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Aroy Mak Mak

Author

Aroy Mak Mak

Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for.

The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them.

Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.

60 pages below

Recipes

Moo Palo (Five-Spice Pork and Egg Stew)

ตุ๋นและพะโล้

Moo Palo (Five-Spice Pork and Egg Stew)

A sweet, aromatic Thai-Chinese stew of pork belly and boiled eggs in a soy and five-spice broth, simmered until meltingly tender.

110 min · Easy

Khao Kha Moo (Braised Pork Leg on Rice)

ตุ๋นและพะโล้

Khao Kha Moo (Braised Pork Leg on Rice)

Pork leg slow-braised in soy, palm sugar and five spice until it falls apart, sliced over rice with kale, pickles and chilli vinegar.

210 min · Medium

Kluay Buat Chi (Bananas in Coconut Milk)

ของหวาน

Kluay Buat Chi (Bananas in Coconut Milk)

Ripe bananas simmered in salted, sweetened coconut milk with pandan: a warm, simple Thai dessert ready in twenty minutes.

25 min · Easy

Moo Hong (Phuket Braised Pork Belly)

ตุ๋นและพะโล้

Moo Hong (Phuket Braised Pork Belly)

Phuket’s Hokkien-style pork belly, braised in soy sauce, garlic and black pepper until dark, glossy and meltingly soft.

105 min · Easy

Gai Tod Hat Yai (Hat Yai Fried Chicken)

ย่างและทอด

Gai Tod Hat Yai (Hat Yai Fried Chicken)

Southern Thailand’s famous fried chicken, marinated in coriander seed, cumin and garlic and buried under crispy fried shallots.

50 min · Easy

Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang)

ของหวาน

Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang)

Steamed glutinous rice soaked in sweet, salty coconut milk, served with ripe mango and a spoonful of coconut sauce.

45 min · Easy

Khao Mok Gai (Thai-Muslim Chicken Biryani)

เส้นและข้าว

Khao Mok Gai (Thai-Muslim Chicken Biryani)

Spiced yellow rice cooked with yogurt-marinated chicken, topped with crispy shallots and served with a sweet-sour green chilli and mint sauce.

90 min · Medium

Khao Man Gai (Thai Hainanese Chicken Rice)

เส้นและข้าว

Khao Man Gai (Thai Hainanese Chicken Rice)

Silky poached chicken, rice cooked in the chicken stock and fat, and a punchy fermented soybean, ginger and chilli sauce.

95 min · Medium

Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles)

เส้นและข้าว

Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai Curry Noodles)

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.

90 min · Medium

Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry)

ผัด

Kua Kling (Southern Dry Curry)

Minced pork dry-fried in a fiery turmeric curry paste until every grain is coated, finished with shredded makrut lime leaves.

40 min · Medium

Massaman Curry with Beef

แกง

Massaman Curry with Beef

A rich, mild curry with Persian and Indian roots: braised beef, potatoes and peanuts in a cinnamon, cardamom and tamarind sauce.

180 min · Medium

Nam Jim Jaew (Isaan Dipping Sauce)

น้ำพริก

Nam Jim Jaew (Isaan Dipping Sauce)

The smoky, sour, salty dipping sauce served with grilled meats across Isaan, thickened with toasted rice.

10 min · Easy

Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad)

ยำและตำ

Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad)

Shredded green papaya bruised in a clay mortar with garlic, chilli, lime, palm sugar, tomatoes, green beans, dried shrimp and peanuts.

20 min · Easy

Tom Kha Gai

ต้ม

Tom Kha Gai

A mellow coconut and galangal soup with chicken and mushrooms, sharp with lime and gently hot.

35 min · Easy

Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken)

ย่างและทอด

Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken)

Chicken marinated in garlic, coriander root, pepper and lemongrass, grilled slowly over charcoal and served with jaew and sticky rice.

65 min · Easy

Tom Yum Goong

ต้ม

Tom Yum Goong

Hot, sour and fragrant prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, finished with lime juice and nam prik pao.

40 min · Easy

Larb Moo (Isaan Minced Pork Salad)

ยำและตำ

Larb Moo (Isaan Minced Pork Salad)

Warm minced pork tossed with lime, fish sauce, chilli flakes, toasted rice powder, shallots and fresh mint.

30 min · Easy

Pad Thai with Prawns

เส้นและข้าว

Pad Thai with Prawns

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.

40 min · Medium

Nam Prik Noom (Roasted Green Chilli Dip)

น้ำพริก

Nam Prik Noom (Roasted Green Chilli Dip)

Smoky charred green chillies, shallots and garlic, pounded into a rough dip and eaten with pork crackling, sticky rice and vegetables.

