops have shut. ### What to order - Khao soi neua: beef khao soi, the house signature - Khao mok pae: goat biryani with yellow rice, often called the best thing on the menu - Oxtail soup: a clear, spiced Thai-Muslim broth - Satay with peanut sauce and cucumber relish ### Good to know - Useful in the afternoon, as it keeps serving well after the lunch-only khao soi shops close. - It is a short walk from the Night Bazaar and Ban Haw Mosque; combine it with an evening at the market. - Roti stalls nearby make an easy dessert stop. --- ## Place: Khao Soi Lamduan Fah Ham URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khao-soi-lamduan-fah-ham - Address: 352/22 Charoenrat Road, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50000 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.8016208, 99.0055392 - Opening hours: Daily 08:30-15:30 One of the old Fah Ham khao soi shops on the east bank of the Ping River, serving the curry noodle soup for more than 70 years. Khao Soi Lamduan sits on Charoenrat Road in Fah Ham, a riverside strip north of the city centre that is known for a cluster of long-running khao soi shops. Lamduan is among the best known of them. The family business has been cooking khao soi for over 70 years and has a branch in Bangkok. The owners have even claimed to have invented the dish, a story food writers treat with caution, but the shop's long history is not in doubt. Inside it is a simple open-fronted shop with stainless tables and quick service. Locals come for an early lunch, and the soup can run out before the official closing time. ### What to order - Khao soi neua: beef khao soi, the bowl most reviewers recommend - Khao soi gai: chicken drumstick in the same coconut curry broth - Moo satay: grilled pork skewers as a side - Pickled mustard greens, shallots and lime on the side to sharpen the broth ### Good to know - Go before 13:00; it can sell out ahead of the 15:30 close. - It is a few kilometres from the old city, so take a songthaew or ride-hail car to Charoenrat Road. - Do not confuse it with Lamduan branches elsewhere in town; the original is at 352/22 Charoenrat Road. --- ## Place: Cherng Doi Roast Chicken URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/cherng-doi-roast-chicken - Address: 2/8 Suk Kasame Road, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7992506, 98.9660145 - Phone: +66 81 881 1407 - Opening hours: Monday Closed; Tuesday-Sunday 11:00-20:00 A casual grilled chicken restaurant off Nimmanhaemin, known for crisp-skinned gai yang, fried papaya salad and sticky rice. Cherng Doi Roast Chicken (Gai Yang Cherng Doi) is an open-air restaurant on Suk Kasame Road, a quiet street just off the Nimmanhaemin area. The name refers to the foothills of Doi Suthep, which rise behind this part of town. It is popular for charcoal-grilled chicken with very crisp skin, served with dipping sauces and sticky rice. The fried papaya salad, a crunchy twist on som tam, is the other dish people come back for. It is a casual, busy place where most meals come in at a few hundred baht or less, low prices for the Nimman area. ### What to order - Gai yang: the signature roast chicken with crisp skin, by the half or whole bird - Som tam tod: deep-fried papaya salad with a spicy dressing on the side - Khao niao: sticky rice to eat with your hands - Moo yang: grilled pork as a second meat - Tam khao pod: spicy corn salad ### Good to know - It is closed on Mondays. - Ask for mai pet (not spicy) or pet nit noi (a little spicy) if you are sensitive to chilli. - Reviewers mention free parking next door, handy if you are driving. --- ## Place: SP Chicken URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/sp-chicken - Address: 9/1 Samlan Road Soi 1, Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7876463, 98.9811872 - Phone: +66 80 500 5035 - Opening hours: Daily 10:00-17:00 A small Isaan shop near Wat Phra Singh whose whole gai yang, roasted on a vertical charcoal rotisserie, earned it a Michelin Bib Gourmand. SP Chicken is a compact Isaan-style restaurant on Samlan Soi 1, a lane near Wat Phra Singh in the old city. Small whole chickens turn on a custom upright charcoal rotisserie by the front, with the heat coming from the side so the skin crisps without flaring. It became widely known through food writers and chefs, and was on the Michelin Guide Thailand Bib Gourmand list in 2021 and 2022. The menu goes beyond chicken to papaya salads, larb and sour soups, with Thai and English menus. Inside it is plain and bright, with a mostly local crowd at lunch. Birds are served whole or halved, and the kitchen will chop one to take away. ### What to order - Gai yang: whole rotisserie chicken with garlic, served with sweet chilli sauce and nam jim jaew - Som tam: green papaya salad, with crab (som tam boo) if you like it funky - Khao niao: sticky rice, the natural partner for the chicken - Tom saep: a hot and sour Isaan soup with beef - Yam tap wan: a spicy pork liver salad ### Good to know - Go at lunchtime; chickens can sell out by mid-afternoon and the shop closes around 17:00. - Bring cash to be safe; reviewers report it is cash only. - Walk about 100 metres down Samlan Soi 1 from the western moat road; it is on the right. --- ## Place: Huen Phen URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/huen-phen - Address: 112 Ratchamanka Road, Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7858382, 98.9851584 A long-running old city restaurant south of Wat Chedi Luang, serving northern Thai curries, dips and sausages in a house full of antiques. Huen Phen is a well-established northern Thai restaurant on Ratchamanka Road in the old city, between Wat Chedi Luang and the southern moat. It occupies a house that has been extended over the years, with several rooms of tables decorated with old Lanna objects. The menu is a broad tour of Lanna cooking: dips such as nam prik ong and nam prik num, gaeng hang lay pork curry, herb-filled sausages and grilled fish in banana leaf. It is a good place for a first try at many northern dishes in one sitting. Daytime service is quick and casual, with a counter of ready-made curries near the entrance. Evenings are busier and more atmospheric. ### What to order - Gaeng hang lay: slow-cooked pork belly curry with ginger and tamarind - Nam prik ong: tomato and pork chilli dip with pork crackling and vegetables - Aeb pla: fish grilled in banana leaf with herbs - Khao ngiao: Shan-style rice with tomato and pork, a light starter - Sai ua: grilled northern herb sausage ### Good to know - Book or arrive early for dinner in the cool season, when it fills up. - Check the day's hours before going; listings disagree on whether lunch service runs every day. - Do not confuse it with Baan Huen Phen, a boutique hotel at a different address on the same road. --- ## Place: Tong Tem Toh URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/tong-tem-toh - Address: 11 Nimmanhaemin Road Soi 13, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7966346, 98.9677205 - Opening hours: Daily 08:00-23:00 A busy Nimman restaurant serving northern Thai dips, curries and grilled meats, popular with locals and visitors from breakfast to late. Tong Tem Toh is a lively northern Thai restaurant on Nimmanhaemin Soi 13, with dark wooden tables, outdoor seating and misting fans. Drinks come in traditional metal cups. It is one of the most popular places in Nimman for Lanna food that is approachable without being watered down. The charcoal grill is the main event in the evening, while chilli dips, curries and sausages are available all day. Expect a queue at dinner, especially in the cool season. The pace is fast and prices are reasonable for the area. ### What to order - Nam prik num: roasted green chilli dip with pork crackling and vegetables - Gaeng hang lay: rich pork curry with ginger, garlic and peanuts - Sai ua: grilled northern sausage packed with herbs - Grilled pork neck from the evening charcoal grill - Tam kanun: spicy young jackfruit salad ### Good to know - Come for a late breakfast or mid-afternoon to avoid the dinner queue. - Grilled dishes are mainly served in the evening. - The food can be very spicy; ask for less chilli if needed. --- ## Place: Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/khao-kha-moo-chang-phueak - Address: Chang Phueak Gate night market, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7958314, 98.9855470 The famous evening stall at Chang Phueak Gate where a cook in a cowboy hat ladles out braised pork leg over rice. Khao kha moo is pork leg braised slowly in soy, spices and sugar until the meat falls apart and the skin turns soft. At the Chang Phueak Gate night market, on the northern side of the old city, one stall is famous for it above all others. It is run by a cook known to visitors as the Cowboy Hat Lady for the hat she always wears. Her stall appears in many Chiang Mai food guides and draws both locals and tourists every evening. Seating is at plastic tables among the other stalls at the gate. Plates are cheap, service is quick and the atmosphere is pure night market. ### What to order - Khao kha moo: braised pork leg over rice, with meat and skin - Add a braised egg to the plate - Pickled mustard greens and fresh chilli on the side - The chilli vinegar sauce, spooned over the pork to cut the richness ### Good to know - The stall sets up in the late afternoon and runs into the night; come early evening for the best choice. - Bring small notes; it is a cash street stall. - Combine it with other stalls at the gate market, which is busiest after dark. --- ## Place: Kiat Ocha URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/kiat-ocha - Address: 41-43 Inthawarorot Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7897180, 98.9864543 - Phone: +66 53 327 263 - Opening hours: Daily 06:00-15:00 A long-established old city shop behind the Three Kings Monument, known for Hainanese chicken rice and generous pork satay. Kiat Ocha is a busy shophouse restaurant on Inthawarorot Road, just behind the Three Kings Monument in the centre of the old city. It specialises in khao man gai, Hainanese-style poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock. It is one of the best-known chicken rice shops in Chiang Mai and is popular with locals and visitors from Bangkok alike. A second counter grills pork satay, which many regulars consider just as essential as the chicken. It opens early for breakfast and closes mid-afternoon. Tables turn over quickly, though weekends and holidays can mean a short wait. ### What to order - Khao man gai: poached chicken over rice with ginger, chilli and fermented soybean sauce - Ask for nuea luan if you want white meat only, without offal and blood jelly - Moo satay: grilled pork skewers with peanut sauce and cucumber relish - A second plate of satay to share, since the skewers are the other house speciality ### Good to know - Go early in the morning or before noon; it closes at 15:00. - Check the address: other chicken rice stalls operate on the same stretch of road. - Expect a brief wait at weekends and on public holidays. --- ## Place: Nam Ngiao Yong URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/nam-ngiao-yong - Address: Unit 19, Siri Wattana Market, 193 Chang Phueak Road, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.8044477, 98.9838626 - Phone: +66 95 661 6959 - Opening hours: Daily 08:00-17:30 A Michelin-listed stall in Siri Wattana Market serving khanom jeen nam ngiao, the tangy pork and tomato noodle soup of the north. Nam Ngiao Yong is a small stall inside Siri Wattana Market on Chang Phueak Road, north of the old city. It is known for khanom jeen nam ngiao, fresh rice noodles in a sour, spicy broth of tomato and pork ribs. The Michelin Guide includes it in its Chiang Mai selection, praising a short menu of two dishes: the nam ngiao and a red curry with chicken, coconut milk and fish balls. It is a good way to try a northern noodle dish that is less famous abroad than khao soi. Seating is limited and the stall is busy with market shoppers. Bowls come quickly and cost very little. ### What to order - Khanom jeen nam ngiao: rice noodles in tangy tomato and pork rib broth - Khanom jeen with red curry chicken, coconut milk and fish balls - Both dishes side by side, since the menu is only two items long ### Good to know - Bring cash; Michelin lists it as cash only. - Come mid-morning to find a seat before the lunch rush. - Siri Wattana Market is just north of Chang Phueak Gate, close to Khao Soi Mae Sai. --- ## Place: Warorot Market (Kad Luang) URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/warorot-market - Address: 10-14 Wichayanon Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Markets - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.7902246, 99.0005254 - Opening hours: Daily 06:00-18:00 Chiang Mai's big central market by the Ping River, packed with northern sausages, chilli dips, pork crackling and fresh produce. Warorot Market, known locally as Kad Luang or the big market, is the commercial heart of Chiang Mai, a few streets west of the Ping River. Several floors of stalls sell fresh food, dried goods, fabrics, kitchenware and flowers. The site was once the cremation ground of Chiang Mai's rulers and was turned into a market in 1910 under Princess Dara Rasmi. It is named after Prince Inthawarorot, the eighth ruler of Chiang Mai, and was rebuilt after a major fire in the 1960s. For food lovers it is the best place in town to buy northern Thai specialities to take home, and to snack while browsing. Mornings are busiest and freshest, and the surrounding streets fill with flower and produce sellers. ### What to order - Sai ua: northern herb sausage, sold by weight - Nam prik num and nam prik ong: northern chilli dips to eat with vegetables - Kaep moo: crisp pork crackling - Naem: sour fermented pork wrapped in leaves - Coffee or Thai tea from one of the cafés inside the market ### Good to know - Arrive early in the morning; many vendors leave once they have sold out. - Weekends are busier than weekdays. - Pair it with Ton Lamyai flower market across the road by the river. --- ## Place: Huen Muan Jai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/huen-muan-jai - Address: 24 Ratchaphruek Road, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300 - City: Chiang Mai - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 18.8001080, 98.9756279 - Phone: +66 98 261 8029 - Website: https://www.huenmuanjai2554.com - Opening hours: Friday 11:00-21:00; Monday 11:00-21:00; Sunday 11:00-21:00; Tuesday 11:00-21:00; Saturday 11:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00; Thursday 11:00-21:00; Wednesday Closed A Michelin Bib Gourmand northern Thai restaurant in a wooden Lanna house and garden, covering the full range of Lanna dips, soups and curries. Huen Muan Jai is a northern Thai restaurant set in a wooden Lanna-style house with a garden, on Ratchaphruek Road north of the old city. Diners can sit indoors, outside or in small private pavilions. Open for more than a decade, it holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good-value cooking. The menu is a wide survey of Lanna food, and Michelin inspectors highlight the galangal chilli dip with steamed mushrooms and a spicy vegetable soup with snakehead fish. It is calmer and more comfortable than a street stall, but prices stay moderate. It suits a long lunch or relaxed dinner with several dishes to share. ### What to order - Nam prik kha: spicy galangal dip with steamed mushrooms, a Michelin pick - Spicy vegetable soup with snakehead fish: fragrant and earthy, the other dish inspectors recommend - A spread of northern chilli dips with fresh and steamed vegetables to share - One of the herby northern soups or curries from the long Lanna menu ### Good to know - It is closed on Wednesdays, and Saturday has a break between 15:00 and 17:00. - Cards are accepted, unlike most of the noodle shops nearby. - It is close to Khao Soi Mae Sai, so plan one for breakfast and the other for dinner. --- ## Place: Raya Restaurant URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/raya-restaurant-phuket - Address: 48/1 Dibuk Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000 - City: Phuket Town - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 7.8859300, 98.3909000 - Phone: +66 76 218 155 - Website: https://www.facebook.com/therayarestaurant - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:00-22:00 Phuket Old Town's best-known family kitchen, serving crab curry and braised pork belly in a century-old Sino-Portuguese house. Raya occupies a roughly 100-year-old Sino-Portuguese mansion on Dibuk Road, in the heart of Phuket Old Town. The menu sticks to traditional Phuket and southern Thai dishes, many of them rooted in the island's Peranakan, or Baba, heritage. Its reputation rests on a yellow crab curry thick with fresh crab meat, eaten with soft rice noodles. The restaurant held a Michelin Bib Gourmand from 2019 to 2024 but no longer appears in the guide. The dining rooms keep their old tiles, wooden shutters and family photos, and most of them rely on fans rather than air conditioning. ### What to order - Gaeng poo with sen mee: yellow crab curry over fresh rice noodles, the house signature - Moo hong: Phuket-style pork belly braised slowly in soy and black pepper - Pak miang: local greens stir-fried with egg - Nam prik goong siap: smoked shrimp chilli dip with fresh vegetables ### Good to know - Lunch is usually fine without a booking, but call ahead for dinner, especially at weekends. - Ask for an upstairs table if you want a cooler, breezier room. - Dishes are made for sharing, so come as a group and order several plates. --- ## Place: One Chun URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/one-chun-phuket - Address: 48/1 Thep Krasatti Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000 - City: Phuket Town - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 7.8851800, 98.3906900 - Phone: +66 76 355 909 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:00-22:00 A Bib Gourmand favourite in Phuket Town, known for creamy crab curry and moo hong served in a vintage shophouse. One Chun serves southern Thai and Phuket family recipes from a 19th-century building on Thep Krasatti Road, a short walk from the Old Town's main streets. The owner's background in fashion design shows in the retro interior, full of old furniture and collected objects. The restaurant has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for several years running and is still listed in the 2026 guide. Its prices stay moderate for the quality, which keeps it busy with local families as well as visitors. Expect a cheerful, slightly crowded dining room at peak times. ### What to order - Gaeng poo: yellow crab curry with coconut milk, served with cold rice vermicelli - Moo hong: savoury braised pork belly, Phuket style - Goong sauce makham: fried prawns in tamarind sauce - Tuna fu yum mamuang: crispy shredded tuna with green mango salad ### Good to know - Bring cash, as cards are not accepted. - Reservations are handled by the restaurant itself, so phone ahead for a group table at dinner. - Combine it with a stroll around Thalang and Dibuk roads, which are a few minutes away on foot. --- ## Place: Mee Ton Poe URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/mee-ton-poe-phuket - Address: 214/7-8 Phuket Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000 - City: Phuket Town - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 7.8800700, 98.3921500 - Phone: +66 76 216 293 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 09:00-18:30 The clock tower noodle shop where Phuket Town has eaten wok-fried Hokkien noodles with a runny egg since 1946. Mee Ton Poe is a Hokkien noodle shop at the clock tower roundabout on Phuket Road, and has been feeding Phuket Town since 1946. The name refers to the bodhi tree that once stood beside the original stall. The draw is mee hokkien: thick yellow egg noodles fried in a wok with pork, squid, shrimp and greens, finished in a glossy brown gravy and topped with an egg. It was listed in the Phuket Michelin Guide in 2021. The room is plain and functional, and service is quick. ### What to order - Mee hokkien pad: wok-fried yellow noodles with pork, seafood and a soft egg in thick gravy - Mee tom yum: the same noodles in a hot and sour broth - Moo satay: grilled pork skewers with peanut sauce, a popular side ### Good to know - It closes in the early evening, so plan it for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner. - Midday and holidays get busy, so expect a short wait for a table. - Parking at the clock tower branch is difficult; walk from the Old Town or use the Kathu or Thalang branches if driving. --- ## Place: Tu Kab Khao URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/tu-kab-khao-phuket - Address: 8 Phang Nga Road, Talat Yai, Mueang Phuket, Phuket 83000 - City: Phuket Town - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 7.8836900, 98.3882000 - Phone: +66 76 608 888 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-24:00 Southern Thai home cooking in a restored century-old shophouse facing the Shrine of the Serene Light on Phang Nga Road. Tu Kab Khao takes its name from the old mesh-fronted cupboard Thai households used to keep cooked food. It fills a restored shophouse more than a century old on Phang Nga Road, opposite the Shrine of the Serene Light. The restaurant opened around 2015 with recipes from the owner's mother and soon earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, though it is not in the current guide. It draws a mix of tourists and local Thai families, and the high-ceilinged rooms with antique decor make it one of the more atmospheric places to eat in the Old Town. ### What to order - Sen mee gaeng poo: crab curry with rice noodles - Moo hong: slow-braised Phuket pork belly - Nam prik goong siap: smoked shrimp chilli dip with vegetables - Gaeng som pla: sour southern fish curry ### Good to know - Book ahead at busy times, as waits can stretch to an hour or more. - Messages via the restaurant's Facebook page are another way to reserve. - Look for the corner house with the large lobster figure outside. --- ## Place: Gai Tod Decha URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/gai-tod-decha-hat-yai - Address: 93 Chee Uthit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110 - City: Hat Yai - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 7.0039700, 100.4737600 Hat Yai's best-known fried chicken shop, serving crisp shallot-topped gai tod over fragrant khao mok rice. Gai Tod Decha is a small, long-running shop on Chee Uthit Road in central Hat Yai, often credited as one of the originators of Hat Yai-style fried chicken. Thai food media describe it as having served the city for more than 40 years. Hat Yai gai tod is marinated with garlic, coriander root and spices, fried in rice flour and buried under crisp fried shallots. At Decha it is commonly eaten on a mound of yellow khao mok rice, a dish that reflects the area's Muslim cooking traditions. The setting is simple and the turnover fast. ### What to order - Gai tod Hat Yai: crisp fried chicken scattered with fried shallots - Khao mok gai tod: fried chicken served over spiced yellow rice - Khao niao: sticky rice, the classic partner for the chicken - Cha yen: strong, sweet milk tea to wash it down ### Good to know - Go before the lunch rush, when the chicken comes out freshly fried. - Check you are at the Chee Uthit Road shop, as the Decha name has several branches. - Have small notes ready; it is a modest local eatery. --- ## Place: Kai Yang Wan Na URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/kai-yang-wanna-khao-suan-kwang - Address: 271 Moo 11, Mittraphap Road, Kham Muang, Khao Suan Kwang, Khon Kaen 40280 - City: Khon Kaen - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 16.8539200, 102.8595700 - Phone: +66 81 965 5484 A Khao Suan Kwang institution since 1973, grilling butterflied chickens over charcoal on the highway north of Khon Kaen. Khao Suan Kwang, a district on the Mittraphap Highway north of Khon Kaen city, gave its name to one of Thailand's best-known styles of gai yang. Kai Yang Wanna has been grilling chicken here since 1973 and is listed in the 2026 Michelin Guide. The chickens are butterflied, seasoned and cooked slowly over charcoal every day, giving crisp skin and smoky, well-seasoned meat. The rest of the menu covers Isaan standards such as som tam, larb and nam tok. It is a relaxed, family-style place with an air-conditioned room and veranda seating, popular with road-trippers. ### What to order - Gai yang Khao Suan Kwang: butterflied charcoal-grilled chicken, the reason to stop - Som tam: pounded green papaya salad, ordered as spicy as you like - Larb: minced meat salad with toasted rice and herbs - Khao niao: sticky rice to eat with everything ### Good to know - Bring cash, as cards are not accepted. - It sits on the main highway with its own car park, so it is easiest by car on the way between Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. - Opening hours are not published; phone ahead if arriving late in the day. --- ## Place: Som Tum Jae Kai URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/som-tum-jae-kai-udon-thani - Address: 230/28 Asavamit Road, Mak Khaeng, Mueang Udon Thani, Udon Thani 41000 - City: Udon Thani - Type: Restaurants - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 17.3979600, 102.7860600 - Phone: +66 87 373 2128 - Opening hours: Mon-Sun 08:00-16:00 Udon Thani's long-running som tam house, where homemade pla ra gives the papaya salads their punch. Som Tum Jae Kai is a family-run Isaan restaurant on Asavamit Road in Udon Thani that has been a local lunch habit for around half a century. It is listed in the 2026 Michelin Guide. What sets it apart is the fermented fish sauce, or pla ra, which the family makes itself and which gives the salads a deep, funky flavour. The mixed som tam with pork crackling and fermented sausage is the dish most people come for. Expect a busy, no-frills dining room that closes in the afternoon. ### What to order - Som tum ruam: mixed papaya salad with pork crackling and fermented sausage - Gai yang: grilled chicken, the natural partner to som tam - Khao niao: sticky rice in a basket - Larb or nam tok: herb-packed meat salads with toasted rice ### Good to know - Go for lunch, as it closes at 16:00. - Bring cash. - Say how spicy you want your som tam before ordering; the default can be fierce. --- ## Place: Or Tor Kor Market URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/or-tor-kor-market - Address: 101 Kamphaeng Phet Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 - City: Bangkok - Type: Markets - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7971300, 100.5475700 - Phone: +66 2 279 2080 Bangkok's cleanest and most polished fresh market, famous for top-grade fruit, curry pastes and ready-made Thai dishes. Or Tor Kor is the market of the Marketing Organization for Farmers, set up so growers could sell high-quality produce directly to the public. It sits on Kamphaeng Phet Road, directly across from Chatuchak Weekend Market, and has long been regarded as one of the country's best fresh markets. The halls are bright, tidy and well organised, with sections for fruit, seafood, dried goods and curry pastes. A large cooked-food area sells curries, grilled meats, desserts and regional specialities to eat on the spot or take away. Prices are higher than at neighbourhood markets, and chefs shop here alongside home cooks. ### What to order - Seasonal fruit: mangoes, rose apples and durian, often with free tastings - Nam prik: chilli relishes, including versions made with crab roe and salted egg - Gai yang and som tam from the cooked-food stalls - Thai desserts such as khanom and sticky rice with mango ### Good to know - Take the MRT to Kamphaeng Phet and use Exit 3, which comes out beside the market. - Go in the morning for the best choice and cooler temperatures. - Pair it with Chatuchak on a weekend; it is just across the road. --- ## Place: Chatuchak Weekend Market Food Zone URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/chatuchak-weekend-market-food - Address: Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 - City: Bangkok - Type: Markets - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.8002700, 100.5511200 - Website: https://www.chatuchakmarket.org - Opening hours: Sat-Sun 09:00-18:00 Bangkok's giant weekend market, where snacking between thousands of stalls is as much the point as shopping. Chatuchak covers about 35 acres beside Chatuchak Park in north Bangkok and is one of the largest weekend markets in the world. It is split into numbered sections selling clothes, crafts, plants, antiques and pets, and draws well over 100,000 people on a busy weekend. Food is woven through the whole market: noodle stalls, grilled skewers, coconut ice cream, fresh juices and sit-down shophouse kitchens line the walkways and fill the food courts. Many visitors treat it as a grazing trip. It gets hot and crowded by midday, so the market rewards an early start. ### What to order - Coconut ice cream served in a coconut shell - Grilled pork skewers (moo ping) with sticky rice - Pad thai or boat noodles from the walkway stalls - Fresh fruit shakes and Thai iced tea ### Good to know - Arrive close to 09:00 on Saturday or Sunday to beat the heat and crowds. - Use BTS Mo Chit or MRT Chatuchak Park or Kamphaeng Phet stations. - Carry small notes; many food stalls take cash only. - Or Tor Kor Market is across the road if you want a calmer food stop. --- ## Place: Victory Monument Boat Noodle Alley URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/victory-monument-boat-noodle-alley - Address: Canal-side lane beside Khlong Samsen, off Phahonyothin Road, next to Victory Monument, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400 - City: Bangkok - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 13.7656500, 100.5395000 A canal-side lane of boat noodle shops by Victory Monument, where tiny bowls are stacked high on every table. Just off the Victory Monument roundabout, a short lane along Khlong Samsen is lined with shops selling kuay teow ruea, or boat noodles. The dish began with vendors cooking from small boats on central Thailand's canals, and when trade moved onto land, this spot became one of Bangkok's best-known homes for it. Bowls are deliberately small, a habit from the days when large servings would slop over the side of a rocking boat, so diners order several and pile up the empties. The broth is dark and rich with spices and is often deepened with blood. Shops such as Ruea Thong have traded here for decades, and the lane is busiest at lunch and after work. ### What to order - Kuay teow ruea moo: pork boat noodles in a dark, spiced broth - Kuay teow ruea neua: the beef version, with sliced and stewed beef - Moo krob or pork crackling as a crunchy side - Thai iced tea or a herbal drink to cool the heat ### Good to know - Order two or three bowls each to start; most people end up eating five or more. - Take BTS to Victory Monument and follow the skywalk towards the canal on the Phahonyothin side. - Go at lunch or early evening, when turnover is high and the broth is freshest. --- ## Place: Hua Hin Night Market URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/hua-hin-night-market - Address: Dechanuchit Road, Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110 - City: Hua Hin - Type: Markets - Price: ฿฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 12.5710200, 99.9552500 Hua Hin's original evening market, a long strip of seafood grills, street snacks and souvenir stalls on Dechanuchit Road. Hua Hin Night Market, known locally as Talat Toh Rung Hua Hin, runs along Dechanuchit Road in the centre of town, a few hundred metres north of the old railway station. It is the town's longest-running night market and the first stop for many visitors on their first evening. Stalls sell clothes, crafts and souvenirs, but the food is the main event: open-fronted seafood restaurants display fresh prawns, crab and fish on ice, and street vendors sell grilled skewers, fruit and desserts. It fills up after dark and has a lively, holiday feel. ### What to order - Grilled river prawns or squid, chosen from the ice display - Pla kapong neung manao: whole sea bass steamed with lime and chilli - Hoy tod: crispy mussel or oyster omelette - Mango sticky rice from the dessert stalls ### Good to know - Stalls start opening around 17:00 to 18:00 and most wind down between 23:00 and midnight. - Check prices by weight at seafood stalls before ordering. - It is walkable from most central hotels and from Hua Hin railway station. --- ## Place: Pa Lek Boat Noodles URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/places/pa-lek-boat-noodles-ayutthaya - Address: Bang Ian Road, Tha Wasukri, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000 - City: Ayutthaya - Type: Street Food - Price: ฿ of ฿฿฿฿ - Coordinates: 14.3554700, 100.5691200 - Phone: +66 89 804 7418 A third-generation Bib Gourmand stall in Ayutthaya's old city, serving small, rich bowls of pork and beef boat noodles. Ayutthaya, crisscrossed by rivers and canals, is the heartland of boat noodles, and Pa Lek is one of the town's best-known places to eat them. The family has been ladling bowls for more than five decades and is now on its third generation, on Bang Ian Road near the old city's temple ruins. The stall holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide. Bowls are small and cheap in the traditional way, with pork or beef in a deep, aromatic broth, so most people order several. It is a simple, busy street-side set-up that fills with locals and temple visitors at lunchtime. ### What to order - Kuay teow ruea moo: pork boat noodles in a dark, spiced broth - Kuay teow ruea neua: beef boat noodles - Choice of noodle: try thin rice noodles (sen lek) or glass noodles for contrast ### Good to know - Closed on Wednesdays. - Arrive before noon to avoid the lunchtime crowd. - Bring cash, and order a few bowls each as portions are small. - It is easy to combine with a visit to the historical park nearby. --- ## Story: What to Eat in Ayutthaya and the Central Plains URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/what-to-eat-in-ayutthaya-and-the-central-plains Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for about four hundred years, from the fourteenth century until it was destroyed in 1767. Today its temple ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular day trips from Bangkok. Most visitors come for the history, but the old capital and the countryside around it are also among the best places to understand central Thai food. The city sits on an island where three rivers meet, the Chao Phraya, the Pa Sak and the Lopburi, in the middle of a wide, flat plain of rice fields. Water has shaped everything here, including what people eat. ### The rice bowl of Thailand The Central Plains, the floodplain of the Chao Phraya and its tributaries, are often called the rice bowl of Thailand. For centuries the river's yearly floods fed the paddies, and the region's wealth in rice is a large part of why the great capitals of Siam grew up here. The cooking reflects that abundance. Central Thai food is built around jasmine rice, eaten with a spread of shared dishes. Coconut palms provide milk and cream for curries and sweets, palm sugar rounds out sauces and dips, and the result is often a little sweeter and richer than food from the North or Northeast. Rivers, canals and flooded fields supply freshwater fish, prawns and vegetables such as morning glory and water mimosa. ### Grilled river prawns Ayutthaya's signature dish is gung mae nam pao, grilled giant river prawns. These are large freshwater prawns with long blue claws, split and grilled over charcoal until the shells turn orange and the flesh is just firm. The prize is the head. Inside it is a rich, orange-yellow fat, called man gung, which Thai diners scoop out and eat with rice or mix into the sauce. The prawns are served with nam jim seafood, a sharp dipping sauce of green chilli, garlic, lime and fish sauce. Riverside restaurants around Ayutthaya specialise in them, usually selling the prawns by weight. They are not cheap, and the largest ones command a premium, but a shared plate eaten by the river is one of the classic meals of the region. ### Roti sai mai Ayutthaya's best-known sweet is roti sai mai. The name means silk thread roti, and it comes in two parts: a stack of very thin, soft, pale crepes and a bag of fine, fluffy strands of spun sugar, rather like candy floss, often in pastel colours. You roll a little of the sugar inside a crepe and eat it like a wrap. The sweet is usually associated with Ayutthaya's Thai Muslim community, and roti in general came to Thailand through Muslim cooks. Stalls selling it line the roads into the city, and bags of it are a traditional thing to take home to friends and family. ### Boat noodles and the river Boat noodles, kuay tiew ruea, belong to the waterways of the Central Plains. Before roads, much of daily life in this region happened on rivers and canals, and vendors cooked and sold noodles from small boats, handing bowls to customers on the bank or on other boats. The bowls were small so they could be passed across safely. Ayutthaya is one of the places most associated with the dish, alongside the canals north of Bangkok. The broth is dark and deeply savoury, made with pork or beef and spices, and often enriched with blood. Some shops in the area still cook from a boat moored inside the restaurant, as a nod to where the dish began. Order a few small bowls rather than one, and try both pork and beef. ### Freshwater fish and central classics Beyond the famous dishes, the everyday food of the region is worth seeking out at markets and rice and curry shops. Freshwater fish appears in many forms: - Pla chon pao, snakehead fish packed in salt, grilled whole and eaten with herbs, noodles and a dipping sauce. - Pla duk foo, catfish flaked and fried into a crisp, airy tangle, served with a sour green mango salad. - Gaeng som, a sour curry soup made without coconut milk, often with fish and vegetables. - Tom khlong, a smoky, sour soup of dried fish, tamarind and herbs. - Pla salit, dried gourami, fried until crisp and eaten with rice and rice soup. The old capital was also a cosmopolitan trading city, home to communities of Chinese, Persian, Portuguese, Japanese and many other merchants. Their influence on Thai food, from egg-yolk sweets to the spices of massaman curry, is often traced back to this period. ### Markets of the old capital Ayutthaya has busy local markets on and around the island, selling fresh produce, river fish, curries, sweets and prepared food. In the evenings, night markets set up stalls of grilled meat, noodles and desserts. These are where local people shop and eat, and they are a better guide to the region's food than the tourist-oriented floating markets that have been built nearby. For older market towns, the wider Central Plains have several worth the trip. Sam Chuk in Suphan Buri province is a long-established riverside market district of old wooden shophouses, known for traditional snacks and sweets. Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, is home to Phra Pathom Chedi, one of the largest stupas in the country, with markets around it, and its Nakhon Chai Si district is famous for pomelos. Further south-west, Phetchaburi is known for its palm sugar and for khanom mo kaeng, a baked coconut custard. ### A food day trip from Bangkok Ayutthaya is about 80 kilometres north of Bangkok, close enough for an easy day out. A simple plan: 1. Take an early train north from Bangkok. The journey is relaxed and takes around one and a half to two hours. 2. Hire a bicycle or a tuk-tuk on the island and visit the main temples in the cooler morning. 3. Stop for a few bowls of boat noodles at lunch. 4. Spend the late afternoon at a riverside restaurant for grilled river prawns. 5. Buy roti sai mai on the way out, and catch an evening train or minivan back to the city. Ayutthaya rewards the kind of slow day that its food suggests: long meals, plenty of rice and an afternoon by the river, much as people in this part of Thailand have eaten for centuries. --- ## Story: Eating Vegetarian and Vegan in Thailand: Jay Food and How to Order URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/vegetarian-and-vegan-food-in-thailand Thailand can look like a difficult place to be vegetarian. Fish sauce seasons almost everything, shrimp paste hides in curry pastes and chilli dips, and soups are often made with pork or chicken stock. Yet the country also has one of the oldest and most organised vegetarian food traditions in Southeast Asia, with its own name, its own flag and its own festival. Knowing a few words and a few habits makes it entirely possible to eat well, and to eat fully plant-based food, across most of the country. ### Jay food and the yellow flags Jay (also written jae) is the Thai word for a style of food that comes from Chinese Buddhist and Taoist practice and came to Thailand largely through the Thai-Chinese community. Jay food contains no meat, fish, seafood or other animal products, including eggs and dairy, which makes it vegan in practice. It also leaves out strong-smelling plants such as garlic, onions, shallots and chives, which are believed to disturb the body and mind. Restaurants and stalls that sell jay food hang a yellow flag or sign marked with the character for jay in red, written in Thai as เจ and often in Chinese as well. The yellow-and-red sign is the single most useful thing a vegetarian in Thailand can learn to spot. Some jay shops are open all year. Many more appear during the Vegetarian Festival. ### The Vegetarian Festival The Vegetarian Festival, known in Thai as thetsakan gin jay, takes place during the first nine days of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which usually falls in September or October. During those days, many Thai-Chinese people, and many other Thais too, eat only jay food, avoid alcohol and keep themselves and their homes clean, as a way of making merit and purifying the body. The festival is observed across the country, with yellow flags appearing over markets, food courts and supermarket stalls, and Bangkok's Chinatown along Yaowarat Road is especially busy. Phuket's celebration is the best known. It is centred on the island's Chinese shrines and includes street processions in which devotees perform acts of self-mortification, such as piercing their cheeks, which are believed to be carried out under the protection of the gods. Trang and other southern towns hold similar events. For anyone looking for vegan food, the festival is the easiest time of year to visit. Even convenience stores and ordinary rice shops add jay dishes to their range. ### Mangsawirat and jay are not the same Thai has two words that are often translated as vegetarian, and the difference matters: - Jay: no animal products of any kind, and no garlic, onions or other pungent plants. Effectively vegan, with extra restrictions. - Mangsawirat: vegetarian in the broader sense, meaning no meat or fish. Depending on the cook, it may include eggs and dairy, and garlic and onions are usually used freely. In everyday use the line can blur. A cook asked for mangsawirat food may still reach for fish sauce or oyster sauce without thinking of them as meat, so it is worth being specific. For vegans, asking for jay is usually the clearest request. ### Where animal products hide Even dishes that look vegetable-only often contain animal ingredients. The most common are: 1. Fish sauce (nam pla), used as the main salty seasoning in stir-fries, soups, salads and dipping sauces. 2. Shrimp paste (kapi), pounded into most curry pastes, including green, red and sour curries, and into many chilli dips. 3. Oyster sauce, used in many stir-fried vegetable dishes. 4. Dried shrimp, often added to som tam and some stir-fries. 5. Meat stock, used as the base for many soups and noodle broths. 6. Egg, in fried rice, pad Thai and many noodle dishes, and often fried and placed on top of rice dishes. Ready-made curry pastes are a particular problem, because a stall rarely makes a separate paste for a single order. Look for jay restaurants, which use their own pastes, or choose dishes that do not rely on a paste at all. ### How to order A few Thai phrases go a long way. Polite speakers add khrap at the end if they are male and kha if they are female. - Gin jay: I eat jay food. Phom gin jay (male speaker) or chan gin jay (female speaker). - Gin mangsawirat: I eat vegetarian food. - Mai gin neua sat: I do not eat meat. - Mai sai nam pla: no fish sauce. - Mai sai kapi: no shrimp paste. - Mai sai nam man hoy: no oyster sauce. - Mai sai kung haeng: no dried shrimp. - Mai sai khai: no egg. - Sai see-ew: use soy sauce. - Mee ahan jay mai: do you have jay food? Writing your needs in Thai on a card or a phone screen helps, particularly at busy stalls. Be prepared for the occasional misunderstanding, and choose places where the cook is making your dish to order rather than serving from a pot that is already prepared. ### Dishes that adapt well Many Thai dishes are easy to make without animal products when cooked to order with soy sauce in place of fish sauce. Good choices include pad pak ruam (stir-fried mixed vegetables), pad pak bung (stir-fried morning glory), pad kra pao with tofu or mushrooms, khao pad (fried rice) without egg, pad see ew and pad Thai with tofu and no egg, and tom kha with mushrooms in a vegetable broth. Som tam can be made with soy sauce and without dried shrimp. Jay restaurants also make wide use of tofu, mushrooms, wheat gluten and soy-based mock meats. Fresh fruit is excellent and everywhere, and many Thai sweets made from coconut, rice flour, palm sugar and beans contain no animal products, although some use egg. ### A note on temple food Visitors sometimes assume that Thai Buddhist monks are vegetarian. In the Theravada tradition followed by most Thais, monks eat what is offered to them on the alms round, and that often includes meat and fish. Vegetarianism is a personal choice for some monks and lay Buddhists rather than a general rule. The strict vegetarian tradition in Thailand comes mainly from Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, which is why jay food is so closely tied to Chinese shrines, Chinese temples and the Vegetarian Festival. Some Thai Buddhists also eat vegetarian on holy days or for a period of time as a way of making merit. Whatever the reason, the result is a cuisine with a long history of cooking without meat, and plenty of cooks who know exactly how to do it. --- ## Story: Mortar and Pestle: Why Thai Cooks Still Pound by Hand URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-mortar-and-pestle Walk past a Thai kitchen, or a papaya salad stall, and you will often hear it before you see it: the steady knock of a pestle against a mortar. In Thai the mortar is called krok and the pestle sak, and together they remain one of the most important tools in the kitchen, even in homes with a perfectly good blender. This is not nostalgia. Pounding by hand produces a different result from chopping with a blade, and many Thai dishes depend on that difference. ### Two kinds of mortar Thai kitchens commonly use two quite different mortars, each suited to a different job. - Granite mortar (krok hin). Heavy, deep and made of solid stone, with a stone pestle. It is used for grinding and pounding: curry pastes, chilli dips, spice mixtures and garlic. The weight does much of the work. The town of Ang Sila in Chonburi province, on the eastern Gulf coast, has long been known for its granite mortars. - Clay or wooden mortar with a wooden pestle. Taller, lighter and with a narrower bowl. It is used for bruising and mixing rather than grinding, above all for som tam and other pounded salads. The softer wooden pestle crushes ingredients without breaking them into a paste. If you buy only one, a good granite mortar with a bowl of around 15 to 20 centimetres across is the more versatile choice. For som tam you can manage by bruising gently in a granite mortar, though a clay or wooden one is easier. ### Why pounding is different A blender cuts ingredients into smaller and smaller pieces. A pestle crushes them. Crushing breaks open the cells of lemongrass, galangal, garlic and chillies and releases their oils and juices, so the paste becomes fragrant and cohesive, with ingredients bound together rather than sitting as tiny separate pieces. Pounding also works without added liquid. A blender usually needs water or oil to turn the blades, which dilutes the paste and makes it harder to fry properly in coconut cream or oil. A hand-pounded curry paste is drier and more concentrated, and it releases its aroma more readily when it hits the pan. Finally, pounding gives control. You can stop when garlic and chillies are roughly crushed for a dipping sauce, or keep going until a curry paste is completely smooth. Many chilli dips, such as nam prik noom, depend on that coarse, uneven texture. ### How to pound a curry paste The secret is order. Hard, fibrous and dry ingredients go in first, soft and wet ones last. If the wet ingredients go in early, everything slides around the bowl and the tough pieces never break down. 1. Toast and grind any whole dry spices, such as coriander and cumin seeds, first. Tip them out and set aside. 2. Pound soaked dried chillies with a pinch of salt. The salt acts as an abrasive and helps break them down. 3. Add the hardest aromatics, finely sliced: lemongrass, galangal, then makrut lime zest and coriander root. Slicing across the fibres first makes the work much easier. 4. Add the softer ingredients: shallots, garlic, and fresh turmeric or krachai if the recipe uses them. 5. Finish with shrimp paste and the ground spices, pounding until the paste is smooth and evenly coloured. Use a firm, steady, vertical motion, letting the pestle drop rather than forcing it, and scrape down the sides with a spoon from time to time. Holding a cupped hand over the mouth of the mortar stops pieces of chilli flying out. A full curry paste takes a while, and it is normal to need a rest. ### Som tam: bruising, not pounding Som tam shows the other side of the mortar. Here the aim is not a paste but a salad in which everything is lightly crushed and coated in dressing. The Thai word tam means to pound, and the dish is sometimes nicknamed pok pok after the sound it makes. 1. Pound garlic and chillies briefly in the clay or wooden mortar until roughly crushed. 2. Add dried shrimp and peanuts if using, and crush lightly. 3. Add palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice, and stir with the pestle until the sugar dissolves. 4. Add the shredded green papaya, tomato and long beans. Bruise them gently with the pestle while turning and lifting the salad with a spoon held in the other hand, so the dressing coats every strand. 5. Taste and adjust, then serve straight away. Too much force turns the papaya watery and limp. The gentle bruising lets the dressing soak in while the strands stay crunchy. ### Choosing and caring for a mortar - Choose weight. A heavy granite mortar stays put on the counter and does the work for you. Light, thin ones tend to skid around. - Look for a rough, unpolished inner surface. Very smooth mortars let ingredients slip rather than grip. - Season a new granite mortar before first use by pounding a handful of uncooked rice to a powder, discarding it and repeating until the powder stays clean and white. This removes loose grit from the stone. - Wash with hot water and a brush. Avoid soaking a wooden pestle or clay mortar, and dry them well. - Stand the mortar on a folded cloth to protect the counter and quieten the noise. ### When a blender is fine None of this means a blender has no place in a Thai kitchen. Many Thai cooks use one for large batches of curry paste, and plenty of households simply buy ready-made paste from the market. A useful compromise is to pound the toughest aromatics such as lemongrass and galangal by hand, then finish the paste in a small food processor with as little liquid as possible. For smaller jobs, though, a mortar is often quicker than getting out a machine, and it is much easier to clean. Crushing a few cloves of garlic with chillies for pad kra pao, or bruising herbs for a dipping sauce, takes less than a minute. Once you get used to the rhythm, it becomes one of the more satisfying parts of cooking Thai food at home. --- ## Story: Feast Days: Food at Thai Festivals and Celebrations URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/food-at-thai-festivals-and-celebrations In Thailand, almost every celebration involves feeding someone. Food is offered to monks, set out for ancestors, cooked in quantity for guests and shared with neighbours. A festival without food would hardly count as a festival at all. The calendar mixes Buddhist, Chinese, Muslim and national occasions, and the food changes with each. Some festivals have specific dishes attached to them. Others are less about a particular dish than about the act of giving and sharing. ### Merit-making: the food behind every festival Many Thai celebrations begin with tham bun, making merit. In Buddhist practice, giving food to monks is one of the most common and important ways to do this. Every morning, monks walk their alms round, and people place rice, curries, sweets and other food into their bowls. On holy days, and on important occasions, families take food to the temple instead. Merit-making food is usually ordinary home cooking at its best: rice, a curry, a stir-fry, a soup, fruit and a sweet, often packed neatly in bags or tiffin carriers. Because the merit is shared with the giver's family, including relatives who have died, offering food in their name is a common way of remembering them. Birthdays, house blessings and anniversaries are all marked this way. ### Songkran: the Thai New Year Songkran, from 13 to 15 April, is the traditional Thai New Year. It is known abroad for its water fights, but at its heart it is a family festival. Many people travel home to their parents and grandparents, and the days often begin with merit-making at the local temple. Families pour scented water over the hands of elders as a sign of respect, and cook large meals for the relatives who have come home. Songkran falls in the hottest part of the year, which is why khao chae, rice in cool, flower-scented water with its small side dishes, is closely linked with the season in central Thailand. Many people also bring sweets and other food to the temple for monks over the holiday. ### Loy Krathong and the temple fair Loy Krathong takes place on the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar, usually in November. People float krathong, small rafts traditionally made from banana trunk and leaves and decorated with flowers, candles and incense, on rivers, canals and ponds. There is no single dish tied to Loy Krathong. Instead, the festival is a big night for street food, as stalls gather around the lakes, riverbanks and temples where the floating takes place. In practice it often feels like a temple fair, or ngan wat. Temple fairs are held throughout the year, for a temple's anniversary, a festival or to raise funds. Alongside the games, music and performances, the stalls sell the snacks Thais associate with a night out: - Grilled squid and meatballs on skewers, with sweet chilli sauce. - Sai krok Isaan, the slightly sour fermented pork and rice sausages of the northeast. - Khanom buang, crisp little crepes filled with meringue-like cream and sweet toppings. - Candy floss, roasted chestnuts and coconut ice cream, sometimes served in a bread roll. - Fried snacks, from spring rolls to battered vegetables, sold in paper bags. ### Chinese New Year in Thai-Chinese homes For Thailand's large Thai-Chinese community, Chinese New Year is one of the most important dates of the year. Many families still describe it in three parts: a day for buying, a day for worship and a day for going out. On the day of worship, households set out offerings for the gods and the ancestors. The offerings follow well-established patterns. Boiled whole chicken, pork and often duck or fish are laid out together, along with fruit such as mandarin oranges, sweets, tea and liquor. Sticky steamed cakes, known as khanom kheng, and other auspicious sweets are common, with names and colours chosen for their associations with luck and prosperity. After the prayers, the food is taken down and cooked or shared by the family, so nothing is wasted. Children receive red envelopes of money, and Yaowarat and other Chinese districts fill with red lanterns, food stalls and crowds. The Vegetarian Festival, later in the Chinese calendar, is the other great food occasion of the Thai-Chinese year, when many people eat only plant-based jay food for nine days. ### Weddings and ordinations Weddings and the ordination of young men as monks are two of the biggest family occasions in Thai life, and both involve cooking for a crowd. A traditional Buddhist wedding often starts in the morning with monks chanting blessings, after which they are offered a meal before midday. The guests eat once the monks have been served. Auspicious sweets play a large part. Golden desserts made with egg yolks, such as thong yip and foi thong, are often given in sets, because their names and colour suggest wealth and lasting happiness. Larger receptions, particularly in Bangkok and among Thai-Chinese families, are often served as a Chinese-style banquet at round tables, with a long succession of shared courses. An ordination, called buat, is usually preceded by a celebration at the family home or the temple, with music, a procession and plenty of food for relatives and neighbours. In villages, neighbours often help cook in large pots and woks, and the shared work is part of the occasion. ### Ramadan and Hari Raya in the South Southern Thailand has large Muslim communities, especially in the provinces near the Malaysian border, and Muslims live throughout the country. During the month of Ramadan, they fast from dawn until sunset. In the late afternoon, markets and roadside stalls fill with food for breaking the fast, which many begin with dates and water before a full meal. The end of Ramadan is celebrated as Hari Raya, the Malay name widely used in the South for Eid al-Fitr. Families visit one another, ask forgiveness, and share festive dishes and sweets. Rice cooked in woven palm leaf pouches, known by the Malay name ketupat, is a familiar sight in many southern households. A second festival, Hari Raya Haji, marks the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and meat from animals sacrificed for the occasion is shared with family, neighbours and those in need. ### Joining in Visitors are often welcome at Thai celebrations, and food is usually the easiest way in. A few points help: 1. Watch the order of things. At Buddhist occasions, monks are served first, and guests wait. 2. Accept what is offered. Refusing food at a celebration can seem unfriendly, so take a little of everything. 