35 min · Easy

Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage)

ย่างและทอด

Sai Oua (Northern Thai Herb Sausage)

Chiang Mai’s famous coiled pork sausage, packed with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and dried chilli, grilled slowly over charcoal.

90 min · Medium

Stories

What to Eat in Ayutthaya and the Central Plains

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

What to Eat in Ayutthaya and the Central Plains

Grilled river prawns, roti sai mai, boat noodles and freshwater fish: a food guide to the old capital and a day trip from Bangkok.

Oct 19, 2026 · 5 min read

Feast Days: Food at Thai Festivals and Celebrations

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

Feast Days: Food at Thai Festivals and Celebrations

The food behind Songkran, Chinese New Year, merit-making, weddings, ordinations, Ramadan and the temple fair, and what each table is about.

Oct 18, 2026 · 6 min read

Khanom: A Guide to the World of Thai Desserts

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

Khanom: A Guide to the World of Thai Desserts

Coconut, palm sugar, pandan and sticky rice: a guide to Thai sweets, from mango sticky rice to the golden egg desserts.

Oct 18, 2026 · 5 min read

Sticky Rice and Jasmine Rice: Thailand's Two Staples

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

Sticky Rice and Jasmine Rice: Thailand's Two Staples

Thailand eats two very different rices. Here is what sets sticky rice and jasmine rice apart, where each is eaten, and how to cook both well.

Oct 18, 2026 · 5 min read

Royal Thai Cuisine: Palace Cooking, Carving and Refinement

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

Royal Thai Cuisine: Palace Cooking, Carving and Refinement

What royal Thai cuisine is, how palace kitchens shaped central Thai food, and the dishes, from khao chae to cho muang, still linked to the court.

Oct 17, 2026 · 6 min read

How a Thai Meal Works: Sharing, Rice and Table Manners

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

How a Thai Meal Works: Sharing, Rice and Table Manners

Why a Thai meal arrives all at once, how the spoon and fork work together, and the small courtesies that make eating with Thais easy.

Oct 17, 2026 · 6 min read

How to Eat at a Thai Street Food Stall

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

How to Eat at a Thai Street Food Stall

How to choose a stall, order without a shared language, handle a noodle menu and eat like a local at Thailand's street food stalls.

Oct 17, 2026 · 5 min read

A Food Lover's Guide to Thailand's Four Regions

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

A Food Lover's Guide to Thailand's Four Regions

From coconut curries in the centre to fermented fish in Isaan and turmeric-yellow curries in the south: how Thai food changes from region to region.

Oct 16, 2026 · 5 min read

Isaan Food Beyond Som Tam: A Guide to the Northeast

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

Isaan Food Beyond Som Tam: A Guide to the Northeast

Pla ra, sticky rice, grilled meats and herb-heavy salads: a guide to the food of Isaan and how it became a favourite across Thailand.

Oct 15, 2026 · 6 min read

What to Eat in Phuket and Southern Thailand

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

What to Eat in Phuket and Southern Thailand

Peranakan dishes in Phuket Old Town, fiery sour curries, khao yam and roti: a guide to the food of Thailand's hottest region.

Oct 14, 2026 · 5 min read

Thailand's Fruit Calendar: What Is in Season and When

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

Thailand's Fruit Calendar: What Is in Season and When

Mangoes in the hot season, durian and mangosteen as the rains begin, longan in the north: a month-by-month guide to Thai fruit.

Oct 13, 2026 · 6 min read

What to Eat in Chiang Mai and the North

ท่องเที่ยวและวัฒนธรรม

What to Eat in Chiang Mai and the North

Khao soi, sai ua, smoky chilli dips and slow-cooked curries: a guide to the food of Chiang Mai and the old Lanna kingdom.

Oct 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Nam Prik: A Regional Guide to Thailand's Chilli Dips

การทำอาหาร

Nam Prik: A Regional Guide to Thailand's Chilli Dips

From nam prik noom in the North to nam prik kapi in the centre and jaew in Isaan: Thailand's chilli dips, how they are made and how they are eaten.

Oct 11, 2026 · 5 min read

Thai Soups Explained: From Tom Yum to Gaeng Jued

การทำอาหาร

Thai Soups Explained: From Tom Yum to Gaeng Jued

Hot and sour, rich with coconut, or clear and gentle: how the main Thai soups differ, how they fit into a meal, and when to season them.

Oct 9, 2026 · 6 min read