3. Be thoughtful during Ramadan. In Muslim areas, avoid eating or drinking openly in public during the fasting hours. 4. Go to the temple fair. It is the most relaxed festival food of all, and nobody needs an invitation. Seen through its festivals, Thai food is less about individual dishes than about generosity: cooking more than enough, giving the best to others first, and making sure everyone at the gathering has eaten. --- ## Story: Khanom: A Guide to the World of Thai Desserts URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-desserts-khanom-guide Thai sweets are called khanom, a word that covers a huge range of foods: steamed cakes, custards, jellies, fried snacks, sweet soups and little parcels wrapped in banana leaf. Some are rich and sticky, others light and cooling. Many are bright with natural colours from pandan leaves, butterfly pea flowers and pumpkin. Most are not served at the end of a meal in the European way. Khanom are eaten as snacks through the day, bought at markets in small bags and boxes, and given as gifts and offerings. A Thai meal at home might finish with fresh fruit, while the sweets come later in the afternoon. ### The building blocks A small group of ingredients appears again and again in Thai sweets: - Coconut: the cream and milk give richness, and are often salted lightly so that the sweetness tastes rounder. Grated coconut is used fresh as a topping or filling. - Palm sugar: soft and caramel-like, it gives many sweets their warm brown colour and depth. - Pandan: the long green leaves add a sweet, grassy fragrance and a green colour, and are used to wrap and line some sweets. - Sticky rice and rice flour: glutinous rice and its flour give the chewy, soft texture behind many khanom. - Beans: mung beans, black beans and others are cooked into sweet soups or made into smooth pastes. - Tapioca and other starches: used for jellies, pearls and the chewy coatings of some sweets. That pinch of salt matters. Many Thai sweets balance sugar with a little salt, especially in the coconut cream, which keeps them from tasting flat. ### Mango sticky rice Khao niao mamuang is the Thai dessert best known abroad. Sticky rice is steamed and then soaked in warm coconut milk sweetened with sugar and seasoned with salt, so the grains turn glossy and rich. It is served beside slices of ripe yellow mango, with a spoonful of salty coconut cream over the top and often a sprinkling of crisp fried mung beans. It is at its best during mango season, which peaks in the hot months from around March to May, when fragrant varieties such as nam dok mai are plentiful. Outside the season it is still widely sold, but the fruit is rarely as good. ### The golden desserts and their Portuguese connection A group of sweets made mainly from egg yolks and sugar stands apart from the coconut and rice tradition. Their names begin with thong, meaning gold, after their bright yellow colour: - Thong yip: egg yolk cooked in syrup and pinched into a small flower or star shape. - Thong yot: golden drops, small teardrops of egg yolk batter poached in boiling syrup. - Foi thong: golden threads, fine strands of yolk drizzled into hot syrup and gathered into nests. These desserts are closely related to Portuguese convent sweets made with egg yolks and sugar, and foi thong in particular resembles the Portuguese fios de ovos. Portuguese traders and settlers were present at Ayutthaya, the Siamese capital, from the sixteenth century, and the egg sweets are generally thought to have arrived through that contact. Thai tradition credits much of this to Maria Guyomar de Pinha, a woman of mixed Portuguese, Japanese and Bengali descent who lived in Ayutthaya in the seventeenth century and was the wife of Constantine Phaulkon, the Greek adviser to King Narai. She is remembered in Thailand as Thao Thong Kip Ma and is said to have worked in the royal kitchens and taught these sweets there. Historical records about her life are limited, and how much of the story is documented fact and how much is later tradition is not certain, but the Portuguese link itself is widely accepted. Because of their golden names, these sweets are thought to bring prosperity and good fortune. They are given at weddings, house blessings, ordinations and other celebrations, often as part of a set of auspicious desserts. ### Market favourites A walk through any Thai market will turn up dozens of sweets. A few of the best known: 1. Khanom krok: a batter of rice flour and coconut cream cooked in a cast-iron pan with small round hollows. The bases turn crisp and the tops stay soft and creamy, and they are often finished with spring onion, sweetcorn or taro. Two halves are usually pressed together to serve. 2. Bua loy: small, chewy balls of glutinous rice flour in warm, sweetened coconut milk. The balls are often coloured with pandan, pumpkin or taro, and some versions add a soft-boiled egg. 3. Lod chong: short green noodles of rice flour coloured with pandan, served in coconut milk with palm sugar syrup and crushed ice. 4. Tub tim krob: crisp rubies, small cubes of water chestnut coated in tapioca flour and coloured red, served in sweetened coconut milk with ice. 5. Khanom chan: a steamed layered sweet of rice flour, tapioca flour and coconut milk, made in alternating colours. The word chan means layer, and the sweet is linked with rising in life, so it is often made with nine layers, nine being a lucky number in Thai culture. Many other sweets are sold alongside these: steamed cups of coconut pudding, pumpkin custard, banana steamed in leaf, and small pastes of mung bean shaped and painted to look like tiny fruits. Most are made fresh each morning and sold out by the afternoon. ### Sweets for merit-making Khanom have long had a place in Buddhist and household ceremonies. Sweets are among the foods placed in monks' bowls on the morning alms round and taken to the temple on holy days. Particular sweets belong to particular occasions. Khao tom mat, sticky rice with coconut milk and banana wrapped in banana leaf, is associated with the end of Buddhist Lent, when it is made and offered at temples. Kraya sart, a sticky mix of puffed and roasted rice, beans, sesame and peanuts bound with sugar, is made for the Sart festival in the tenth lunar month. Seen this way, Thai sweets are less about indulgence than about sharing. They are bought for colleagues, carried to relatives and offered at the temple. Pick up a few unfamiliar ones at a market, find a seat, and try them side by side. It is one of the most rewarding ways to learn what Thai cooks can do with coconut, sugar and rice. --- ## Story: Sticky Rice and Jasmine Rice: Thailand's Two Staples URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/sticky-rice-and-jasmine-rice Rice is so central to Thai life that the common way of saying "to eat" is gin khao, literally "eat rice". But Thailand does not eat one rice. It eats two, and they are as different from each other as bread and pasta. Jasmine rice is the fragrant, separate-grained rice of the central plains and the south. Sticky rice, also called glutinous rice, is the chewy, clinging rice of the north and northeast. Each is cooked differently, eaten differently and paired with its own style of food. ### What makes them different The difference comes down to starch. Rice starch is made of two main components, amylose and amylopectin. Jasmine rice contains a moderate amount of amylose, which helps the grains stay separate and fluffy once cooked. Glutinous rice contains almost no amylose and is nearly all amylopectin, which is what makes the cooked grains turn glossy and stick together in a mass. Despite the name, glutinous rice contains no gluten. The word refers to its glue-like texture, not to wheat protein. Uncooked, the two are easy to tell apart. Jasmine rice grains are long and slightly translucent. Sticky rice grains are shorter, fatter and an opaque chalky white. ### Jasmine rice Thai jasmine rice is known in Thailand as khao hom mali. Its fragrance, often compared to pandan leaves or popcorn, comes largely from a natural aroma compound called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which is also found in pandan. Much of the best-known jasmine rice is grown in the northeast, including the Thung Kula Ronghai plains, which has protected geographical indication status for its hom mali rice. It is ironic that the northeast grows so much jasmine rice while its own people mostly eat sticky rice. In central and southern Thailand, though, plain steamed jasmine rice (sometimes called khao suay, "beautiful rice") is the base of almost every meal. Curries, stir-fries, soups and omelettes are all spooned over it or eaten alongside it. Its fragrance is strongest in rice from the most recent harvest, which is why some packets advertise new crop rice. Fresh rice also needs slightly less water than older rice. ### Cooking jasmine rice Jasmine rice is cooked by absorption, in a pot or rice cooker: 1. Rinse the rice in a bowl of cold water, swirling with your hand, and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat two or three times until the water runs mostly clear. 2. Drain well and put in a heavy pan with water. A good starting point is around 1 to 1.25 cups of water for each cup of rice. Use the lower end for new crop rice. 3. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to very low and cook for about 15 minutes, without lifting the lid. 4. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for another 10 minutes, then fluff gently with a spoon or fork. A rice cooker makes this almost foolproof, and is found in most Thai kitchens. Leftover jasmine rice, cooled and refrigerated, is ideal for fried rice the next day, as freshly cooked rice turns mushy in the wok. ### Sticky rice Sticky rice (khao niao) is the everyday rice of northern Thailand and Isaan, and the national staple of neighbouring Laos. It is eaten by hand: you pinch off a piece, roll it lightly into a ball with your fingers and use it to scoop up larb, dip into nam jim jaew or nam prik, or eat alongside grilled meat. Som tam, gai yang and sticky rice is one of the classic meals of the northeast. It is usually served in a small lidded basket woven from bamboo or rattan, called a kratip, which keeps the rice warm and stops it drying out. Sticky rice is also the base of many Thai sweets, most famously mango sticky rice, where it is soaked in sweetened, salted coconut milk. ### Cooking sticky rice Sticky rice is steamed, not boiled. If you cook it in water like jasmine rice, it turns into a gluey paste. The traditional equipment is a cone-shaped woven bamboo basket set over a tall, narrow pot, but a regular steamer lined with muslin or a clean cloth works well. 1. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs fairly clear. 2. Cover with plenty of fresh water and soak for at least four hours, or overnight. The grains should turn bright white and break easily between your fingers. 3. Drain thoroughly and spread the rice in the cloth-lined steamer or bamboo basket. 4. Steam over boiling water for about 20 to 25 minutes. Halfway through, flip the whole mass of rice over, so the top layer cooks as evenly as the bottom. 5. The rice is done when every grain is translucent, shiny and chewy, with no hard white centres. 6. Turn it out, fluff it briefly with a wooden spoon to release steam, then keep it covered in a basket or a container with a lid. Sticky rice hardens as it cools and dries in the open air, so keep it covered. It reheats well in a steamer or, wrapped in a damp cloth, in a microwave. ### Rice beyond the bowl Both rices turn up in other forms throughout Thai cooking. Toasted sticky rice, ground into a coarse powder (khao khua), gives larb and nam tok their nutty crunch and thickens nam jim jaew. Jasmine rice is simmered into khao tom, a comforting rice soup often eaten for breakfast or late at night. Rice is also ground into flour and made into noodles, from the fresh, fermented khanom jeen to the dried rice sticks of pad Thai. Sticky rice is roasted inside bamboo tubes with coconut milk as khao lam, grilled in small patties brushed with egg, and wrapped in banana leaves with fillings for snacks and sweets. In the north and northeast, an entire meal can be built around a basket of it. When cooking Thai food at home, it is worth matching the rice to the dish. Curries from the centre and south belong with jasmine rice. Grilled meats, Isaan salads and northern chilli dips belong with sticky rice. Getting that right makes the food taste much closer to the way it is eaten in Thailand. --- ## Story: Royal Thai Cuisine: Palace Cooking, Carving and Refinement URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/royal-thai-cuisine-ahan-chao-wang Thai food has a reputation for being bold, but there is another side to it that is just as old: quiet, careful and exacting. In Thai this is called ahan chao wang, food of the palace, and it describes the style of cooking that developed in the royal and aristocratic households of Bangkok. Royal Thai cuisine is less a fixed set of recipes than an approach. The ingredients are often the same as in ordinary central Thai cooking. What changes is the care taken over every stage, from how a fish is boned to how a cucumber is cut, and the balance of flavours on the plate. ### The palace kitchens Bangkok became the capital in 1782, and the royal court of the new city became a centre of arts, crafts and cooking. Within the Grand Palace, the Inner Court was home to royal women and their attendants, and it was here that much of the palace cooking was done and taught. Families of noble and well-connected households often sent daughters to serve in the palace or in the residences of princes and princesses, where they learned cooking, flower arranging, carving and other refined skills. When they married or returned home, they carried those skills out into the wider city. This is generally seen as one of the main ways palace cooking spread into the food of Bangkok's better-off households, and from there into central Thai cooking as a whole. The court also had a literary interest in food. A well-known set of boat-procession verses praising savoury dishes and sweets is traditionally attributed to King Rama II, who reigned in the early nineteenth century. The poems describe dishes such as massaman curry and ma hor, and they are often quoted as evidence of what was eaten at court at the time. ### What makes it royal A few principles run through palace-style cooking. None of them is unique to the court, but together they give it a recognisable character: - Nothing awkward to eat. Fish and meat are boned, prawns are peeled, fruit is peeled and seeded, and everything is cut to a size that can be eaten neatly with a spoon and fork. - Balance over impact. Flavours are rounded and harmonious, with chilli used for fragrance and warmth rather than to overwhelm. - Labour as a sign of care. Pastes are pounded very fine, coconut cream is pressed fresh and garnishes are shaped by hand. - Beauty on the plate. Food is arranged with colour and symmetry in mind, often with carved fruit or vegetables and flowers. - Many small dishes. A meal is a spread of contrasting dishes rather than a single plate, so that sour, salty, sweet and rich sit side by side. ### Kae sa lak: the art of carving The most visible craft associated with palace cooking is kae sa lak, the carving of fruit and vegetables. Using a small knife with a fine, pointed blade, carvers turn watermelons into roses and lotus flowers, cucumbers into leaves, chillies into blossoms and spring onions into curling tassels. Thai tradition links the craft with the royal court, and a popular legend ties it to the early kingdom of Sukhothai, centuries before Bangkok. The legend is impossible to verify, but carving was clearly cultivated as an accomplishment among court women in the Bangkok period, and it is still taught in Thai schools, colleges and cookery courses today. Carving is not just decoration. A carved shallot or cucumber is usually there to be eaten alongside the meal, and the carving makes even a plate of raw vegetables look generous. ### Khao chae: cool rice for the hot season Khao chae, rice soaked in cool water, is the dish most closely tied to the palace in Thai minds. Cooked rice is rinsed until it is no longer sticky, then served in water scented with jasmine flowers and other blossoms, sometimes with ice. It is eaten in the hottest months, around March and April. The rice is only half of it. Khao chae comes with a set of small, richly flavoured side dishes, taken a bite at a time between spoonfuls of cool rice. These typically include: - Luk kapi, balls of shrimp paste mixed with fish and aromatics, battered and fried. - Stuffed shallots, filled with fish or shrimp paste and deep-fried in a light egg batter. - Stuffed mild chillies, filled with minced pork and wrapped in a net of egg. - Sweet shredded beef or pork, fried until dry and candied. - Sweet salted radish, stir-fried with egg and palm sugar. The dish is generally said to have Mon origins and to have been adopted at court during the nineteenth century, before spreading to the wider public. Phetchaburi, south-west of Bangkok, is also well known for its own khao chae. ### Ma hor, cho muang and other court dishes Ma hor, whose name means galloping horses, is a small, elegant snack: pieces of fresh pineapple or orange topped with a sweet, savoury mixture of minced pork, prawns, peanuts, palm sugar, garlic and fried shallots, finished with a coriander leaf and a sliver of red chilli. The contrast of juicy, sour fruit and rich, sticky topping is classic palace cooking. Cho muang are steamed dumplings shaped like small flowers and tinted violet, traditionally with butterfly pea flower. The dough is pinched into petals with fine tweezers, and the filling is a sweet and savoury mixture of minced chicken or pork with onion and pepper. They take patience to make, which is precisely the point. Other dishes often linked to the court include delicate coconut cream dips known as lon, served with fresh vegetables, and many of the most elaborate Thai sweets. Whether a given dish was invented in the palace or simply refined there is often not known, so it is safest to think of these as dishes the court made its own. ### From the palace to the restaurant Palace cooking did not stay behind palace walls. One of the first printed Thai cookbooks, published by a noblewoman in the early twentieth century, helped bring refined household cooking to a wider readership. Cookery schools and domestic science colleges continued the work, and carving and court-style dishes became part of formal Thai culinary training. Its influence is easy to see today. Upmarket Thai restaurants in Bangkok and abroad often describe their menus as royal Thai cuisine, serving boneless, bite-sized dishes in many small portions, with carved vegetables on the plate. The Thai food served in hotels and international restaurants owes a good deal to this style, sometimes more than to the street. The everyday food of Thailand and the food of the palace are not opposites. They share ingredients, techniques and a love of balance. Royal Thai cuisine simply takes the same ideas and gives them all the time in the world. --- ## Story: How a Thai Meal Works: Sharing, Rice and Table Manners URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-table-manners-how-a-thai-meal-works A meal in Thailand is easy to enjoy and hard to get badly wrong. Thai table manners are relaxed, and hosts are generous with guests who do not know the customs. Still, a Thai meal is organised differently from a European one, and knowing how it works makes eating with Thai friends, colleagues or a host family much more comfortable. The basic idea is simple. Rice is the meal. Everything else is shared, and everything arrives together. ### Rice at the centre The Thai phrase for eating a meal is gin khao, which means to eat rice. A common friendly greeting is gin khao reu yang, have you eaten yet, asked in the same spirit as asking how someone is. The dishes that go with the rice are called gap khao, literally things with rice. This shapes how the food is cooked and seasoned. Curries, stir-fries, salads and chilli dips are made to be eaten with plenty of plain rice, so they are boldly flavoured and can taste strong on their own. Each person usually has their own plate of rice, and the shared dishes are there to accompany it, a spoonful at a time. ### Shared dishes, served together A Thai meal is not served in courses. There is no starter followed by a main. Dishes are placed in the middle of the table as soon as they are ready, and everyone eats from all of them at once. Soup is part of this too, sipped through the meal rather than served first. A good spread is planned for contrast. A typical meal for a small group might include: - A soup or curry, such as tom yum, tom kha or a green curry. - A stir-fry of meat or vegetables. - A salad or something sour and spicy, such as yam or som tam. - Something fried or grilled, such as an omelette, fried fish or grilled pork. - A chilli dip (nam prik) with fresh or blanched vegetables. - Plenty of rice for everyone. When ordering in a group, the custom is to order roughly one dish per person, or one more, and share them all. Ordering a dish only for yourself is unusual unless you are eating a one-plate meal, such as fried rice or noodles. ### The spoon and the fork For rice meals, Thais eat with a spoon and fork. The spoon is held in the right hand and does the main work. The fork, in the left hand, is used to push food onto the spoon and to hold things steady. The fork does not usually go into the mouth. Knives are rarely needed, because meat and vegetables are cut into bite-sized pieces before cooking, and the edge of the spoon can break up anything larger. Chopsticks are used for noodle soups and some other Chinese-style dishes, often together with a spoon for the broth. They are not normally used for a plate of rice and curry. Stir-fried noodles such as pad Thai or pad see ew are often eaten with a spoon and fork. ### Sticky rice and eating by hand In the North and Northeast, sticky rice (khao niao) is the everyday staple and is eaten with the hands. It is served in a small woven basket, called a kratip, which keeps it warm and soft. Take a small amount with your right hand, press it into a ball with your fingers, and use it to pick up a little of a dish or dip it into a sauce or chilli paste. Dishes from these regions, such as larb, nam tok, som tam and grilled meats, are well suited to this way of eating. Close the basket lid when you have finished so the rice does not dry out. Sticky rice is eaten by hand in other parts of the country too, wherever these dishes are served. ### Small courtesies at the table Thai table manners are mostly about consideration for the people you are eating with. A few habits are worth knowing: 1. Take a small amount from a shared dish, one or two spoonfuls, and put it on your own rice. Come back for more as often as you like, rather than filling your plate at the start. 2. Use the serving spoon if there is one. Many tables have a separate spoon for each shared dish, called chon klang, so personal spoons do not go into the common plates. 3. Leave some of each dish for others, especially the last pieces, until everyone has had a share. 4. Wait for the host or the oldest person at the table to begin, or to invite everyone to start. 5. Offer dishes to others, and do not be surprised if someone places a good piece on your plate. It is a common, friendly gesture. Finishing every grain of rice is fine. At the end of the meal, placing the spoon and fork together on the plate is a common signal that you have finished. ### Seasoning and saying aroy Thai cooks expect diners to adjust their own food. Noodle shops and many restaurants have a set of condiments, known as khrueang prung, usually fish sauce with chillies, sugar, chilli flakes and chilli vinegar. At home or in a restaurant, there may be a small bowl of prik nam pla, fish sauce with sliced chillies and sometimes lime and garlic, to spoon over rice and dishes as you go. Taste first, then season. Doing so is not a criticism of the cook. The most useful word at any Thai table is aroy, delicious. Aroy mak means very delicious. Saying it to the cook or the host is always welcome, and if you are asked whether you like a dish, it is the natural reply. ### Paying the bill Customs around paying vary with the situation. In many groups, the most senior person, the one who invited the others, or the person with the highest income pays for everyone. Younger guests may offer, but the host often insists. Among friends of similar age, splitting the bill is common, and taking turns to pay on different occasions is a familiar arrangement. If you are the guest of a Thai host, the kindest response is usually to accept with thanks and offer to pay next time. In restaurants, ask for the bill with gep tang or check bin, said while catching a server's eye. Service charges appear at some restaurants, and tipping is appreciated in sit-down restaurants but not expected at street stalls. Above all, a Thai meal is meant to be shared. It is rarely eaten alone if it can be avoided, and the pleasure comes as much from the company and the passing of dishes as from any one plate. --- ## Story: How to Eat at a Thai Street Food Stall URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/how-to-eat-thai-street-food Street food is one of the best reasons to visit Thailand. Some of the country's most loved cooking happens on a cart, a folding table or a shophouse front with a few plastic stools on the pavement. Jay Fai, the Bangkok cook famous for her crab omelette and ski goggles, became internationally known after her small shop received a Michelin star in 2018, proof of how seriously this kind of cooking is taken. For a first-time visitor, though, the stalls can be confusing. Menus are often in Thai only, there may be no menu at all, and everyone else seems to know exactly what to do. A few simple habits make it much easier. ### Choosing a stall Most stalls do one thing, or a small group of related things. A cart with a glass case of hanging ducks sells duck noodles or duck rice. A big steaming pot of broth means noodle soup. A charcoal grill with skewers means grilled pork or chicken, usually with sticky rice. A mortar on the counter means som tam. The best signs are simple: - A steady queue or full tables, especially of locals and office workers. - Fast turnover, so food is cooked fresh or has not been sitting long. - Ingredients kept covered or chilled, and cooked food kept hot. - A cook who is clearly specialised: one dish, done many times a day. Timing matters. Many stalls serve breakfast or lunch only and pack up by early afternoon, while others appear only in the evening. If a famous stall is closed, try again at another time rather than assuming it has gone. ### Ordering without a shared language Pointing works almost everywhere. Point at what someone else is eating, at a photo, or at the ingredients in the case. A few Thai words help a great deal and are always appreciated: - Ao an nee: I would like this one. - Mai phet: not spicy. Phet nit noi: a little spicy. - Mai sai...: do not add... (for example, mai sai pak chee, no coriander). - Gin tee nee: eat here. Glap baan or sai tung: to take away. - Aroy mak: very delicious. - Khop khun krap (said by men) or khop khun ka (said by women): thank you. If you have an allergy, particularly to peanuts or shellfish, carry it written down in Thai. Fish sauce, shrimp paste and dried shrimp turn up in many dishes that do not look like seafood. ### Noodle shops Noodle stalls can seem complicated because you are expected to choose the noodle, the style and sometimes the meat. Once you know the main options it becomes quick: - Sen yai: wide, flat rice noodles. - Sen lek: thin, flat rice noodles, the kind used in pad Thai. - Sen mee: very thin rice vermicelli. - Ba mee: yellow egg noodles. - Nam: with soup. Haeng: dry, with the broth served on the side or left out. So an order might be as simple as "sen lek nam", thin rice noodles in soup. The cook will season the bowl lightly and leave the rest to you, using the rack of fish sauce, sugar, chilli flakes and chilli vinegar on the table. Taste first, then adjust. ### Rice and curry shops Rice and curry shops (khao gaeng) display a row of trays and pots: curries, stir-fries, omelettes, braised dishes and soups. You choose one, two or three, and they are spooned over a plate of rice. Simply point at each one you want. This is one of the easiest ways to try several dishes in a single meal, and it is how many Thai people eat lunch on a working day. Made-to-order stalls (often called aharn tam sang) work differently. You name a dish, such as pad kra pao or fried rice, and it is cooked for you in a wok. A fried egg (khai dao) on top is a popular addition. ### How to eat Thai table manners are relaxed but have a few patterns worth knowing: - Rice dishes are eaten with a spoon and fork. The spoon goes in the right hand and does most of the work; the fork in the left pushes food onto it. The fork does not usually go in the mouth. - Noodle soups are eaten with chopsticks and a spoon. Stir-fried noodles such as pad Thai are often eaten with a fork and spoon. - Sticky rice is eaten by hand. Pinch off a small piece, roll it into a ball and use it to pick up food or soak up sauce. - Shared dishes go in the middle. Take a little at a time onto your own rice rather than piling your plate. Tables are often shared at busy times. A nod and a gesture at the empty stool is enough to ask whether a seat is free. ### Paying and practicalities At most sit-down stalls you pay at the end. Catch the cook's or server's eye and say "gep tang" or "check bin" to ask for the bill. At carts and takeaway stalls you usually pay when you collect your food. Cash is still widely used, and small notes and coins make life easier for everyone, although many stalls now also accept QR code payments. Tipping is not expected at street stalls. Bottled water is cheap and easy to find, and many stalls offer free drinking water or iced tea from a jug. Napkins come from a small tissue box on the table, so it is worth carrying a packet of your own. Most of all, take your time and be curious. Order something you do not recognise, watch what the regulars add from the condiment rack, and come back to the stalls you like. Street food rewards repeat visits, and a cook who recognises you may well start your order before you sit down. --- ## Story: Wok, Noodles and Soy Sauce: The Chinese Influence on Thai Food URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/chinese-influence-on-thai-food Walk into almost any Thai noodle shop and you are eating Chinese history. The wok on the burner, the rice noodles in the basket, the bottles of soy sauce on the counter and the pork hanging behind the glass all arrived with Chinese migrants, who have been settling in Thailand for centuries. Over time their food became so much a part of daily life that most Thais simply think of it as Thai. That blending is one of the defining features of Thai cooking, especially in Bangkok and the Central Plains. Understanding it explains why a Thai menu can move from a fiery coconut curry to a mild bowl of rice porridge without anyone thinking it strange. ### Who came, and when Chinese merchants traded with Siam long before Bangkok existed, and there were Chinese communities at Ayutthaya, the old capital. The great wave of migration came later, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when large numbers of men left southern China to work in Siam as labourers, traders and shopkeepers. Many married Thai women, and their children grew up in both cultures. Most of the migrants came from a handful of groups in southern China, and each left its own mark on the food: - Teochew, from the area around Shantou and Chaozhou, by far the largest group in Bangkok. Much of Thai-Chinese everyday cooking, from rice porridge to braised pork, comes from this tradition. - Hokkien, from Fujian, who settled early and in large numbers on the southern coast, particularly in Phuket. - Hainanese, from Hainan Island, remembered in Thai food above all for chicken rice. - Hakka and Cantonese, smaller communities who brought their own noodles, roast meats and dim sum. When Bangkok was founded as the capital in 1782, the Chinese traders living on the site chosen for the Grand Palace were moved a little downriver to the area around Sampheng. That district grew into Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, which remains the symbolic home of Chinese-Thai food. ### The wok and the stir-fry Before Chinese influence, most Thai cooking was done by boiling, grilling, steaming and pounding. Curries were simmered in clay pots and chilli dips were made in the mortar. The wok, known in Thai as kata, brought a new method: fast frying over a fierce heat with a small amount of fat. Stir-frying, or pad, is now so central to Thai cooking that it is hard to imagine a menu without it. Dishes such as pad kra pao and pad pak boong, stir-fried morning glory, are cooked in a wok in a minute or two. Many are Chinese in technique but Thai in flavour, seasoned with fish sauce, chilli and holy basil. ### Noodles and soy sauce Apart from khanom jeen, the fermented rice noodles often said to have Mon roots, most Thai noodles are Chinese in origin. The everyday word for rice noodles, kuay teow, comes from the southern Chinese name for flat rice noodles, and egg noodles are called ba mee, again from Chinese. Noodles are still the one food many Thais eat with chopsticks, while rice is eaten with a spoon and fork. Rice noodles come in several widths: sen yai, the wide flat sheets; sen lek, the medium strands used in pad Thai; and sen mee, the thin vermicelli. Each suits different dishes, and a noodle stall will usually ask which one you want. Soy sauce came with them. Thai kitchens use light soy sauce for seasoning, dark sweet soy sauce for colour and caramel depth, and seasoning sauces that sit somewhere between the two. Oyster sauce, fermented soybean paste (tao jiao) and tofu are all part of the same inheritance. Pad see ew is the clearest example: wide rice noodles fried in a hot wok with dark soy sauce, egg and Chinese broccoli (kana), with pork or chicken, until the edges of the noodles char slightly. ### Pork and the roast meat shop Pork is eaten widely in Thailand today, and Chinese cooking did a great deal to put it at the centre of the table. Chinese families raised pigs, sold pork and brought with them ways of roasting, braising and curing it that are still everywhere. Moo daeng, the red-glazed roast pork, and moo krob, crisp roast pork belly, hang in the windows of shops across the country and are served over rice with a sweet, thick gravy. Chinese-style sausages (kun chiang) and slow-braised pork are just as familiar. Khao kha moo, braised pork leg over rice, may be the most loved of these dishes. The pork is simmered for hours in soy sauce, sugar and five-spice until it is dark, glossy and soft enough to cut with a spoon. It is served on rice with a boiled egg from the same pot, pickled mustard greens, Chinese broccoli and a sharp chilli and garlic vinegar to cut through the richness. A closely related braise, palo, uses the same spiced, sweet soy broth for pork and eggs at home. ### The rice bowl dishes Several of the most common one-plate meals in Thailand are Chinese dishes that settled in and slowly changed. Khao man gai, the Thai form of Hainanese chicken rice, is served with a fermented soybean sauce sharpened with chilli and ginger that is distinctly Thai. Jok, the smooth rice porridge, is a breakfast fixture, and its thinner cousin khao tom is eaten at any hour. Kuay jap, a Teochew dish, is usually rolled rice noodles in a clear, peppery broth with crispy pork belly and offal. A different soup sold in the northeast as kuay jap yuan, with chewy rice noodles in a milder pork broth, came to Thailand by another route, through Vietnam. Late at night, many cities have raan khao tom, Chinese-Thai rice soup shops where plain rice soup is the base for a table of small shared dishes: salted egg, stir-fried greens, omelette, pickled vegetables and dried fish. It is one of the best examples of how Chinese and Thai ways of eating came together. ### The shophouse restaurant Much of this food is cooked in shophouses, the narrow terraced buildings with a business on the ground floor and the family living above. They line the older streets of Bangkok and most Thai towns, and many were built by or for Chinese merchants. A shophouse restaurant often specialises in one thing, braised pork, roast duck or a single noodle soup, and the recipe may have passed through several generations of the same family. These kitchens are where the Chinese and Thai traditions meet most clearly. A cook may use a Teochew braising method and then set a dish of fish sauce and fresh chillies beside the bowl. Diners add their own seasoning from the condiment caddy, a Thai habit applied to Chinese food. ### Seeing it for yourself Yaowarat is the obvious place to start, but Chinese-Thai food is everywhere once you know how to look. A few things to try: 1. Order khao kha moo at a shop with a large pot of dark braised pork on the counter, and ask for an egg. 2. Try pad see ew and its gravy-covered cousin, rad na, side by side to see two uses of the same wide noodles. 3. Eat jok or kuay jap for breakfast, when they are freshest. 4. Visit a Chinese shrine or temple during Chinese New Year or the Vegetarian Festival, when food stalls gather around it. 5. Look for the roast meat shops with ducks and pork belly hanging in the window, and order a mixed plate over rice. The Chinese influence on Thai food is not a separate cuisine sitting alongside the rest. It runs through the whole of it, from the morning bowl of porridge to the late-night wok, and it is a large part of why Thai food is as varied as it is. --- ## Story: What Thais Eat for Breakfast: Rice Soup, Fried Dough and Strong Coffee URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-breakfast-what-thais-eat-in-the-morning There is no single Thai breakfast. There is no fixed plate in the way that some countries have a set morning meal, and very few dishes are reserved strictly for the hours before nine. What there is instead is a morning rhythm: markets that open before dawn, carts that sell out by mid-morning, and a handful of foods that taste best when the air is still cool. The common thread is rice. Many Thai people eat rice three times a day, and breakfast is often simply a smaller, gentler version of lunch. Alongside the rice sit a few foods that really are morning specialities, most of them brought by Chinese and Vietnamese communities and long since made Thai. ### Jok and khao tom: rice in a bowl Jok is rice cooked for a long time until the grains break down into a thick, smooth porridge. It is usually served with small pork balls or minced pork, and topped with shredded ginger, spring onion, white pepper and sometimes a soft-cooked egg cracked in while the porridge is hot. Crisp fried dough or fried garlic adds crunch. A splash of soy sauce or fish sauce and a pinch of pepper from the table finish it. Khao tom is lighter. Here the rice grains stay whole, sitting in a clear broth with pork, chicken, shrimp or fish, and a scattering of fried garlic and celery leaves. It is a common breakfast and a common late-night meal too, the kind of food people want when they need something warm and easy. A related style, khao tom kui, is plain rice gruel served with a spread of small salty side dishes: salted egg, stir-fried greens, sweet preserved radish, minced pork omelette and pickled vegetables. It comes from Teochew Chinese cooking and is still found in older parts of Bangkok and other cities with a strong Thai-Chinese presence. ### Patongko and a sweet dip Patongko is deep-fried dough, two strips pressed together so they puff and pull apart in the hot oil. It is a close relative of the Chinese youtiao and is sold from a wok by the roadside, often in small cross or X shapes. On its own it is crisp outside and soft and airy within, with very little sweetness. The pleasure comes from what goes with it: - Nam tao hu: fresh soy milk, served warm and often sweetened, sometimes with basil seeds, jelly or beans added. - Sangkaya: a soft custard of egg, coconut milk and sugar, frequently coloured green with pandan. - Sweetened condensed milk: drizzled straight over the dough, simple and very popular. Patongko is also torn into jok, where it soaks up the porridge. Few morning foods are cheaper or more widely loved. ### Grilled pork and sticky rice Moo ping is pork on bamboo skewers, marinated in garlic, coriander root, pepper, sugar and fish sauce, sometimes with coconut milk, and grilled slowly over charcoal. The sugar caramelises and the fat drips into the coals, so the smell carries a long way down the street. Bought with a small bag of khao niao, sticky rice, it is a breakfast eaten on foot, on a motorbike or at a desk. Sticky rice keeps well in its bag and travels easily, which is why it suits the morning. Grilled chicken, grilled pork neck and small sausages are sold the same way, with a little packet of chilli dipping sauce on the side. ### Kai kata and the northeastern table Kai kata means pan eggs. Eggs are cooked in a small, shallow metal pan with a handle, served still in the pan and topped with sliced Vietnamese-style pork sausage, minced pork, spring onion and pepper. It comes with bread or a baguette-style roll and a cup of coffee or tea. The dish shows the Vietnamese influence that runs through parts of the northeast, especially along the Mekong in provinces such as Udon Thani and Nong Khai, and it is now found much further afield. ### Rice for the working day For many people, breakfast is a full rice meal bought on the way to work. Three kinds of shop are especially busy in the early hours: 1. Khao man gai: poached chicken over rice cooked in chicken fat and stock, with a bowl of broth and a sauce of fermented soybean, ginger, garlic and chilli. Many stalls open early and close once the chickens are gone. 2. Khao gaeng: rice and curry shops, with trays of curries, stir-fries, omelettes and braised dishes ready from early morning. You choose one or two and they are spooned over a plate of rice. 3. Khao kai jiao: a puffy, deep-fried Thai omelette on rice with chilli sauce, quick and cheap, and as likely to be made at home as bought. In the south, breakfast often looks different again. Khanom jeen, fermented rice noodles with curry sauces and a basket of fresh vegetables, is a morning meal in many southern towns. Roti with sweet tea is popular in Muslim communities, and towns with large Thai-Chinese populations, such as Hat Yai and Phuket, have a strong tradition of dim sum in the morning. ### Morning markets and the alms round The talat chao, morning market, is where much of this food is found. Markets open before sunrise and are busiest early, as cooks buy produce for the day and families pick up ready-made dishes in small plastic bags. Alongside the vegetables, fish and meat are stalls of curries, chilli dips, grilled meats, sticky rice and sweets, many of them gone by mid-morning. Early morning is also when Buddhist monks walk their alms round, called tak bat. People wait outside their homes or along the road to place rice, cooked food and sweets into the monks' bowls. Much of the food offered is bought at the morning market minutes before, which is one reason the markets start so early. ### Coffee and tea Thai coffee culture has two sides. Modern cafés serving espresso drinks are everywhere, and Thailand grows its own coffee, much of it in the northern hills. But the older tradition is still easy to find at markets and in old shophouse coffee shops. Kafae boran, old-style coffee, is strong, dark-roasted coffee brewed by pouring hot water through a cloth filter, often shaped like a long sock, and served with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk or sugar. Oliang is the iced black version, sweetened and sometimes made from a blend that includes roasted grains and seeds such as corn, soybean and sesame alongside the coffee. Cha yen, Thai iced tea, is brewed strong and mixed with sugar and milk, giving it its well-known orange colour. Cha dam yen is the same tea iced without milk. A cup of hot coffee with patongko at a market table, or a bag of iced oliang carried away with a straw, is one of the simplest ways to start a day in Thailand. Get up early, follow the smoke from the grills, and eat what the people around you are eating. --- ## Story: A Food Lover's Guide to Thailand's Four Regions URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thailand-regional-food-guide Thai food is often talked about as one cuisine, but travel a few hundred kilometres in any direction from Bangkok and the menus change. The rice changes, the heat changes, the herbs change, and dishes that are everyday in one region are rare in another. Thai cooks usually divide the country into four culinary regions: the Central Plains, the North, the Northeast (known as Isaan) and the South. The borders are not sharp, and Bangkok's markets sell food from all of them, but knowing the outline makes a trip far more rewarding. ### Central Thailand: rice, coconut and balance The Central Plains are the country's rice bowl, a flat, wet landscape of paddy fields and rivers around Bangkok and the Chao Phraya. The food here is the version most visitors know already: jasmine rice at every meal, coconut milk curries, and dishes that balance sour, salty, sweet and hot in roughly equal measure. Central cooking tends to be the sweetest and the most refined of the four, partly because of the long influence of the royal court. It also absorbed a great deal from the Chinese communities of Bangkok, which is where many noodle dishes, stir-fries and dishes such as khao man gai come from. - Green curry (gaeng keow wan), rich with coconut and fresh green chillies. - Tom yum and tom kha, the hot and sour soups. - Pad Thai, the stir-fried noodle dish now served across the world. Thipsamai in Bangkok is one of its best-known addresses. - Massaman curry, a mild, spiced curry with roots in the Muslim and Persian traders who came to the old capital at Ayutthaya. Bangkok is the easiest place to eat across the whole country without leaving the city. Or Tor Kor Market, near Chatuchak, is well known for the quality of its produce and prepared food, and is a good place to see ingredients from every region side by side. ### The North: mountains, herbs and sticky rice Northern Thailand, centred on Chiang Mai and the old Lanna kingdom, is cooler and hillier. Sticky rice replaces jasmine rice as the daily staple, eaten by hand from small woven baskets. The cooking uses less coconut and less sugar than the centre, leaning instead on herbs, dried spices, pork and chilli dips eaten with steamed or raw vegetables. The region's history shows on the plate. Neighbouring Myanmar, the Shan people and Chinese Muslim (Hui) traders who travelled through the hills all left their mark. - Khao soi, egg noodles in a curried coconut broth, topped with crispy noodles. Khao Soi Mae Sai is one of Chiang Mai's best-known places to try it. - Sai oua, a coarse pork sausage packed with lemongrass, makrut lime and chilli paste. - Nam prik noom, a smoky dip of roasted green chillies, and nam prik ong, a mild pork and tomato dip. - Gaeng hang lay, a slow-cooked pork curry with Burmese roots, flavoured with tamarind, ginger and garlic. - Khanom jeen nam ngiao, rice noodles in a pork and tomato broth. ### The Northeast (Isaan): fermented, fiery and grilled Isaan is the large plateau that borders Laos and Cambodia. It is the country's most populous region, and its food has spread across Thailand as people from the northeast moved to Bangkok and other cities for work. Many of the grilled chicken, papaya salad and larb stalls in Bangkok are run by Isaan cooks. Isaan food is direct and bold: very hot, sour and salty, rarely sweet, and almost always eaten with sticky rice. Pla ra, a pungent fermented fish, gives many dishes their depth, and toasted rice powder (khao khua) adds a nutty crunch to meat salads. The cooking shares a great deal with the food of Laos. - Som tam, green papaya pounded with lime, chilli, fish sauce and peanuts or pla ra. - Larb moo and nam tok neua, minced or sliced meat salads with lime, chilli, herbs and toasted rice. - Gai yang, marinated grilled chicken, served with nam jim jaew, a tangy, smoky dipping sauce. - Tom saep, a hot and sour soup full of herbs. ### The South: turmeric, seafood and serious heat Southern Thailand runs down a long, narrow peninsula between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, towards Malaysia. Seafood is everywhere, coconut palms grow along the coast, and fresh turmeric turns many dishes a deep yellow. Southern food has a reputation as the hottest in the country. The region has large Muslim communities, particularly towards the Malaysian border, and long-standing Chinese communities in towns such as Phuket. Both have shaped its food. - Kua kling, a dry-fried minced meat with a fierce curry paste and plenty of turmeric. - Gaeng lueang, a sour, yellow curry made without coconut milk, usually with fish. - Khao mok gai, a spiced chicken and rice dish closely related to biryani. - Gai tod Hat Yai, fried chicken from the southern city of Hat Yai, topped with crispy fried shallots. - Moo hong, Phuket's braised pork belly in black pepper, garlic and soy, from the island's Hokkien Chinese heritage. Southern meals often come with a big plate of fresh vegetables and herbs to cool the mouth between bites of curry. ### Eating across the regions A few tips help when travelling around: - Follow the rice. Where people eat sticky rice, expect northern or northeastern food. Where it is jasmine rice, expect central or southern cooking. - Eat the regional dish in its region. Khao soi in Chiang Mai and southern curries in the south taste different from the versions sold elsewhere. - Look for regional signs in Bangkok. Shops advertising food from Isaan, the north or the south (often written as the region's name on the sign) tend to cook in that style for people from home. - Ask for local heat with care. Northeastern and southern food is often very hot, and asking for less chilli is entirely normal. Seen together, the four regions explain a lot about Thai food: why some meals are eaten with the hands and others with a spoon, why one curry is thick with coconut and another is thin and sour, and why there is no single right way to make most dishes. --- ## Story: How to Order Food in Thailand: Phrases, Spice and Rice Dishes URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/how-to-order-food-in-thailand-useful-phrases Ordering food in Thailand is easier than it looks. Most stalls and small restaurants sell a short list of dishes, the cooks are used to customers who speak little Thai, and pointing gets you a long way. A few words, though, change the experience. They let you control the heat, avoid what you cannot eat, and order the dishes locals order rather than whatever is on the tourist menu. The romanisations below are approximate. Thai is a tonal language, and there is no single standard way of writing it in English letters, so you will see the same words spelled differently on signs and menus. Said with a smile and a little patience, they are almost always understood. ### Polite particles: krap and ka Thai speakers soften almost every sentence with a polite particle at the end. Men say krap (often written khrap), and women say ka (often written kha). They have no meaning of their own but make a request polite rather than blunt. Sawatdee krap is hello, khop khun ka is thank you, and adding the particle to any phrase in this guide is always a good idea. Two more words help with requests. Ao means want, so ao an nee is I want this one. Khor means may I have, and is a little more polite: khor nam plao, may I have some water, or khor menu, may I have the menu. ### Useful phrases A handful of phrases cover most situations at a stall or restaurant: - Mai phet: not spicy. - Phet nit noi: a little spicy. - Phet mak: very spicy. - Mai sai...: do not add... For example, mai sai prik, no chilli. - Mai sai namtan: no sugar. Wan noi: less sweet. - Mai sai phong churot: no MSG. - Phom pae... (men) or chan pae... (women): I am allergic to... Pae thua lisong is peanuts, pae kung is shrimp, and pae ahan thale is seafood. - Tao rai: how much? - Gin tee nee: eat here. Sai tung or glap baan: to take away. - Aroy: delicious. Aroy mak: very delicious. - Check bin or gep tang: the bill, please. For a serious allergy, spoken Thai is not enough. Carry a card that explains it in Thai script, and show it before ordering. Peanuts, shrimp paste, fish sauce and dried shrimp appear in many dishes where they are not visible. ### Pointing and ordering at stalls At a stall with no menu, the food on display is the menu. Point at the ingredients, the trays of cooked dishes or what someone at the next table is eating, and hold up fingers for how many. Pointing at food with a finger or an open hand is perfectly normal. The numbers are worth learning too: nueng is one, song is two, sam is three. Many stalls also sell a dish in two sizes. Tammada means regular, and phiset means special, a larger portion or one with extra meat. Asking for phiset costs a little more and is a common way to make a one-plate meal more filling. ### Rice over curry and made-to-order dishes There are two main ways to order a rice meal, and knowing which kind of shop you are in saves confusion. At a rice and curry shop, called khao gaeng, the dishes are already cooked and laid out in trays. Ask for khao rad gaeng, rice topped with curry, and point to one, two or three dishes. A dish over rice in this way is called rad khao, poured over rice. You can say song yang, two kinds, or sam yang, three kinds, and the price rises with each extra dish. At a made-to-order stall, called ahan tam sang, everything is cooked fresh in the wok. Here you name a dish and a meat: pad kra pao moo, stir-fried holy basil with pork, or khao pad gai, fried rice with chicken. The common meats are moo (pork), gai (chicken), neua (beef), kung (shrimp) and moo krob (crispy pork belly). The usual pattern is dish, then meat, then any changes, so pad kra pao gai mai phet is basil chicken, not spicy. ### Kai dao: the egg on top The most popular addition to almost any rice dish is kai dao, a fried egg, cooked in plenty of hot oil until the white is puffed and crisp at the edges. To add one, say sai kai dao or simply kai dao after your order. Thai fried eggs are often cooked until the yolk is set, so if you prefer it runny, ask for kai dao mai suk. If you would rather have an omelette, kai jiao is a fluffy, deep-fried Thai omelette, eaten on rice or alongside other dishes. ### Ordering noodle soup Noodle shops ask you to build your own bowl, usually in this order: 1. Choose the noodle, such as sen lek (thin rice noodles), sen yai (wide rice noodles), sen mee (vermicelli) or ba mee (egg noodles). 2. Choose soup or dry: nam for a bowl with broth, haeng for noodles with the broth on the side or left out. 3. Choose the topping, which might be pork, beef, fish balls or a mix. Sai tuk yang means put in everything. 4. Choose the size, tammada or phiset. Some shops also offer different broths, such as a clear soup, a tom yum style broth with lime and chilli, or nam tok, a dark, rich broth thickened with blood. If you do not know the options, ask the cook what most people order and have that. ### How spice levels really work Spice in Thai food comes from three places, and only some of it can be changed. In stir-fries and salads, fresh chillies are added to each order, so mai phet or phet nit noi makes a real difference. At som tam stalls, the chillies are pounded into each serving, and many regulars ask for a specific number of chillies. In curries, the heat is in the paste, which was made in advance, so a curry cannot be made mild after the fact. Choose a gentler curry instead, such as massaman. Cooks often ask gin phet dai mai, can you eat spicy food? Answering dai nit noi, a little, is a safe start. Many cooks will already go easy on chilli for foreign customers, so if you want proper heat, say so. The condiment rack on the table, with chilli flakes, chilli vinegar and fish sauce with sliced chillies, lets you add more as you eat. It is always easier to add heat than to take it away. When the plate is clean, catch the cook's eye, say aroy mak krap or aroy mak ka, and ask for gep tang. It is the simplest way to be remembered next time. --- ## Story: Isaan Food Beyond Som Tam: A Guide to the Northeast URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/isaan-food-guide Isaan is the great plateau of northeastern Thailand, bordered by the Mekong river and Laos to the north and east, and by Cambodia to the south. It is the largest region of the country and home to a huge share of its people, most of whom speak Isaan, a language closely related to Lao. The food is closely related to the food of Laos as well. For many visitors, Isaan food begins and ends with som tam, the pounded green papaya salad. It is a fine place to start, but it is only one dish in a cuisine full of grilled meats, sharp herbal salads, sour soups and pungent fermented flavours. Eating Isaan food properly means understanding a few building blocks first. ### The building blocks: pla ra, sticky rice and herbs The defining flavour of Isaan is pla ra, fermented fish. Small freshwater fish are packed with salt and rice bran or roasted rice and left in jars for months until they break down into a thick, strongly scented paste and liquid. It is used much as fish sauce is used elsewhere, but it brings a deeper, funkier savouriness that is central to many dishes. The smell is strong. In cooking, it turns into rich, rounded depth. Sticky rice (khao niao) is the staple. It is steamed in a cone-shaped bamboo basket and served in small woven baskets with lids, which keep it warm and soft. Isaan food is seasoned to be eaten with it: salty, sour and hot, with very little sugar. Herbs do a great deal of the work. Mint, sawtooth coriander, dill, lemon basil, spring onions and shallots are used by the handful, along with roasted chilli flakes and khao khua, toasted sticky rice ground to a coarse, nutty powder. Raw vegetables and leaves come with almost every meal. ### Larb and nam tok Larb is the Isaan meat salad and the dish many consider the true centre of the cuisine. Minced pork, chicken, duck, beef or fish is cooked briefly, then dressed with lime juice, fish sauce or pla ra, roasted chilli flakes, khao khua, sliced shallots and plenty of mint. It is served warm or at room temperature, and it is common at celebrations and family gatherings. Nam tok is made in a similar way, but with grilled meat cut into thin slices rather than mince. The name means waterfall, which is usually explained by the juices that drip from the meat as it grills. Nam tok moo, with grilled pork neck, and nam tok neua, with beef, are the most common versions. Both are bright, smoky and very hot. ### Gai yang, sai krok and the grill Grilling over charcoal is at the heart of Isaan cooking, and the smell of it is one of the first signs of an Isaan restaurant. Gai yang, grilled chicken, is the classic. The bird is marinated with garlic, coriander root, pepper and fish sauce or soy, often flattened between bamboo clamps, then grilled slowly until the skin is golden and the meat stays juicy. Other grilled favourites include: - Moo yang, marinated pork, often pork neck, grilled in strips. - Sua rong hai, grilled beef brisket sliced and served with a sharp dipping sauce. The name means crying tiger. - Pla pao, whole fish packed in salt, stuffed with lemongrass and pandan leaves and grilled until the flesh steams inside its crust. - Sai krok Isaan, a sour fermented sausage of pork, cooked rice and garlic, left for a few days to develop a gentle tang before being grilled. It is served with raw cabbage, fresh ginger, bird's eye chillies and peanuts. ### Jaew: the sauce on every table Grilled food in Isaan is rarely eaten without jaew. The best-known is nam jim jaew, a thin, dark dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime juice, roasted chilli flakes, khao khua and sliced shallots, sometimes with a little tamarind. It is sour, salty, smoky and hot, and it suits almost anything off the grill. Jaew bong is a thicker, chunkier paste of roasted chillies, shallots and garlic with pla ra, galangal and lemongrass, often with crisp pork skin. It is eaten with sticky rice and vegetables in the same way northern Thai cooks eat nam prik. Every household has its own balance, and many cooks make it fresh. ### The many styles of tam Tam simply means to pound, and in Isaan almost anything can be pounded into a salad in a clay mortar. Green papaya is the most famous base, but there are many others. The key difference is in the seasoning: 1. Tam Thai: the version most visitors know, seasoned with fish sauce, lime and palm sugar, with dried shrimp and roasted peanuts. It is sweeter and milder in flavour. 2. Tam Lao or tam pla ra: seasoned with pla ra instead of, or as well as, fish sauce, with little or no sugar. It is darker, saltier and much more pungent, and it is what many Isaan people eat at home. 3. Tam poo: made with small salted crabs, often combined with pla ra. 4. Other bases: cucumber (tam taeng), sweetcorn (tam khao pod), green beans, green mango, or khanom jeen noodles in tam sua. Tam mua is a mixed plate combining papaya salad with noodles, pickled vegetables and other additions. Ask for less chilli (phet noi) if needed. A properly made Isaan tam can be extremely hot. ### Soups: tom saep and gaeng om Tom saep is the Isaan answer to tom yum. It is a clear, hot and sour soup, often made with pork ribs, beef or offal, flavoured with galangal, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, lime juice, chilli and fresh herbs. It usually has no coconut milk and no chilli paste, so it tastes cleaner and sharper than the central Thai soups. The word saep means delicious in the Isaan language. Gaeng om is another everyday dish, a thin, herbal curry-soup with plenty of dill and vegetables, often made with chicken, fish or pork. Isaan cooking also makes good use of foraged ingredients, from wild greens and mushrooms to insects such as crickets, which are fried and sold as snacks across the region. ### Eating by hand, and the road to Bangkok An Isaan meal is eaten with the fingers. Take a small piece of sticky rice from the basket with your right hand, roll it into a ball, then use it to pinch up a bite of larb, dip into jaew or soak up a little juice from the tam. Dishes are shared, raw vegetables are picked from the platter, and the meal moves at its own pace. Isaan food reached the rest of the country with its people. Over the second half of the twentieth century, large numbers of workers moved from the northeast to Bangkok and other cities, taking jobs in construction, factories, taxis and markets. They brought their cooking with them, and roadside stalls selling gai yang, som tam and sticky rice became a fixture of city streets, often with mor lam, the folk music of Isaan, playing in the background. Today Isaan restaurants are found all over Thailand and abroad, and many people who have never been to the northeast count som tam and gai yang among their favourite foods. The best way to understand the cuisine, though, is to go further: order the larb, try the tam with pla ra, and eat it all with your hands. --- ## Story: Building a Thai Pantry: The Fifteen Things Worth Buying First URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/building-a-thai-pantry A trip to an Asian grocer can be overwhelming. Whole aisles of sauces, pastes, noodles and dried goods, many labelled only in Thai, and every one of them looks essential. The good news is that most Thai home cooking rests on a fairly short list of ingredients that keep well for months. The fifteen below are the ones worth buying first. Between them they cover the seasonings, starches and dried goods behind most of the recipes on this site, from pad Thai and green curry to larb and som tam. Fresh herbs and vegetables are a separate shopping trip, and there are notes on those at the end. ### The seasonings These seven bottles and packets do most of the work of making food taste Thai. 1. Fish sauce (nam pla). The single most important bottle. Look for a short ingredients list: fish, salt and perhaps a little sugar. Once opened it keeps for a long time in a cool cupboard, though it slowly darkens and strengthens. 2. Palm sugar. Sold in hard or soft cakes, or in tubs. It has a rounder, more caramel flavour than white sugar. Shave it with a knife or crush it in a mortar, and keep it sealed so it does not dry out. 3. Tamarind. Buy the block of seedless pulp rather than the very dark, thin concentrate if you can. Soak a piece in warm water, squeeze and sieve. The block keeps for months in an airtight container. 4. Shrimp paste (kapi). A dense, purple-grey paste of fermented shrimp and salt, essential in many curry pastes and chilli dips. It is pungent, so wrap the tub tightly and keep it in a sealed jar. A small amount goes a long way. 5. Light soy sauce. Thin and salty, used in stir-fries, marinades and Chinese-Thai dishes. Thai light soy is a little different from Japanese or Chinese soy but those work in a pinch. 6. Oyster sauce. Thick, savoury and slightly sweet, the base of many stir-fries such as pad kra pao. Refrigerate after opening. 7. Dark sweet soy sauce. Thick and treacly, used in small amounts for colour and sweetness, most famously in pad see ew. One bottle lasts a very long time. ### Heat and spice 1. Dried red chillies. Large dried chillies are soaked and pounded into curry pastes; small ones are fried or toasted for extra heat. Store them in a sealed bag away from light so they keep their colour. 2. Roasted chilli flakes (prik pon). Made by dry-roasting dried chillies until fragrant and grinding them coarsely. You can buy them ready-made or make your own in a dry pan. They are needed for larb, nam tok and nam jim jaew. 3. White peppercorns. Used more often than black pepper in Thai cooking, in marinades, soups and pastes. Buy whole and grind as needed, as the ground version fades quickly. ### Rice, noodles and coconut 1. Jasmine rice. The everyday rice of central and southern Thailand. Look for Thai hom mali on the label. Store in an airtight container and use within a few months for the best fragrance. 2. Glutinous (sticky) rice. A different grain entirely, essential for northern and northeastern meals and for mango sticky rice. It needs soaking and steaming rather than boiling. The packet may say sweet rice or glutinous rice. 3. Dried rice noodles. Flat rice sticks are the most useful single type, covering pad Thai and many noodle soups. Thin rice vermicelli is a useful second packet. 4. Coconut milk. Cans or cartons are fine. Check the label for a high coconut content and few additives. Do not shake the can if you want to scoop off the thick cream from the top for frying curry paste. ### One for depth 1. Dried shrimp. Small, salty, orange shrimp that bring a concentrated savoury flavour to som tam, chilli dips and stir-fries. Choose bright, plump ones over dull, crumbly ones, and keep them in the fridge or freezer once the bag is open. Toasted rice powder (khao khua) is not on the list because it is so easy to make. Dry-roast a handful of raw sticky rice in a pan until deep golden, then grind it coarsely. It keeps for a week or two in a jar, though it is most fragrant when fresh. ### Fresh things that freeze well A pantry is only half the story. Thai food relies on fresh aromatics, and the good news is that several of the most important ones freeze very well. If you live far from a good Asian grocer, buy these in quantity when you find them: - Makrut lime leaves: freeze flat in a bag and use straight from frozen. - Lemongrass: trim, cut into lengths and freeze. - Galangal: slice or leave in pieces and freeze. It is hard to cut, so slicing before freezing helps. - Bird's eye chillies: freeze whole and use from frozen. - Coriander roots: wash, dry and freeze for curry pastes. Thai basil, holy basil and coriander leaves do not freeze well and are best bought fresh. Limes, garlic and shallots keep well at room temperature or in the fridge for a week or more. See our guides to Thai herbs and vegetables for more on each. ### What to add next Once the basics are in place, a few ingredients extend the range considerably. Ready-made curry pastes are a reasonable shortcut on busy evenings, and many Thai households buy them from markets rather than pounding their own. A jar of nam prik pao (roasted chilli jam) adds sweet, smoky depth to tom yum and stir-fries. Dried wide rice noodles, khanom jeen (fermented rice noodles, often sold fresh or frozen) and a bottle of plain white vinegar for pickled chillies are all useful. For northeastern cooking, a jar of pla ra (fermented fish) opens up the more pungent style of som tam and many Isaan dips. It is very strong, so start small. Buy one ingredient at a time and cook with it a few times before moving on. A pantry built this way tends to get used, rather than slowly expiring at the back of a cupboard. --- ## Story: Thai Drinks: Iced Tea, Pink Milk, Fresh Juices and Local Spirits URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-drinks-guide-tea-juice-beer-and-spirits In a hot country, drinks matter. Thailand has a huge range of them, from sweet iced teas and coffees to fresh fruit shakes, herbal drinks steeped from flowers and roots, and beers that are poured over ice. Many are sold from the same carts and kiosks that sell food, and most are made to order in a minute or two. They share a few traits. Most are served very cold, many are very sweet, and nearly all can be adjusted if you ask. ### Thai tea and lime tea Cha yen, Thai iced tea, is the best-known Thai drink abroad. Black tea is brewed strong, often through a cloth filter, sweetened with sugar and sweetened condensed milk, poured over crushed ice and finished with a splash of evaporated milk on top. Its deep orange colour comes from the Thai tea mixes most vendors use, which are usually blended with colouring and sometimes vanilla-like flavourings, rather than from the tea leaves themselves. Without milk, the same tea becomes cha dam yen, iced black tea, sweet and strong. Cha manao is iced tea with lime juice, sugar and sometimes a pinch of salt, sharp and refreshing on a hot afternoon. Many vendors also sell a green version, cha khiao, made with a sweetened green tea mix. ### Coffee, old and new Thailand's traditional coffee is kafae boran, old-style coffee, dark-roasted and filtered through a cloth sock, served hot with condensed milk or iced and sweet. Oliang is its black iced cousin, sometimes brewed from a blend that includes roasted grains and seeds. Kafae yen, iced coffee with milk, is sold almost everywhere. Alongside this sits a large modern café culture, much of it using beans grown in the northern hills around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Espresso drinks, cold brew and pour-over coffee are easy to find in any town. ### Pink milk and other sweet drinks Nom yen, iced milk, is usually pink. It is made with a bright red sweet syrup known as sala syrup, mixed with milk and condensed milk over ice, and it tastes of sugar and a faint floral fruitiness. It is popular with children and students and is sold at most drinks stalls, sometimes as nom chomphu, pink milk. Other milky iced drinks include iced cocoa, iced Ovaltine-style malt drinks and iced green tea latte. ### Fresh juices, shakes and coconuts Fruit shakes, nam pan, are blended to order from fresh fruit, ice, syrup and sometimes a little salt. Watermelon, mango, pineapple, banana, passion fruit and mixed fruit are common, and the vendor will usually make whatever fruit is on the cart. Nam som, orange juice, is often pressed from local green-skinned tangerines and may have a pinch of salt added to bring out the flavour. Nam manao, lime juice with sugar and salt, is drunk as a cooling drink in its own right. Coconut water, nam maprao, is drunk straight from a young green coconut, chilled and opened with a few strokes of a heavy knife. Scrape out the soft flesh with a spoon when the water is gone. The nam hom variety, aromatic coconut, is especially prized for its sweet, fragrant water. ### Flowers, roots and herbs A whole family of Thai drinks is made by steeping flowers, leaves, roots or fruit in hot water, then sweetening and chilling the result. Many are linked with traditional ideas about cooling the body in the heat: - Nam dok anchan: butterfly pea flower, a striking deep blue. A squeeze of lime turns it purple, because the colour changes with acidity. - Nam takhrai: lemongrass, light and fragrant, often served warm in spas or iced at stalls. - Nam krachiap: roselle, a tart, cranberry-red drink made from the dried calyces of a hibiscus. - Nam kek huay: chrysanthemum, pale gold and mild, found in Thai-Chinese shops and in bottles. - Nam lamyai: longan, made from dried longan and very sweet, often with the fruit left in. - Nam bai toei and nam khing: pandan and ginger drinks, fragrant and warming. Bottled and canned versions of many of these are sold in convenience stores, but freshly made ones are usually less sweet and taste much brighter. ### Beer and local spirits Thailand's best-known beers are Singha, Chang and Leo, all lagers and all sold in bars, restaurants and shops across the country. Beer is very often drunk with ice in the glass, a practical habit in the heat that slightly dilutes a strong lager over a long meal. It is normal at casual restaurants and nobody will think it strange. Lao khao, white liquor, is a clear spirit distilled from rice, often sticky rice. It is strong and is the traditional drink of rural gatherings, festivals and village celebrations, sometimes made by community producers. Thailand also produces brown spirits made largely from sugar cane molasses, sometimes with rice, which are often called Thai whisky but are closer to rum in style. They are usually drunk with soda, ice and sometimes cola. Sato, a fermented rice wine, is traditional in the northeast. Alcohol sales in Thailand are restricted to certain hours of the day, and are generally banned on major Buddhist holy days and during elections. The rules have been revised in recent years, so it is worth checking what applies at the time of your visit. ### Bags, cups and how to order Drinks to take away were traditionally poured over ice into a small plastic bag, tied tight around a straw with a rubber band and carried by a loop of string or the knotted top. Bagged drinks are still common at markets, but most stalls now use plastic cups sealed with a film lid, pierced with a wide straw. Bring your own cup and some vendors will happily fill it. Because many drinks are very sweet by default, a few words are useful: 1. Wan noi: a little sweet, less sugar. 2. Mai wan: not sweet, no sugar. 3. Mai sai nam khaeng: no ice. 4. Nam plao: plain drinking water. 5. Sai tung or sai kaew: in a bag or in a cup. Ice in Thailand is generally made commercially from purified water, and the cylindrical tubes with a hole through the middle are a common sign of factory-made ice. Order a drink with your food, sit for a while, and try something new each time. The drinks stall is one of the best small pleasures of any Thai street. --- ## Story: What to Eat in Phuket and Southern Thailand URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/what-to-eat-in-phuket-and-southern-thailand Most visitors to southern Thailand come for the beaches, and many never eat beyond the resort menus. That is a shame, because the south has one of the most distinctive cuisines in the country. It is the region of fresh turmeric, salty fermented fish, serious chilli heat and a long trading history that brought Chinese, Malay and Muslim cooking into the mix. Phuket is the obvious starting point, with a food culture all its own. From there, the curries, rice salads and breakfasts of the wider south are worth seeking out in towns along both coasts. ### Phuket's Peranakan heritage Phuket grew rich on tin. In the nineteenth century large numbers of Hokkien Chinese came to work in and run the mines, and many married into local Thai and Malay families. Their descendants, known as Baba or Peranakan, developed a culture that blended Chinese, Malay and Thai traditions, much like the Peranakan communities of Penang and Malacca. Phuket Old Town is where this history is easiest to see. Its streets, including Thalang Road and Soi Romanee, are lined with colourful Sino-Portuguese shophouses, and many of the island's oldest restaurants, coffee shops and noodle shops are found here. Phuket was named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2015, largely in recognition of this food heritage. ### Moo hong, mee hokkien and other Baba dishes Moo hong is the dish most associated with Phuket's Peranakan kitchens. Pork belly is braised slowly with garlic, plenty of black pepper, soy sauce and sugar until it is meltingly soft and coated in a dark, glossy sauce. It is rich, savoury and peppery rather than chilli-hot, and is eaten with plain rice. Mee hokkien is Phuket's best-known noodle dish: thick yellow egg noodles stir-fried with pork, seafood, greens and egg, in a style that traces back to Hokkien cooking. Other Baba dishes to look for include: - Lo bak, five-spice pork rolls wrapped in bean curd skin and deep-fried, served with a sweet dipping sauce. - O-tao, a sticky fried dish of small oysters, taro and egg, topped with crisp pork crackling. - Nam prik kung siap, a chilli dip made with smoked dried prawns, eaten with fresh vegetables. - Peranakan sweets, many of them made from sticky rice, coconut and pandan. ### Breakfast in Phuket: dim sum and khanom jeen Phuket takes breakfast seriously. Dim sum shops open early, and families sit around tables covered in small steamer baskets of dumplings, buns, stuffed tofu and fish balls, with pots of tea or strong local coffee. The style is closer to Hokkien and Malaysian coffee shop breakfasts than to the Cantonese dim sum served in big cities. The other great Phuket breakfast is khanom jeen, fermented rice noodles served with a choice of curries such as a fish curry with coconut milk or a sour yellow curry. The noodles come with a generous table of side dishes and fresh vegetables, pickles and herbs that you help yourself to, and it is a filling, cheap way to start the day. ### The southern curries Away from Phuket's Chinese-influenced kitchens, southern curries are some of the most intense in Thailand. Their pastes are built on dried and fresh chillies, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste and lots of fresh turmeric, which gives them their colour and earthy taste. Coconut milk appears in some, but many are thin and sharp. Three are worth knowing: 1. Gaeng som, also called gaeng lueang (yellow curry): a sour, thin, turmeric-yellow curry, usually with fish and vegetables such as green papaya, bamboo shoot or morning glory. It is soured with tamarind or sour fruits and is very hot. 2. Gaeng tai pla: a pungent curry made with tai pla, salted and fermented fish innards, cooked with vegetables such as pumpkin, aubergine, bamboo shoot and long beans. It is one of the most strongly flavoured dishes in Thai cooking. 3. Khua kling: minced pork or beef dry-fried with a fierce curry paste and makrut lime leaves until there is no sauce left at all. It is eaten in small amounts with plenty of rice. ### Why southern food is the hottest Southern food has a reputation as the spiciest in the country, and it usually lives up to it. The curry pastes use generous amounts of chilli, and black pepper adds a second layer of heat to many dishes. Sugar is used sparingly, so there is less sweetness to soften the burn. The answer at the table is vegetables. Southern meals almost always come with a large plate of raw and blanched greens, herbs, cucumbers, young leaves and beans, eaten between mouthfuls to cool the mouth. Sator beans, also called stink beans, are a southern favourite, either raw on that plate or stir-fried with shrimp paste and prawns. If the heat is too much, asking for less chilli (phet noi) is entirely normal. ### Khao yam, roti and Hat Yai fried chicken Khao yam is the south's rice salad and one of its most refreshing dishes. Cooked rice, sometimes tinted blue with butterfly pea flowers, is topped with small heaps of shredded herbs and lemongrass, makrut lime leaf, bean sprouts, pomelo, toasted grated coconut, dried shrimp and chilli. Everything is mixed with budu, a sweetened southern fermented fish sauce, just before eating. The south also has large Muslim communities, particularly towards the Malaysian border, and their food is everywhere. Roti is the clearest example: flaky flatbread cooked on a hot griddle, eaten at breakfast with a bowl of curry or late at night as a sweet snack with condensed milk, sugar or banana. It is often served with strong, sweet pulled tea. Hat Yai, the largest city in Songkhla province, gives its name to one of the country's best-known fried chickens. Gai tod Hat Yai is marinated with garlic and spices, fried until deeply golden and topped with a heap of crispy fried shallots. It is usually eaten with sticky rice and a sweet chilli sauce, and it is sold far beyond the south. Eating your way through the south takes a little courage, especially with the curries. The reward is food with a character all its own: bright, sour, salty and fierce, balanced with cooling herbs, and shaped by centuries of trade around the peninsula. --- ## Story: The Four Flavours: How Thai Cooks Balance Sour, Salty, Sweet and Hot URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/the-four-flavours-of-thai-cooking Ask a Thai cook what makes a dish taste right and the answer is rarely a single ingredient. It is a balance. Most savoury Thai dishes are built from four main tastes, sour, salty, sweet and hot, pulled against one another until none of them sticks out on its own. Learning to read and adjust that balance is the most useful skill a home cook can pick up. It matters more than any one recipe, because recipes cannot know how sour your limes are, how salty your brand of fish sauce is, or how fierce this week's chillies turned out to be. The balance is not fixed, either. A northern chilli dip, a southern curry and a Bangkok noodle soup lean in very different directions. But the method is the same everywhere: build the dish, taste it, and correct it. ### Sour: lime, tamarind and more Sourness gives Thai food its brightness. The best-known source is lime, squeezed in at the end so its fresh, sharp edge survives. Lime juice loses its fragrance and can turn bitter if it boils, which is why a good tom yum has the lime added once the pot is off the heat. Tamarind is the second great souring agent. Its sourness is rounder and fruitier, with a faint caramel note, and it gives pad Thai its tang and massaman curry its depth. It is sold as a sticky block of pulp, which you soak in warm water and push through a sieve, or as a ready-made concentrate. The block usually tastes better. Other sour notes come from unripe green mango, sour fruits and leaves, and vinegar, especially the chilli vinegar that sits on noodle stall tables. In the south, gaeng lueang gets its sharp, clean taste from tamarind. Fermentation adds its own sourness too, as in naem, the tangy fermented pork sausage sold across the country. ### Salty: fish sauce and its relatives Fish sauce (nam pla) is the main salty seasoning in Thai cooking. It is made by fermenting small fish, usually anchovies, with salt for many months, and it brings savoury depth as well as salt. It smells strong in the bottle but melts into a dish, and few Thai savoury dishes are seasoned without it. Shrimp paste (kapi) is fermented shrimp and salt, pounded into curry pastes and chilli dips such as nam prik ong. Light soy sauce seasons Chinese-influenced dishes, oyster sauce goes into many stir-fries, and plain salt turns up more than people expect, often pounded with garlic and chillies. In the northeast, pla ra, a thick fermented fish sauce, is the backbone of many dishes, including the more pungent styles of som tam. ### Sweet: the softening taste Sweetness in savoury Thai food is there to round off the edges, not to make the dish taste like dessert. Palm sugar is the classic choice. It is sold in soft cakes or tubs, has a mellow, toffee-like flavour, and dissolves easily once shaved with a knife or crushed in a mortar. White sugar is common as well, particularly in stir-fries and dressings. Coconut milk adds its own gentle sweetness to curries, and some vegetables, such as pumpkin, do the same. Central Thai cooking is generally the sweetest of the regional styles. Northern and northeastern dishes often use little or no sugar at all. ### Hot: chillies and pepper Chillies are not native to Asia. They arrived from the Americas in the sixteenth century, carried by Portuguese and other traders. Before that, heat in Thai food came from peppercorns, ginger and other spices, and white pepper still seasons many marinades and clear soups today. Thai cooks use chillies in several forms, each with its own effect: - Bird's eye chillies (prik kee noo): small, very hot and sharp, pounded into salads and dipping sauces. - Long chillies (prik chee fah): larger and milder, used for colour and a gentler heat. - Dried chillies: soaked and pounded into curry pastes, where they add colour and a deep, steady warmth. - Roasted chilli flakes (prik pon): smoky and nutty, sprinkled on larb, nam tok and noodle soups. Chilli heat builds as you eat, so add a little at a time and give each addition a minute before tasting again. Removing the seeds and pale inner membranes takes some of the fire out. ### How the balance works in practice The four tastes almost never appear in equal amounts. Each dish has one or two that lead and others that support. Tom yum leads with sour and hot. Som tam is sour, salty and hot with a touch of sweet. Green curry is rich and salty with a gentle sweetness. Nam jim jaew is sour, salty and hot, with smoke from toasted rice and roasted chilli. A simple routine helps when seasoning at home: 1. Add the seasonings in small steps rather than all at once. 2. Taste with the main ingredients, not just the sauce or broth. A dressing tastes different on a piece of cucumber than it does from a spoon. 3. Remember the rice. Dishes meant to be eaten with rice are seasoned boldly and will taste strong on their own. 4. If a dish is too sour or too salty, a little sugar softens it. If it is too sweet, add lime or fish sauce. If it is too hot, more of the other three tastes will spread the heat out, and plain rice, cucumber and raw vegetables cool the mouth. 5. Taste again after every change. The goal is a flavour where you notice the whole before you notice any single part. ### The table does the rest Sit down at almost any noodle shop and you will find a small rack of four jars, known as khrueang prung. It usually holds fish sauce with sliced chillies, sugar, dried chilli flakes and chilli vinegar. This is the four flavours in miniature, and it exists because the cook expects every diner to finish seasoning their own bowl. It is polite to taste the dish first and adjust afterwards. Thai diners often add a little of each jar, a pinch of sugar, a splash of vinegar, a few chilli flakes, until the soup tastes right to them. Balance also works across a whole meal. A Thai table might hold a spicy salad, a mild soup, a rich curry, something fried and plenty of rice. No single dish has to do everything, and the contrast between them is part of the pleasure. Once you start cooking with that in mind, Thai food stops being a list of recipes and becomes a way of tasting. --- ## Story: Thailand's Fruit Calendar: What Is in Season and When URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thailand-fruit-calendar-what-is-in-season Thailand is one of the great fruit countries of the world. Markets are heaped with fruit all year, much of it grown within a few hours of where it is sold, and a meal at home very often ends with a plate of something freshly cut rather than a dessert. For a visitor, timing a trip around the fruit is one of the easiest pleasures the country offers. The calendar below is a guide, not a rulebook. Seasons shift from year to year with the weather, they differ between regions, and growers increasingly produce some fruit out of season. Treat the months as approximate. ### How the seasons work Thailand has three broad seasons. The cool season runs from roughly November to February, the hot season from about March to May, and the rainy season from around May or June to October. The south, with its long coasts and its own monsoon pattern, follows a somewhat different rhythm from the centre and north, which is why the same fruit can ripen weeks or even months apart in different parts of the country. The richest time for fruit is generally the end of the hot season and the start of the rains, from about April to July. That is when mangoes, durian, mangosteen, rambutan and lychee overlap, and fruit stalls are at their most crowded. ### The hot season: mangoes and lychee Mango, mamuang, peaks from around March to May. The best-known eating variety is nam dok mai, long and golden, with smooth, fragrant flesh. Many other varieties are grown, and green mangoes, eaten crisp and sour before they ripen, are sold for much of the year. Ripe mango in season is the reason khao niao mamuang, mango sticky rice, tastes so good in April. Lychee, linchi, has a short season, usually around April and May, and is grown mainly in the cooler north, in provinces such as Chiang Rai and Phayao. Pineapple, sapparot, is available all year, with heavier harvests at certain times. Prachuap Khiri Khan is one of the main growing areas, and the small, sweet Phulae pineapple is a speciality of Chiang Rai. ### The early rains: durian, mangosteen and rambutan Durian, thurian, is the fruit Thais talk about most. The eastern provinces of Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat usually harvest first, from about April to June, and the south follows later, often from around June into August or September. Monthong is the most widely sold variety, large with thick, creamy, mild flesh. Chanee and kan yao are other well-known names. Durian is sold whole or as opened pods packed in trays, and it is also eaten with sticky rice and coconut milk. Its smell is strong enough that many hotels and public transport services ban it. Mangosteen, mangkhut, often called the queen of fruits, arrives at much the same time: from around May to July in the east, later in the south. Press the thick purple shell gently between the palms to crack it, and lift out the white segments, which are sweet and slightly tart. The juice from the shell stains clothes, so open them with care. Rambutan, ngo, the red fruit covered in soft hairs, is plentiful from about May to August. The flesh is translucent and juicy, a little like lychee. Surat Thani province is known for a rambutan variety called rong rian and holds a rambutan fair, usually in August. ### The late rains: longan, longkong and pomelo Longan, lamyai, is a northern fruit, grown widely around Chiang Mai and Lamphun. Its main season falls around July and August, and Lamphun holds a longan festival at about that time. Longan is also dried, when it turns dark and chewy, and made into a sweet drink. Some is now produced off season, so fresh longan can appear at other times too. Longkong, a small, pale fruit sold in bunches, is closely related to langsat. It is grown in the south and also in Uttaradit, and its season usually runs from around August to October. The thin skin peels away to reveal sweet, slightly sour segments. Pomelo, som o, a very large citrus with thick skin and firm, juicy segments, is available for much of the year, with a main season in the second half. It is popular around the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and is used in a well-known salad, yam som o. Nakhon Pathom province has a long reputation for pomelo. ### The cool season and the year-round fruit The cool months bring tangerines and, in the northern highlands, strawberries. Sweet tamarind, makham wan, is a speciality of Phetchabun and is usually harvested around the turn of the year. Many fruits barely notice the seasons at all: - Banana, kluay: many varieties, including the small, sweet kluay khai and the everyday kluay nam wa, which is also grilled and used in sweets. - Papaya, malako: eaten ripe as fruit and green in som tam. - Coconut, maprao: young coconuts for drinking all year, including the fragrant nam hom variety grown around Ratchaburi and Samut Sakhon. - Jackfruit, khanun: available much of the year, sold as bright yellow pods in trays. - Guava, farang, watermelon, taeng mo, and pineapple: the backbone of every fruit cart. - Dragon fruit, rose apple (chomphu) and sapodilla (lamut), seen in most markets for long stretches of the year. ### How fruit is sold The fruit cart is one of the most familiar sights in Thailand: a glass case on wheels, packed with ice, holding pineapple, watermelon, papaya, guava, green mango and cantaloupe. Choose a piece, and the seller cuts it into a small plastic bag with a wooden skewer. Alongside comes a small packet of prik gluea, a dip of salt, sugar and dried chilli, which brings out the sweetness of the fruit and takes the edge off sour green mango and guava. Green mango is also eaten with nam pla wan, a thick, sweet dip of fish sauce, palm sugar, shallots and dried shrimp. In markets, fruit is sold by the kilo or in bundles, and good sellers will often pick out a ripe one or let you taste. Durian sellers in particular are used to choosing for customers, tapping and smelling the fruit to judge it. ### Fruit festivals Many fruit-growing provinces hold an annual fair when their best-known crop comes in, with stalls, contests for the finest fruit and sometimes parades of floats decorated with produce. Chanthaburi is well known for its fruit fair in the durian and mangosteen season, and the longan and rambutan festivals in Lamphun and Surat Thani are long established. Dates move with the harvest, so check local listings before planning around one. Wherever you are, the simplest approach is to look at what is piled highest in the market. That is usually what is in season, at its best and at its cheapest. --- ## Story: What to Eat in Chiang Mai and the North URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/what-to-eat-in-chiang-mai-and-northern-thailand Northern Thai food is a cuisine of the hills. Chiang Mai sits in a valley surrounded by mountains, and for centuries it was the capital of Lanna, an independent kingdom with its own language, script and cooking. The region was only fully joined to Siam in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and its food still feels distinct from the cooking of Bangkok. Sticky rice is the staple, eaten by hand. Coconut milk and sugar are used sparingly. Instead, northern cooks rely on dried spices, fresh herbs, pork, river fish, wild greens and a whole family of chilli dips eaten with vegetables. The influence of Myanmar, the Shan people and Chinese Muslim traders from Yunnan shows up in many dishes. ### Khao soi: the dish of the city If Chiang Mai has a signature dish, it is khao soi. Soft egg noodles sit in a curried broth enriched with coconut milk, usually with a chicken drumstick or braised beef, and a nest of deep-fried crispy noodles goes on top. It is served with a small plate of pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots and a wedge of lime, plus a dark roasted chilli paste fried in oil. The dish is usually linked to the Chinese Muslim (Hui) traders who travelled the caravan routes through the northern hills, which is why many of the best-known khao soi shops in Chiang Mai are run by Muslim families and serve beef or chicken rather than pork. Add the pickles, shallots and lime a little at a time: they cut the richness and change the bowl as you eat. ### Sai ua, kaep moo and the chilli dips Sai ua is the northern grilled sausage, and it is impossible to miss in any Chiang Mai market. Coarsely chopped pork is mixed with a paste of lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaf, turmeric, garlic, shallots and dried chilli, packed into casings and coiled before grilling slowly over charcoal. The result is herbal, fragrant and only mildly spicy, best eaten in thick slices with sticky rice. Kaep moo is pork crackling, sold in big bags in every market. It is eaten as a snack, but its real job is to be dipped into nam prik, the chilli dips at the centre of northern meals. Two are especially common: - Nam prik noom: long green chillies, shallots and garlic, roasted until charred and soft, then pounded with salt and a little fish sauce. It is smoky and moderately hot. - Nam prik ong: a milder, reddish dip of minced pork and tomatoes cooked with dried chilli paste and fermented soybean. It is often compared to a meat sauce. Both come with a platter of steamed and raw vegetables such as cucumber, cabbage, long beans and pumpkin, alongside the crackling and sticky rice. ### Curries and noodle soups of the North Gaeng hang lay is the region's great slow-cooked curry, made with fatty pork belly and often pork ribs. It uses no coconut milk. Instead the pork is simmered with a curry paste and hang lay powder, a dry spice blend of Burmese origin, along with ginger, garlic, tamarind and palm sugar until the sauce is thick, dark and gently sweet and sour. It is a festive dish, and it tastes even better the next day. Khanom jeen nam ngiao is one of the North's best-loved noodle dishes. Fermented rice noodles are served in a pork and tomato broth with pork ribs and cubes of set pork blood. The broth gets its colour and a gentle tang from tomatoes and its depth from dried fermented soybean (tua nao), and it is traditionally seasoned with dried red cotton tree flowers. The name refers to the Ngiao, the Thai name for the Shan people, whose cooking influenced the dish. It comes with lime, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage and crisp fried garlic. Gaeng khae is worth looking for too: a thin, herbal jungle curry without coconut milk, full of leafy greens, vegetables and often chicken or frog. ### Larb Lanna: a different kind of larb Most visitors know larb as the Isaan salad of minced meat with lime, chilli and toasted rice. Northern larb, sometimes called larb Lanna or larb mueang, is a different dish. It contains no lime. Its flavour comes from a dried spice mix (prik larb) that can include long pepper, cumin, coriander seed, star anise, cinnamon and makhwaen, a citrusy, numbing seed related to Sichuan pepper. The meat, usually pork, beef or buffalo, is chopped very finely by hand, often with offal, and cooked with the spice mix and fresh herbs. Traditional raw versions exist as well, but cooked larb (larb suk) is the usual choice for visitors. It is aromatic and warming rather than sharp, and it comes with a pile of bitter and fragrant leaves on the side. ### The khantoke dinner Khantoke is the northern way of sharing a meal. A khantoke is a low, round tray on a short pedestal, made of lacquered wood or woven rattan, around which diners sit on mats on the floor. It holds several small bowls: typically a curry such as gaeng hang lay, a chilli dip with vegetables, crackling, a stir-fry or a soup, and plenty of sticky rice. The tradition was used for ceremonies, temple festivals and welcoming guests. Today many visitors meet it at khantoke dinners in Chiang Mai, where the meal is paired with performances of northern music and dance. These evenings are aimed at tourists, but they offer a gentle introduction to the flavours of the region in one sitting. ### Warorot Market and eating around Chiang Mai Warorot Market, known locally as Kad Luang (the big market), sits close to the Ping River on the edge of Chiang Mai's Chinatown. It is one of the best places in the city to buy northern specialities to eat or take home. Look for: - Sai ua and naem, the sour fermented pork sausage, sold fresh and grilled. - Bags of kaep moo, still warm from the fryer. - Tubs of nam prik noom and nam prik ong, with packed vegetables to go with them. - Dried spice mixes for larb and curries, along with tea, dried fruit and snacks. Beyond Warorot, the weekend walking street markets around the old city are good for snacks and sweets, and the evening stalls near Chang Phueak Gate are popular for simple dinners. Further afield, the mountain towns of the North have their own versions of these dishes, and travelling through them is a good reason to keep trying khao soi wherever you go. Northern food can seem quiet next to the fireworks of Bangkok and the south. Spend a few days eating it, though, and its smoky dips, herbal sausages and slow curries start to feel like some of the most satisfying cooking in the country. --- ## Story: Thai Markets: How to Shop Fresh, Floating, Night and Weekend Markets URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-markets-how-to-shop-and-what-to-eat Every Thai town has a market, and most have several. They are where cooks buy their chillies and fish, where office workers pick up dinner in plastic bags, and where families spend a slow evening eating their way along a row of stalls. Supermarkets and convenience stores are everywhere now, but for fresh food and good cheap cooking the market is still the heart of daily life. Markets come in several kinds, and each has its own hours, its own crowd and its own way of doing things. Knowing which is which makes it much easier to find the food you are looking for. ### The fresh market The talat sot, fresh market, is the everyday market for produce, meat and fish. It is usually a large covered hall, sometimes with an open area around it, and it starts early. Traders arrive in the dark, restaurant cooks come to buy for the day, and by the middle of the morning the busiest part is over. Many fresh markets stay open into the afternoon, but the best fish and herbs are gone long before then. Inside, the stalls are roughly grouped. Vegetables and herbs sit in one area, often in neat piles on low tables, with bunches of holy basil, coriander and lemongrass beside heaps of shallots, garlic and chillies. Meat and fish are usually in a separate wet section, where the floor is damp and fish may still be alive in tubs of water. Elsewhere are stalls of dried goods: dried shrimp, dried chillies, palm sugar, rice and noodles. Most fresh markets also have a corner of cooked food, with curries, chilli dips and sweets ready to take home. This is also where to see the ingredients used in Thai cooking at their freshest and in the greatest variety. Coconut milk is often pressed to order from freshly grated coconut, curry paste is sold by weight from large mounds, and there are leaves, roots and fruits that rarely appear outside the country. ### Morning, evening and night Markets also follow the clock. Thai has names for them by time of day: talat chao, the morning market, and talat yen, the evening market. Morning markets are about raw ingredients and breakfast. Evening markets open in the late afternoon, often in a car park, along a side street or on open ground, and are built around ready-made food for people going home from work: grilled meats, fried chicken, som tam, curries in bags, sticky rice and fruit. Night markets, talat nat or talat klang khuen, go later and are as much about going out as shopping. Rows of stalls sell clothes, accessories and household goods, with food stalls and seating areas mixed in. In tourist areas they can lean heavily towards souvenirs, while in provincial towns they are mostly for local people and the food is the main event. ### Floating markets The floating market, talat nam, is one of the best known images of Thailand: women in wide hats selling fruit and noodles from small wooden boats. Canals were once the main transport routes in the central plains, and markets on the water were a practical part of life. Most of that trade moved to roads long ago, and the floating markets that survive today exist largely as attractions, though some still feel local. Damnoen Saduak, in Ratchaburi province, is the most famous and is now aimed mainly at tour groups, with many boats selling souvenirs as well as food. It is busiest in the morning. Amphawa, in Samut Songkhram, is popular with Thai visitors and runs mostly on weekend afternoons and evenings, with grilled seafood sold from boats along the canal. Bangkok has smaller ones too, such as Taling Chan, which is also mainly a weekend market. Opening days and the balance between local trade and tourism change over time, so it is worth checking before making a special trip. Go for the food and the setting rather than expecting a working market from another era. ### Weekend and walking street markets Many towns hold a weekly market on one or two set days, and some close a road to traffic for a walking street market on a Saturday or Sunday evening. Chiang Mai's weekend walking streets are well known. Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the largest markets in the country, a vast maze of stalls selling clothes, plants, antiques, homeware and food. These markets are good for snacks and sweets eaten on foot, and for crafts and clothes, more than for cooking ingredients. ### What to eat and what to buy Market food is cheap, quick and often excellent. A few things are worth looking for in almost any market: - Grilled skewers of pork, chicken or meatballs, sold with sticky rice and a little bag of dipping sauce. - Curries and stir-fries sold in small plastic bags, ready to pour over rice at home. - Nam prik, chilli dips, with bundles of fresh or blanched vegetables to eat with them. - Khanom, Thai sweets, sold in small boxes and banana leaf parcels, freshly made each morning. - Cut fruit in bags with a dip of chilli, salt and sugar. - Fresh coconuts, juices and iced drinks in bags or cups. To take home, dried goods travel best: dried chillies, palm sugar, dried herbs and good-quality rice. Fresh produce, meat and many plant products may be restricted by customs rules at home, so check before packing anything fresh. ### How to shop Thai markets are friendly places, and a few simple habits make shopping smoother: 1. Go early for fresh markets. The atmosphere is at its best and the produce is at its freshest in the first hours of the morning. 2. Carry small notes and coins. Many traders cannot change large notes early in the day, although QR code payments are now common. 3. Bring a bag. Traders hand out plastic bags freely, but a reusable bag makes it easier to carry many small purchases. 4. Point and use numbers. Pointing at what you want and holding up fingers for the quantity works almost everywhere. 5. Ask the price with tao rai, how much. Many things are sold by the kilo or by the piece, and some fruit and vegetables are sold in ready-made heaps or bags. Bargaining is a matter of context. Food is usually sold at a fixed, posted or well-known price, and haggling over a bag of curry or a few skewers is not normal. At stalls selling clothes, souvenirs and other goods, especially in tourist areas, gentle bargaining is expected. Keep it light and good-humoured, and stop once a price is agreed. Hygiene in busy markets is generally sensible. Choose stalls with steady turnover, where cooked food is hot and ingredients are covered, as you would with any street food. Wash fruit you buy whole and peel it yourself if you are cautious. Most of all, take your time. Walk the whole market before buying, watch what local shoppers choose, and come back on another day. A market that seemed confusing on the first visit quickly becomes one of the most rewarding places to eat in Thailand. --- ## Story: What to Eat in Bangkok: The Dishes and Districts Worth the Trip URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/what-to-eat-in-bangkok Bangkok is one of the great eating cities of the world, and part of the reason is that it never really stops. Breakfast porridge gives way to noodle soups at mid-morning, rice and curry shops fill at lunch, and by dusk whole streets turn into open-air kitchens. Food from every region of Thailand is sold here, cooked by people who moved to the capital from those regions. Yet the city also has a cooking style of its own. Much of it grew out of the Chinese communities who settled along the Chao Phraya river, and out of the shophouse kitchens that line the older streets. The dishes below are the ones Bangkok does especially well, and the districts are the places where they are easiest to find. ### Boat noodles: small bowls, deep broth Boat noodles (kuay tiew ruea) take their name from the canals. Before roads replaced waterways as the city's main routes, vendors cooked and sold noodle soup from small boats, passing bowls up to customers on the banks. The bowls stayed small so they could be handled safely, and they still are. The broth is dark and intensely savoury, made with pork or beef, spices such as star anise and cinnamon, and traditionally a little fresh blood stirred in to thicken and enrich it. It comes with thin rice noodles, slices of meat, meatballs, morning glory and bean sprouts, and a scattering of crisp pork crackling. Because each bowl is only a few mouthfuls, people order several and stack the empties on the table. The streets around Victory Monument are well known for their cluster of boat noodle shops, and it is a good place to try several bowls side by side. ### Khao man gai and jok: the Chinese breakfast table Khao man gai is Bangkok's take on Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken is gently poached, the rice is cooked in the chicken stock with garlic and chicken fat until each grain is glossy, and the plate is finished with a few slices of cucumber. What sets the Thai version apart is the sauce: fermented soybeans (tao jiao) mixed with ginger, garlic, chilli and vinegar. A small bowl of clear broth, often with winter melon, comes alongside. The Pratunam area is particularly known for it. Jok is a smooth rice porridge cooked until the grains break down completely, so it is closer to a thick soup than to rice. It is a breakfast dish, usually served with pork meatballs, shredded ginger, spring onion and often a soft egg cracked into the hot porridge. Diners add white pepper, soy sauce and pieces of patongko, the deep-fried Chinese dough sticks sold nearby. It should not be confused with khao tom, a thinner rice soup in which the grains stay whole. ### Pad Thai and the shophouse wok Pad Thai is the dish most visitors already know, and Bangkok is where it is taken most seriously. Thin rice noodles are stir-fried with tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar, then tossed with egg, tofu, dried shrimp, garlic chives and bean sprouts. It was promoted as a national dish in the mid-twentieth century, during a government campaign to encourage noodle eating and a sense of Thai identity, and it has been a fixture of the city's streets ever since. The real skill on show in Bangkok's shophouse kitchens, though, is the wok. Cooks work over very high heat, often with charcoal or roaring gas burners, and the slightly smoky edge this gives a dish is prized. The crab omelette has become a symbol of this kind of cooking: egg and generous amounts of crab meat fried in hot oil until the outside is crisp and golden and the inside is soft. It is a richer cousin of kai jeow, the puffy Thai omelette fried in plenty of oil and eaten over rice with a splash of chilli sauce. ### Yaowarat: Chinatown after dark Yaowarat Road is the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, one of the best known in Asia. During the day it is a district of gold shops, wholesale traders and herbal medicine stores. In the evening the pavements fill with food stalls and the neon signs come on. The food is mostly Chinese-Thai, much of it from the Teochew tradition of the community's founders. Things worth looking for include: - Kuay jap, rolled rice noodles in a peppery broth with crispy pork belly and offal. - Roast duck and crispy pork over rice, often from shops with the meat hanging in the window. - Grilled and steamed seafood, sold by weight from iced displays on the street. - Chinese desserts such as black sesame dumplings in ginger syrup, and bird's nest drinks. Arrive early in the evening, walk the length of the main road and its side lanes first, and choose by watching where the queues form. ### Banglamphu and Bang Rak: the old city kitchens Banglamphu is the old district around Democracy Monument, close to the river in the historic heart of the city. It is best known to travellers for Khao San Road, but its quieter streets hold some of the city's longest-running family restaurants and shophouse kitchens. This is a good area for central Thai cooking: rice with curries ladled from trays, stir-fries, soups and traditional sweets. Many of the rice and curry shops (raan khao gaeng) open early and sell out by early afternoon. Bang Rak, further downriver, grew up around Charoen Krung Road, one of the oldest roads in the city. Its food reflects a long mix of communities. There are Chinese roast meat shops and noodle stalls, and the area also has an established Muslim community, so you will find Thai Muslim dishes such as khao mok gai, the spiced chicken and rice, and beef noodle soups. Roast duck over rice is a particular local favourite. ### Markets, from Or Tor Kor to the night stalls Or Tor Kor Market, opposite Chatuchak Weekend Market, takes its name from the Thai initials of the Marketing Organization for Farmers. It is known for the quality of its produce and is one of the best places in the city to see Thai fruit, vegetables, curry pastes and dried goods at their best. Its prepared food section sells curries, salads and sweets from across the country. Night markets are another Bangkok institution. They come and go, and their names change, but the format is familiar: rows of stalls selling grilled skewers, fried snacks, noodles, seafood and cold drinks, with shared tables in the middle. ### Getting the most from a food trip A few habits make eating in Bangkok easier and more rewarding: 1. Eat at the right time of day. Jok and khao man gai are morning foods, rice and curry is lunch, and Yaowarat and the night markets come alive after dark. 2. Share. Order several dishes for the table and eat them with rice, as Thai diners do. 3. Use the condiment jars. Noodle soups are meant to be seasoned to taste with sugar, fish sauce, chilli and vinegar. 4. Follow the specialists. A shop that cooks one dish, and has done so for years, is usually a better bet than one with a long menu. 5. Travel by boat and train. The river ferries and the BTS and MRT lines reach most of the food districts and avoid the traffic. Bangkok rewards curiosity more than planning. The best meal of a trip is often the one found by wandering down a side street at lunchtime and following the smell of a hot wok. --- ## Story: Cooking Thai Food Outside Thailand: Substitutes and Shopping URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/cooking-thai-food-outside-thailand Thai food is cooked all over the world, often a long way from a Thai market. Most home cooks outside Thailand face the same question sooner or later: the recipe asks for something you cannot find, so what do you use instead? Some substitutions work well and nobody at the table will notice. Others change the dish so much that it becomes something else. Knowing which is which is more useful than any list of exact replacements, and it means you can cook confidently with what is in front of you. ### Swaps that work Several common ingredients have close equivalents that are easy to find: - Palm sugar: light brown sugar, or a mix of white and brown, is a fair stand-in. Avoid very dark sugars with a strong molasses flavour. - Limes: Thai limes are smaller and more fragrant, but the limes sold in most supermarkets work well. Use a little more if they are mild. - Shallots: Thai shallots are small, red and sharp. Banana or round shallots are fine, and red onion works in salads. - Thai aubergines: the small round green ones are hard to find. Ordinary aubergine, cut into chunks, works in green curry, though it cooks faster and softens more. - Coriander root: if your coriander comes without roots, use a larger amount of the lower stems. They are milder but similar in character. - Fish sauce: Thai and Vietnamese fish sauces are close cousins and can be used interchangeably. Choose one with a short ingredients list. - Shrimp paste: Malaysian belacan, sold in firm blocks, can replace Thai kapi in curry pastes and chilli dips. It is drier, so it may need mashing with a drop of water. ### Swaps that do not work Some ingredients carry a flavour that nothing else can replace. In these cases it is better to find the real thing, or to cook a different dish. Galangal is the clearest example. It looks like ginger, but it tastes sharp, piney and citrusy rather than warm and sweet. Ginger in tom kha gives you a pleasant soup that is not tom kha. In a curry paste where galangal is one of many ingredients the difference is smaller, but it is still there. Ground dried galangal is a poor substitute; dried slices are better and can work in soups. Makrut lime leaves have an intense, floral citrus scent with no real equivalent. Lime zest gives some of the citrus but none of the distinctive perfume. The zest of the makrut lime fruit itself is used in curry pastes, and it is even harder to find than the leaves, though ordinary lime zest is a reasonable compromise there. Basil is where many recipes go wrong. Thai cooking uses several basils, and they are not interchangeable: - Holy basil (kra pao): peppery and clove-like, with slightly fuzzy leaves. Essential for pad kra pao. - Thai basil (horapa): purple stems and a sweet anise flavour. Used in green curry, red curry and many stir-fries. - Lemon basil (maenglak): lemony, used in some soups, curries and, as seeds, in desserts. Thai basil is much easier to find than holy basil. Stir-fried meat with Thai basil is a good dish, but it is not pad kra pao. Italian sweet basil is a poor stand-in for either. Coconut milk needs care too. Use canned or cartoned coconut milk sold for cooking, not the diluted coconut drinks sold alongside dairy alternatives, which are too thin and often sweetened. Light coconut milk is simply diluted, so it will not fry curry paste properly. ### Fresh, frozen, dried or in a jar Many Thai aromatics are sold in more than one form. A rough order of preference helps when deciding what to buy: 1. Fresh is best for everything, when it is in good condition. 2. Frozen is very good for lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves and chillies. Their flavour holds up well, and they work straight from the freezer in soups and pastes. 3. Jarred pastes of lemongrass or galangal are acceptable shortcuts in curries and marinades, though they can taste flat or slightly sour from preservatives. 4. Dried lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are a last resort. They can flavour a simmering soup but add little to a paste or salad. ### Freezing herbs and pastes If you find a good supply of fresh aromatics, buy extra and freeze them. Trim lemongrass and cut it into lengths, slice galangal before freezing since it is hard to cut later, and freeze makrut leaves flat in a sealed bag. Chillies freeze whole. Curry paste freezes well. Pound or blend a large batch, divide it into small portions in an ice cube tray, then move the frozen cubes into a labelled bag. Leafy herbs are different: holy basil, Thai basil, mint and coriander lose their texture when frozen and are best bought fresh and used within a few days. Thai basil dislikes the cold and tends to blacken in the fridge, so keep it in a glass of water at room temperature, while coriander and mint keep best wrapped in damp paper in the fridge. ### Equipment: wok, pan, mortar and blender A wok is ideal for stir-frying, but it works best over a strong gas flame. Many home hobs, especially electric and induction, heat only the base of a round wok. In that case a flat-bottomed wok or a large, heavy frying pan can do a better job. Whatever you use, heat it well before the oil goes in, and cook in small batches so the food fries rather than stews. For curry pastes, a heavy granite mortar and pestle gives the best texture, because pounding crushes the aromatics and releases their oils. A blender or small food processor is a reasonable alternative, though it usually needs a little liquid and produces a wetter, less fragrant paste. Pounding the toughest ingredients by hand first, then finishing in the machine, is a good compromise. For som tam, a deep clay or wooden mortar with a wooden pestle is the traditional tool, since granite is too heavy for bruising papaya. A rice cooker is not essential, but it makes jasmine rice reliable, and many Thai households would not be without one. ### Shopping at an Asian grocer Asian grocers are the best source of Thai ingredients outside Thailand, and they reward a little exploring. - Check the freezer cabinets. Galangal, lemongrass, makrut leaves, banana leaves, pandan leaves and fresh noodles are often found there when the fresh shelves are empty. - Ask when fresh herbs and vegetables arrive. Many shops receive deliveries on particular days, and that is when holy basil, Thai aubergines and fresh noodles are at their best. - Read the labels. Many products imported from Thailand carry English labelling alongside the Thai, including ingredients lists. - Buy small at first. Pastes, sauces and dried goods vary between makers, so try a small jar or packet before committing to a large one. Above all, cook with what is good where you live. A tom yum made with fresh local prawns and frozen aromatics will taste better than one made with tired fresh ones. Thai cooks have always adapted to their markets, and doing the same is in keeping with how the food is meant to be cooked. --- ## Story: Nam Prik: A Regional Guide to Thailand's Chilli Dips URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/nam-prik-thai-chilli-dips-by-region Curries and noodles get most of the attention abroad, but the dish that sits closest to the heart of everyday Thai eating is far simpler. Nam prik, which translates roughly as chilli water, is a family of pounded chilli dips and relishes eaten with rice, vegetables and fish. A small bowl of nam prik with a plate of vegetables is, for many Thai families, the most basic and most satisfying meal there is. There are hundreds of versions. Every region, and in practice every household, has its own, and the dip changes with the season and with whatever is in the market. They range from loose, sharp, lime-heavy sauces to thick, smoky pastes. What they share is a base of chillies, usually garlic or shallots, and something salty and savoury. ### How nam prik is eaten Nam prik is rarely eaten on its own. It sits in the middle of the table with a spread of things to eat with it, and each mouthful is a combination of dip, rice and something fresh or cooked. - Fresh raw vegetables (phak sot): cucumber, long beans, cabbage, Thai aubergines and fresh herbs. - Blanched or steamed vegetables (phak luak): pumpkin, morning glory, okra, bamboo shoots and young leaves. - Fried or grilled fish, especially in central Thailand. - Pork crackling, boiled eggs or omelette, depending on the region. - Rice: jasmine rice in the centre and south, sticky rice in the North and Isaan. The vegetables matter as much as the dip. Their cool, crisp or bitter flavours balance the heat and salt of the nam prik, which is seasoned boldly for exactly that reason. ### The basic method Most nam prik follow a similar pattern, even when the ingredients differ: 1. Roast or grill the chillies, shallots and garlic, often in their skins, until soft and charred in places. Some fresh dips skip this step and use everything raw. 2. Peel the roasted aromatics and pound them in a mortar with a little salt. 3. Add the savoury element, such as shrimp paste, fermented fish, dried shrimp or grilled fish, and pound again. 4. Season with fish sauce, lime juice or tamarind, and sometimes a little palm sugar, tasting as you go. 5. Loosen with a little water if the dip is too thick, and serve with vegetables and rice. Texture is part of the point. Nam prik is pounded rather than blended so that it stays rough, with small pieces that cling to vegetables and rice. ### The North: nam prik noom and nam prik ong Northern Thailand is home to two of the best-known nam prik in the country. Nam prik noom is made from long, pale green chillies (prik noom), grilled over charcoal with shallots and garlic until blistered, then peeled and pounded. The result is smoky, a little sweet and only moderately hot, with a soft, chunky texture. It is eaten with sticky rice, steamed vegetables and khaep moo, crisp puffed pork crackling, and it is a common sight in Chiang Mai markets. Nam prik ong is quite different. It is a cooked dip of minced pork and tomatoes, simmered with a paste of dried chillies, shallots, garlic and shrimp paste or thua nao, a fermented soybean product used in the North. It is mild, savoury, slightly sour and bright orange-red, with a texture closer to a thick meat sauce than a dip. It is served with raw cucumber, cabbage and long beans, crackling and sticky rice, and it is a good introduction for anyone wary of chilli heat. ### The Central Plains: nam prik kapi Nam prik kapi is the classic central Thai version, built on shrimp paste (kapi). Raw garlic, bird's eye chillies and roasted shrimp paste are pounded together, then sharpened with lime juice and seasoned with fish sauce and palm sugar. Some cooks add pea aubergines (makhuea phuang), which are crushed lightly so they burst with a bitter crunch. The dip is pungent, sour and hot, and quite runny. Its classic partner is pla thu, a small mackerel that is steamed and then fried until crisp. Together with a plate of raw and blanched vegetables and sometimes a slice of omelette made with cha-om, a feathery green leaf, it makes up one of the best-loved home meals of central Thailand. Central Thai cooking also produces nam prik pao, a sweet and smoky roasted chilli paste that is fried in oil and used as a relish, a spread and an ingredient in tom yum and stir-fries. ### Isaan: jaew In the Northeast, chilli dips are usually called jaew, a word shared with neighbouring Laos. They are typically simpler, drier and hotter than central versions, and they are eaten with sticky rice, rolled into a small ball and dipped. Jaew bong is a thick, dark, intensely savoury paste made with roasted chillies, shallots, garlic and galangal, pounded with pla ra, the fermented fish that runs through Isaan cooking. Jaew mak len is made with grilled tomatoes, giving a softer, sweeter dip. Nam jim jaew, the version most visitors meet, is a thinner dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, roasted chilli flakes and toasted rice powder, served alongside grilled chicken and pork. ### The South Southern Thai food is known for its heat, and its chilli dips are no exception. In the South they are often called nam chup rather than nam prik. Shrimp paste is widely used, as the region has a long coastline and a strong tradition of preserved seafood. Nam prik kung siap, made with smoked dried prawns, is associated with the Andaman coast around Phuket and Phang Nga. Southern meals usually come with a generous plate of fresh vegetables and leaves to cool the heat, including sator (stink beans) and other local greens, as well as cucumber and long beans. ### Making it part of the table A bowl of nam prik is one of the easiest ways to make a simple meal feel Thai. Start with a mild one such as nam prik ong or nam prik noom, add a plate of the freshest vegetables you can find, and cook plenty of rice. Once the method feels familiar, it is easy to vary: more lime, less chilli, a different fish. That flexibility is exactly why nam prik has stayed at the centre of Thai home cooking. --- ## Story: Thai Salads: Yam, Larb, Phla and the Art of the Dressing URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-salads-yam-larb-phla The word salad sets the wrong expectations for Thai food. A Thai salad is rarely a bowl of leaves. It might be warm grilled beef, glass noodles with prawns, crisp fried fish or pounded green papaya, and what holds it together is not the base but the dressing: sour, salty, a little sweet and often very hot. These dishes are among the quickest in Thai cooking, and among the most rewarding to make at home, because almost everything depends on tasting and adjusting. Get the dressing right and the rest follows. ### Four ways to make a salad Thai cooking has several kinds of salad, and the name usually tells you the method: - Yam: to mix. Ingredients are tossed with a dressing of lime, fish sauce, sugar and chilli. This is the broadest family. - Larb: minced meat or fish, cooked briefly and dressed with lime, fish sauce, roasted chilli and toasted rice, with plenty of herbs. The classic dish of the northeast. - Tam: to pound. Ingredients are bruised in a mortar with the dressing, as in som tam. - Phla: a dressed salad, usually of seafood or meat, with lemongrass and herbs, often sweetened and deepened with roasted chilli jam. ### The yam dressing Most yam start from the same four ingredients: lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and fresh chillies, often with a little garlic pounded in. It is the four flavours of Thai cooking in their simplest form, and it is worth learning by taste rather than by measure. A useful starting point is roughly equal amounts of lime juice and fish sauce, with about half as much sugar, and chillies to taste. Dissolve the sugar in the lime and fish sauce first, then add the pounded chillies and garlic. From there, adjust: 1. Taste the dressing on its own. It should be sharp, salty and hot, a little stronger than seems right, because it will be spread across the other ingredients. 2. Taste it again on the main ingredient. A dressing that seems balanced from a spoon may need more lime on rich beef or more fish sauce on plain glass noodles. 3. If it is harsh, add a pinch more sugar. If it is flat, add lime. If it tastes thin, add fish sauce. 4. Add more chilli at the end, and only after tasting, since heat builds over a few mouthfuls. Limes vary a great deal in sourness and juice, and fish sauces vary in saltiness, so no fixed ratio works every time. The point of a starting ratio is only to get close quickly. ### Three classic yam Yam woon sen is the glass noodle salad, and one of the most widely made. Softened glass noodles are cooked briefly with minced pork and prawns, then tossed while warm with the dressing, sliced shallots or onion, tomato, Chinese celery and often wood ear mushrooms and roasted peanuts. The noodles soak up the dressing fast, so it is best made just before eating and seasoned a little more boldly than you might expect. Yam nuea is a grilled beef salad. The beef is cooked to pink, rested, sliced thinly and tossed with the dressing, cucumber, tomato, shallots, mint and coriander. Some versions add a spoonful of roasted chilli flakes or toasted rice for depth. The warm meat and its juices mix with the dressing, which is part of what makes it so good. Yam pla duk fu shows how far the idea can stretch. Catfish is grilled or poached, flaked, then deep-fried in small handfuls until it puffs into a crisp, airy tangle. It is served with a sour salad of green mango, shallots, chilli and peanuts, and the dressing is often kept on the side or added at the table so the fish stays crunchy. The contrast between crisp, rich fish and sharp, cold mango is the whole point. ### Larb and tam: the pounded and the minced Larb uses a slightly different dressing from yam. There is usually no sugar, or very little, and the flavour comes from lime, fish sauce, roasted chilli flakes and khao khua, the toasted rice powder that gives it a nutty crunch. The herbs, especially mint, sawtooth coriander and spring onion, go in at the last moment. Tam salads are dressed in the mortar. Garlic and chillies are pounded first, then the dressing ingredients, then the main ingredient is bruised lightly with the pestle while being turned with a spoon. The aim is to crush, not to mash, so the dressing gets into the shreds of papaya, cucumber or long beans without turning them to pulp. ### Phla: lemongrass and chilli jam Phla is a central Thai style that sits between a salad and something richer. Prawns, squid or beef are cooked only briefly, so they stay tender, then dressed with lime, fish sauce and nam prik pao, the sweet and smoky roasted chilli jam. Thinly sliced lemongrass, makrut lime leaf, shallots and mint add fragrance. Some versions finish with a spoonful of coconut cream. Phla goong, with prawns, is the best known. The chilli jam makes the dressing darker, rounder and a little sweeter than a plain yam, and the raw lemongrass gives a clean, citrus crunch. ### Balancing the raw herbs Herbs in a Thai salad are not a garnish. They are an ingredient, and they are used in quantity. Mint, coriander, Chinese celery, spring onion, sliced shallot and thinly sliced lemongrass all appear, and each salad has its own usual mix. - Add tender herbs such as mint and coriander last, and toss gently so they do not bruise or wilt. - Slice lemongrass and makrut lime leaf as finely as possible. Thick pieces are woody and unpleasant to chew. - Shallots can be sharp. Slice them thinly and, if they are strong, rinse them briefly in cold water. - Balance the herbs against the protein. A rich meat salad can take more herbs, a delicate seafood salad fewer. ### Serving Thai salads Dress salads at the last moment, just before they go to the table. Many are best when the main ingredient is still warm, so the dressing soaks in, while the herbs and raw vegetables stay crisp and cool. Thai salads are not a separate course. They are one dish among several at a shared meal, eaten with rice to soften their sharpness. Raw vegetables such as cabbage, cucumber, long beans and lettuce are often served alongside larb and tam to cool the mouth. Many yam are also classic kap klaem, food to go with drinks, which is why they tend to be bold, salty and hot. Make them that way, then let the rice and the rest of the table bring them back into balance. --- ## Story: The Thai Wok: How to Stir-Fry, with Pad Kra Pao as the Example URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-wok-stir-fry-technique Walk past a Thai street kitchen at lunchtime and the first thing you notice is the noise: a roaring gas burner, a metal ladle scraping round a wok, and the hiss of sauce hitting hot metal. A plate of stir-fried rice or meat appears in a couple of minutes. It looks effortless, but it relies on a few clear habits that any home cook can learn. Stir-frying came to Thailand largely through Chinese cooking, and the wok, known in Thai as krata, is now part of almost every kitchen in the country. Many of the most common one-plate meals, from pad see ew to fried rice and pad kra pao, are cooked in one. ### Why the wok A wok's round shape puts a small, very hot area at the bottom, where the flame hits, and cooler sloping sides. Food can be seared in the centre and pushed up the sides to rest, and its depth makes tossing easy without throwing food onto the stove. A thin carbon steel wok heats up quickly and responds fast when the heat is turned down. It needs seasoning with oil before first use and should be dried over heat after washing to stop it rusting. Over time it builds up a dark, slick surface that food does not stick to. ### Heat and preparation Stir-frying is fast, which means there is no time to chop or measure once the wok is hot. Everything should be ready before the burner goes on. - Cut ingredients into similar, small sizes so they cook at the same rate. - Pat meat and vegetables dry. Wet food steams instead of searing. - Mix the sauces in a small bowl beforehand, so they go in together in one pour. - Have the plate and the rice ready, as stir-fries are best eaten straight from the wok. - Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, rapeseed or peanut oil. Heat the empty wok until it just begins to smoke, then add the oil and swirl it round. Food added to a properly hot wok sizzles loudly and sears at once. If it goes in quietly, the wok was not hot enough. ### The order of things Most Thai stir-fries follow the same sequence. Aromatics go in first, then the main ingredient, then the sauce, then anything delicate at the very end. Garlic and chilli usually lead. They are often pounded together roughly in a mortar rather than chopped, which releases more of their juice and flavour. They need only a few seconds in hot oil, just long enough to smell fragrant and start to colour. Burnt garlic is bitter, so be ready to add the next ingredient quickly. Frying chillies in a hot wok also releases fumes that make everyone in the kitchen cough. A working extractor or an open window helps. Meat goes in next, spread out so it can sear. Hard vegetables such as long beans or carrots follow, then softer ones. The sauces go in once the main ingredients are almost cooked, often with a splash of water or stock to bring everything together. Herbs and leaves such as basil go in last, sometimes off the heat, so they wilt without turning black. ### Small batches The most common reason home stir-fries turn out soggy is overcrowding. Too much food at once drops the temperature of the wok, and the ingredients release their liquid and stew instead of frying. Street cooks almost always cook one or two portions at a time for this reason. At home, cook a single portion if possible, or sear the meat in batches, set it aside, and bring everything back together for the sauce at the end. ### Pad kra pao, step by step Pad kra pao is stir-fried meat with holy basil, and it may be the most commonly ordered lunch in Thailand. It is usually made with minced pork or chicken, served over jasmine rice and topped with a fried egg with crisp, lacy edges (khai dao). It is also an ideal dish for learning wok technique, because it uses every step above in about three minutes. Holy basil (kra pao) is the essential ingredient. It has a peppery, clove-like flavour quite different from Thai sweet basil (horapha), which is more like aniseed. Sweet basil makes a pleasant dish but not a true kra pao. Some cooks add long beans or onion, others insist the dish should be only meat and basil. Both versions are common. 1. Pound 3-4 cloves of garlic with a few bird's eye chillies into a rough paste. 2. Mix the sauce: oyster sauce, light soy sauce, a few drops of dark soy for colour, a little fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. 3. Heat the wok until smoking, add oil, then the garlic and chilli. Stir for a few seconds until fragrant. 4. Add the minced meat, break it up with the ladle and let it sear before stirring. 5. When the meat is nearly cooked, pour in the sauce and a splash of water, and toss until glossy. 6. Turn off the heat, add a large handful of holy basil leaves, and toss until just wilted. 7. Serve at once over rice, with a fried egg on top and a small dish of fish sauce with sliced chillies on the side. The fried egg is cooked Thai style, in a generous amount of very hot oil, spooning oil over the top so the white puffs and crisps at the edges while the yolk stays runny. ### Wok hei and the home stove Wok hei is a Cantonese term, often translated as the breath of the wok. It describes the smoky, slightly charred flavour that comes from cooking over very high heat, where oil and sauce touching the hot metal briefly scorch and sometimes catch fire. Thai street cooks working over powerful gas burners get it in many of their dishes. One famous example is pak boong fai daeng, morning glory stir-fried over a flame so high it sends fire up the side of the wok. Domestic hobs rarely produce that much heat, but there are ways to get closer: - Use the largest burner and give the wok several minutes to heat through. - On an electric or induction hob, a flat-bottomed wok or a heavy cast iron frying pan makes better contact with the heat than a round wok. - Cook smaller quantities than feels natural. - Toss less often. Letting food sit for a few seconds between stirs allows it to sear and colour. A home stir-fry may not taste exactly like one from a street cart, but with a hot pan, ingredients ready and food cooked in small amounts, it can come surprisingly close. --- ## Story: Thai Soups Explained: From Tom Yum to Gaeng Jued URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/thai-soups-explained Outside Thailand, Thai soup usually means tom yum or tom kha, served in a bowl of its own before the main course. In Thailand, soup is something different. It sits on the table with everything else, shared from one pot, and it ranges from fiery and sour to so mild it is almost plain. Understanding the main kinds, and the job each one does in a meal, makes it much easier to cook them well. It also explains why a gentle clear soup is just as important to a Thai table as the famous hot and sour ones. ### Tom, gaeng and the words on the menu Tom means to boil, and dishes that start with tom are usually soups simmered with fresh aromatics rather than a pounded paste. Gaeng is often translated as curry, but it covers a wide family of liquid dishes, some thick with coconut milk, some thin and soupy. Gaeng jued, gaeng som and gaeng lueang are all called gaeng, yet they eat more like soups than the curries many people picture. ### Tom yum: clear or creamy Tom yum is a hot and sour soup, most often made with prawns (tom yum goong), and sometimes with chicken, fish or mixed seafood. The broth is perfumed with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, sharpened with lime juice, seasoned with fish sauce and lifted with bird's eye chillies. Straw mushrooms are the traditional vegetable. It comes in two main styles: - Tom yum nam sai: the clear version. The broth stays translucent and the flavours are bright, sharp and clean. - Tom yum nam khon: the creamy version. Evaporated milk or coconut milk is stirred in, often with a spoonful of nam prik pao, the roasted chilli jam, which gives the soup its orange colour, a little sweetness and a deeper, rounder heat. Neither is more correct. Many cooks and diners have a strong preference, and restaurants in Thailand commonly offer both. ### Tom kha: the coconut soup Kha is the Thai word for galangal, which tells you what leads in tom kha. It uses the same aromatics as tom yum, but in a broth of coconut milk, so the result is rich, gently sour and fragrant rather than sharp. Tom kha gai, with chicken, is the best known, and mushroom versions are common. The coconut milk should be heated gently and not boiled hard, which can make it split and grainy. Tom kha is usually less hot than tom yum, and it is often balanced with a touch more sugar. ### Gaeng jued: the quiet soup Jued means bland or mild, and gaeng jued is the soup most Thai families eat most often. It is a clear broth, usually pork or chicken, seasoned simply with fish sauce or light soy sauce, white pepper and garlic, often with coriander root simmered in it. Common versions include: - Gaeng jued tao hu moo sap: soft tofu and minced pork, sometimes with seaweed. - Gaeng jued woon sen: glass noodles with minced pork and vegetables. - Gaeng jued fak: winter melon, cooked until soft and almost translucent. - Gaeng jued with cabbage, mushrooms or pork balls, depending on the market. It is the soup made for children, for anyone feeling unwell, and for the side of a meal that is otherwise loud. Its job is to calm and refresh, and it does that well. ### Sour curries and regional soups Gaeng som is a sour curry with a thin, soupy broth. The central Thai version is made with a paste of dried chillies, shallots and shrimp paste, soured with tamarind, and cooked with fish or prawns and vegetables such as green papaya, cabbage or long beans. It has no coconut milk and is sharp, hot and savoury. In the south, gaeng som usually means a related dish also called gaeng lueang, the yellow curry, coloured and flavoured with fresh turmeric. It is fiercely hot and sour, and it is one of the region's everyday dishes, typically made with fish. Tom saep is the northeastern hot and sour soup, often made with pork ribs, beef or offal. It shares the lemongrass, galangal and lime of tom yum, but adds roasted chilli and fresh herbs such as sawtooth coriander, sometimes with a spoonful of toasted rice, so it tastes earthier and more herbal. Tom khlong is an older central Thai soup, sour and smoky. It uses tamarind or other sour fruit, roasted dried chillies and grilled shallots, and is often made with dried or smoked fish. It is less common on restaurant menus than tom yum but well worth seeking out. Khao tom, rice simmered in a clear broth, sits at the gentle end of the scale. It is usually a meal on its own, eaten in the morning or late at night, rather than one soup among several. ### How soup fits into a shared meal In a Thai meal, soup is not a course. It arrives with the other dishes and is placed in the middle of the table, often with its own serving spoon, and everyone takes a little at a time into a small bowl or straight onto their rice. Diners go back to it throughout the meal, using it to cool down after something hot or to add moisture to rice. That changes how a soup should be judged. A tom yum served alongside a mild stir-fry and an omelette can be bold. A meal with a fiery salad and a curry is better served by a gaeng jued. When planning a meal, choose the soup to contrast with the rest of the table. ### Aromatics and seasoning: what goes in when The aromatics are there to flavour the broth. They are cut in large pieces, and diners usually leave them in the bowl rather than eating them. 1. Lemongrass: trim the root and the dry tops, then bruise the stalk with the back of a knife or a pestle and cut it into short lengths so it releases its oils. 2. Galangal: slice into thin rounds. It is too hard to eat, but it gives up its flavour well in simmering liquid. 3. Makrut lime leaves: tear them, removing the central rib if it is tough, so their fragrance gets into the broth. 4. Chillies: bruise bird's eye chillies lightly so they release heat without breaking apart. Add the aromatics to simmering stock and give them a few minutes before the main ingredient goes in. Prawns and fish need only a minute or two. Season with fish sauce during cooking, then taste. Lime goes in last. Boiling dulls lime juice and can make it bitter, so many cooks turn off the heat, then add the lime, or squeeze it into the serving bowl and pour the hot soup over it. Taste once more after the lime is in, as it changes how the salt reads, and adjust with a little more fish sauce if needed. The finished soup should taste fresh, with the sour and the heat arriving together. --- ## Story: Cooking with Coconut Milk: Thick, Thin and Cracking the Cream URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/cooking-with-coconut-milk Coconut milk is the ingredient most people associate with Thai curry, and in central and southern Thailand it really is everywhere: in curries and soups, in dipping sauces and desserts, poured over sticky rice and stirred into drinks. It brings richness, a gentle sweetness and a body that softens the sharp edges of chilli and lime. It is also an ingredient that rewards a little understanding. Thai cooks treat coconut milk not as one liquid but as two, use them at different stages of cooking, and know exactly what they want it to do in the pan. ### Hua kati and hang kati Coconut milk is not the water inside a coconut. It is made by grating the white flesh of a mature coconut, mixing it with warm water, and squeezing hard. The first squeeze gives a thick, rich liquid called hua kati, the head of the coconut milk. Adding more water to the same grated flesh and squeezing again gives a thinner, lighter liquid called hang kati, the tail. The two have different jobs. Thick milk carries fat and flavour and is used for frying curry paste, for finishing a dish, or for spooning over the top. Thin milk is used for simmering: it cooks meat and vegetables gently and forms most of the liquid in a curry or soup. Many Thai recipes ask for both, and a curry made only with thick milk can be heavy and greasy, while one made only with thin milk lacks depth. ### Cracking the cream The most important technique in coconut curry is what Thai cooks call making the cream break, or crack. Thick coconut milk is heated in a wok or pot, stirring, until it bubbles hard and reduces. After a few minutes the water cooks off and the fat separates from the solids, leaving a pool of clear, fragrant coconut oil with a few curds in it. The curry paste goes into that oil and is fried, stirred constantly, until it darkens slightly and smells rich and toasted rather than raw. A good sign is when the oil turns red or green with the colour of the chillies and starts to pool around the paste. The process usually takes 5-10 minutes. It cooks out the harshness of raw garlic and shallot and draws flavour from the spices into the fat, which then carries it through the whole curry. Once the paste is ready, the meat goes in to coat in it, followed by the thin milk or the rest of the coconut milk, and the curry is simmered until cooked. Look for small beads of red oil floating on top of the finished dish. In Thailand that slick of coloured oil is seen as a sign the paste was fried properly, not as a fault. ### Fresh, canned or carton In Thai markets, fresh coconut milk is pressed to order by machine, and many cooks still prefer it. Outside Thailand, most people use cans or cartons, and both can make a very good curry. - Fresh: the cleanest, sweetest flavour, and it cracks easily. It spoils quickly, so use it the same day or keep it chilled for no more than a day or two. - Canned: the most useful form for curry. Leave the can unshaken and the thick cream will rise to the top, ready to scoop off for frying the paste. The thinner liquid below works as thin milk. Check the label for a high coconut content. - Coconut cream: a richer canned product with less water, handy when you want thick milk only. - Cartons: usually thinner and more uniform, intended for drinking or cooking. Fine for simmering, but harder to crack. Many canned and carton coconut milks contain emulsifiers and stabilisers, which keep the fat and water mixed. That is convenient in the cupboard but makes the cream reluctant to split in the pan. If it will not crack, simply add a spoonful or two of neutral oil and fry the paste in that. The result is very close. ### When to add it A common pattern for a central Thai coconut curry runs like this: 1. Crack some of the thick milk and fry the paste in it. 2. Add the meat and stir to coat. 3. Pour in the thin milk and simmer until the meat is tender. 4. Add vegetables that need only a short cooking time. 5. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, then add the remaining thick milk near the end. 6. Finish with herbs such as Thai basil or torn makrut lime leaves. Coconut milk can split if boiled hard for a long time, and while a little oil on top is welcome, a curry that has separated completely can look grainy. Keeping the heat to a steady simmer after the paste is fried avoids most problems. Some dishes, such as tom kha gai, are never boiled hard at all, which keeps the soup smooth and the galangal fragrant. ### Coconut beyond curry Coconut milk turns up across the Thai table. It is whisked with salt and sugar and poured over mango sticky rice, set into small layered desserts, and stirred into the creamy sauce that accompanies satay. A spoonful of thick cream is often drizzled over a finished bowl of green curry or a steamed fish curry such as hor mok just before serving, both for richness and for looks. In the north, it is the base of the broth for khao soi. ### The curries that use none Not every Thai curry contains coconut milk, and some of the most interesting ones contain none. Coconut palms grow best in the hot, humid lowlands of the centre and south. In the cooler, hilly north and the dry northeast, coconut was traditionally less available, and the cooking developed in other directions. Jungle curry (gaeng pa) is the best-known example. It is a thin, fierce, water-based curry full of herbs, vegetables and often wild ingredients, and its heat and fragrance hit much harder without coconut to soften them. Northern curries such as gaeng hang lay, a pork curry with Burmese roots, and gaeng khae, a vegetable and herb curry, are also made without coconut milk. In the south, gaeng som and gaeng lueang are sour, turmeric-yellow curries made with water and tamarind. Cooking a few of these is a good reminder that Thai curry is defined by its paste, not by its liquid. Coconut milk is one way to carry that paste. It is a delicious one, but it is not the only one. --- ## Story: A Guide to Thai Noodles: Which Noodle Goes with Which Dish URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/guide-to-thai-noodles Noodles came to Thailand with Chinese migrants, and the everyday word for rice noodles, kuay tiew, comes from the Teochew dialect many of those families spoke. Over generations noodles became something Thais eat at any hour, from a breakfast bowl to a late-night plate. The choice can look bewildering, but it follows a simple logic. Each noodle has a texture, and each texture suits certain dishes. Once you know the main types, menus make sense, and cooking at home gets easier too, because you can pick the right packet and treat it the right way. ### The rice noodles: wide, thin and very thin Most Thai noodles are made from rice flour and water. They come in three main widths, and the Thai names describe them plainly: sen means strand, yai means big and lek means small. - Sen yai: wide, flat ribbons, soft and slippery. Usually bought fresh, in folded sheets or pre-cut strips lightly coated in oil. - Sen lek: flat noodles a few millimetres wide, sold fresh or, more often abroad, dried as rice sticks. Chewy and springy when cooked well. - Sen mee: very thin rice vermicelli, almost always dried. Light and quick to cook, it soaks up broth and sauce. Sen yai is the noodle for the big, saucy stir-fries. Pad see ew fries it with dark soy, egg and Chinese broccoli until the edges catch and char a little. Rad na lays the seared noodles under a thick, glossy gravy of meat and greens. Kuay tiew khua gai fries them with chicken and egg until crisp in places. In each case the width matters: a wide noodle has the surface to pick up colour from the pan and hold a sauce. Sen lek is the noodle of pad Thai, where it needs to stay springy while absorbing a tamarind sauce. It is also the most common choice in noodle soups, including boat noodles. Sen mee turns up in soups, in stir-fries such as pad mee, and in many dishes where a fine, delicate strand is wanted. ### Egg noodles and the Chinese side of the shop Ba mee are yellow wheat noodles made with egg. They are thin, round and springy, with a slight bite that rice noodles do not have. The classic way to eat them is ba mee moo daeng, egg noodles with slices of red barbecued pork, often with wontons, either in a clear broth or served dry with a little seasoned oil and broth on the side. Khao soi, the curried noodle soup of the North, also uses egg noodles, here flat rather than round, with a second handful deep-fried into a crisp nest on top. Fresh egg noodles are often dusted with flour, so shake off the excess before cooking. ### Glass noodles, khanom jeen and kuay jap Woon sen are glass noodles made from mung bean starch. Dry, they look like a tangle of fishing line. Cooked, they turn clear and slippery and take on the flavour of whatever surrounds them. They are the base of yam woon sen, the glass noodle salad with minced pork and prawns, and of goong ob woon sen, prawns baked in a clay pot over a bed of noodles that drink in the juices. They also go into clear soups and stir-fries. Khanom jeen is something else entirely. These are round, soft rice noodles made from rice that is fermented before it is ground and pressed through a mould into boiling water, which gives them a faint, pleasant sourness. They are sold fresh in small coiled nests and eaten at room temperature, with a ladle of curry or sauce poured over and a basket of fresh herbs and vegetables alongside. Nam ya, a fish curry, and nam ngiao, the northern pork and tomato broth, are two of the best-known pairings. Kuay jap is made from sheets of rice noodle cut into squares, which curl into little rolls as they cook. They are served in a dark, peppery broth with crispy pork belly, offal and boiled egg. In the northeast, a different dish shares the name: kuay jap yuan, with chewy round noodles in a clear pork broth, reflecting Vietnamese influence in the region. ### Fresh or dried In Thailand, many noodle shops use fresh rice noodles delivered daily. Outside Thailand, dried noodles are easier to find and keep for months, and for most dishes they work well. A few rules of thumb help: - Sen yai is best fresh. Dried wide rice noodles exist, but they lack the soft, slippery texture that makes pad see ew and rad na what they are. - Sen lek and sen mee are fine dried. Pad Thai is very often made with dried rice sticks, even in Thailand. - Ba mee is available fresh, frozen or dried. Fresh or frozen has the better bite. - Woon sen is always sold dried. - Khanom jeen is ideally fresh, though some Asian grocers sell it frozen or dried. Dried versions are boiled and rinsed before use. ### Soaking and cooking Most noodle problems at home come from overcooking. Rice noodles keep softening in the pan, so it is better to stop a little early. For stir-fries, the noodle should finish cooking in the wok, not before. 1. Dried sen lek for pad Thai: soak in room-temperature or lukewarm water until pliable but still firm at the centre, usually twenty to thirty minutes. Drain well. They will soften further as they absorb the sauce. 2. Dried rice noodles for soup: soak until pliable, then dip in a basket or sieve into boiling water for a few seconds to a minute, until just tender. Drain and put straight into the bowl. 3. Fresh sen yai: if the noodles have been refrigerated they will be stiff. Warm them briefly, either a few seconds in hot water or covered in the microwave, then gently peel the strands apart by hand before they go into the pan. 4. Woon sen: soak in water for about ten minutes until soft, then cut into shorter lengths with scissors. Cook briefly, as they turn gluey if boiled for long. 5. Dried egg noodles: boil according to the packet, loosening the nest with chopsticks as it softens, then drain. For stir-fries, oil the drained noodles lightly so they do not stick together, and cook in small batches. A crowded pan steams noodles instead of searing them. ### How to order a bowl of noodle soup At a noodle shop, a bowl is built to order, and the cook will usually want to know three things: which noodle, which broth, and whether you want it with soup or dry. 1. The noodle. Sen yai, sen lek, sen mee, ba mee or woon sen. Some shops offer only one or two. 2. The broth. Nam sai is a clear broth. Tom yum is a hot and sour version, often with lime, chilli and ground peanuts. Nam tok, the broth of boat noodles, is darker and richer, traditionally thickened with a little blood. Yen ta fo is pink, coloured with fermented red bean curd, and usually comes with fish balls and morning glory. 3. Soup or dry. Nam means with soup. Haeng means dry: the noodles are tossed with seasoning and toppings, and a small bowl of broth comes on the side. The topping is usually set by the shop, whether pork, beef, fish balls or duck. Once the bowl arrives, taste it before reaching for the condiment rack. Noodle soups are deliberately seasoned lightly so each diner can finish the job. ### A starting point at home Dried sen lek covers pad Thai and most soups, and a bag of woon sen covers salads and clear soups. Add fresh sen yai when you find it, and use it within a day or two. --- ## Story: Making Thai Curry Paste from Scratch: Red, Green and Massaman URL: https://aroymakmak.com/en/articles/making-thai-curry-paste-from-scratch Every Thai curry starts with a paste. Before any coconut milk, meat or vegetables go into the pot, a cook pounds chillies, aromatics and seasonings into a thick, fragrant mass, then fries it until it smells completely different from the raw ingredients. The paste is the curry. Everything else is what the curry is cooked with. Thai cooks call these pastes khrueang gaeng, which roughly means curry ingredients. Most markets sell them freshly made, scooped from large mounds into small plastic bags, and plenty of Thai households buy them rather than making their own. But pounding a paste at home at least once is the best way to understand what a curry is made of, and a fresh paste has a brightness that is hard to match. ### The shared base Most central Thai curry pastes are built on the same core of ingredients. The differences between them come from the type of chilli and from a handful of extra spices. Learn the base and the rest is variation. - Chillies: dried for red, yellow and massaman pastes, fresh for green. - Shallots and garlic: for sweetness, body and depth. - Lemongrass: only the pale lower part, finely sliced across the grain. - Galangal: sharper and more piney than ginger, and much harder to cut. - Makrut lime zest: just the thin green skin, not the bitter white pith below. - Coriander root: the roots and lower stems, which carry far more flavour than the leaves. - Shrimp paste (kapi): a small amount for savoury depth. - Salt: as seasoning, and as an abrasive that helps break down the fibres. - Dry spices: usually coriander seed, cumin and white peppercorns, toasted and ground. ### Red, green, yellow and massaman Red curry paste (khrueang gaeng phet) is the closest thing to a master recipe. Dried red chillies give it its colour and a deep, rounded heat, and it is used not only for red curry but also for dishes such as fish cakes and many stir-fried curries. Green curry paste swaps dried chillies for fresh green ones, usually a mix of small bird's eye chillies for heat and larger green chillies for colour and bulk. Many cooks add extra coriander root and makrut lime zest, and sometimes a few holy basil or coriander leaves to deepen the green. Because fresh chillies are fierce, green curry is often the hottest of the family, despite its reputation as a gentle choice. Yellow curry paste (gaeng kari) uses dried chillies again but leans on turmeric and curry powder, which give it its colour and a warmer, more Indian-style spice. It is milder than red and pairs well with chicken and potatoes. Massaman paste goes furthest in that direction. Alongside the usual base it takes the sweet spices brought to Thailand by Muslim and Persian traders: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg or mace. The shallots and garlic are often dry-roasted before pounding, which gives the paste a mellow, slightly smoky sweetness. ### Fresh and dried chillies Large dried chillies are the backbone of red, yellow and massaman pastes. Snip them into pieces, shake out most of the seeds, and soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes until soft. Removing the seeds lowers the heat and lets you use more chillies, which means more colour and more depth without making the curry unbearable. Squeeze them well before pounding, as extra water makes a wet paste that is harder to fry. Some cooks add a few small dried chillies for extra fire. For green paste, use fresh chillies as they are, roughly chopped. Wear gloves if you are handling a large quantity, and keep your hands away from your eyes either way. ### Toasting the spices Whole dry spices are toasted before grinding. Put the coriander seed and cumin in a dry pan over a low to medium heat and shake it often until the seeds darken slightly and smell nutty, usually a minute or two. Cumin burns faster than coriander, so some cooks toast them separately. Tip them out of the hot pan straight away, let them cool, then grind them to a fine powder with the white peppercorns. Grinding the spices on their own first matters. Whole seeds tend to bounce around in a mortar full of wet aromatics and never break down properly. For massaman paste, toast and grind the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in the same way. ### The pounding order The rule is simple: hardest and driest first, softest and wettest last. Each ingredient is pounded until it has broken down before the next goes in. 1. Salt and the soaked dried chillies (or fresh chillies for green paste). 2. Galangal, then lemongrass, then makrut lime zest. 3. Coriander root. 4. Shallots and garlic. 5. Shrimp paste. 6. The ground dry spices, worked in at the end until evenly mixed. A good paste is smooth enough that you cannot pick out individual pieces of lemongrass or galangal. That takes time, often 20-30 minutes for a full batch, and is the reason market pastes exist. A food processor or blender will do the job faster, though it usually needs a splash of water or oil to turn, and the result is slightly wetter and less fragrant. A useful compromise is to pound the tough fibrous ingredients first and finish in a machine. ### Storing homemade paste A batch of paste is usually more than one curry needs. Pack the rest into a clean jar, press it down to remove air pockets and pour a thin layer of oil over the top. It will keep in the fridge for about a week. For longer storage, freeze it in small portions, an ice cube tray works well, and transfer the frozen cubes to a bag. Frozen paste keeps its flavour for a few months and can go straight into a hot pan. ### When bought paste is fine There is no shame in a tub of curry paste. Thai-made pastes sold in tubs, tins and sachets are widely used in Thailand itself, and they produce a perfectly good curry on a weeknight. A few things make them taste better: - Fry the paste properly in oil or cracked coconut cream until it is deeply fragrant and the oil turns red. Most of the difference between a flat curry and a good one happens here. - Taste before seasoning. Bought pastes are often salty, so add fish sauce at the end, not the start. - Freshen it up by pounding in a little fresh lemongrass, galangal, garlic or makrut lime zest. - Finish with fresh herbs: Thai basil for green or red curry, a few torn makrut lime leaves for most others. Make your own when you have time, or when a curry is the centre of a meal. Use bought paste the rest of the week. Once you have pounded a paste from scratch, you will also be much better at judging which tub on the shelf is worth buying.