Thai Cuisine: What to Eat, from Street Food to Curries

The essence of Thai cuisine is balancing sour, sweet, salty and spicy flavours on the same plate. Pad thai, tom yum soup, som tam (papaya salad), green curry and mango sticky rice are dishes you must try on your first trip. You will find most of them at street stalls and markets rather than in restaurants; in Thailand, food is street life itself.

The balance of flavours in Thai cuisine

Thai dishes combine sourness from lime and tamarind, sweetness from palm sugar, saltiness from fish sauce (nam pla) and heat from fresh or dried chillies. Lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal (Thai ginger), fresh coriander and Thai basil give the cuisine its characteristic aroma.

On the tables there is often a small condiment set of sugar, dried chilli, chillies in vinegar and fish sauce. Thais adjust their food to their own taste with this set.

Dishes you must try

• Pad thai: Stir-fried noodles made with rice noodles, egg, peanuts, bean sprouts and prawns or chicken. As it is not spicy, it is ideal to start with.
• Tom yum goong: A sour and spicy prawn soup cooked with lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. The version with coconut milk is milder.
• Tom kha gai: Chicken soup with coconut milk and the aroma of galangal; a good option for those not used to spicy food.
• Som tam: A salad of grated green papaya, lime, chilli and peanuts, pounded together. It is often quite spicy.
• Gaeng keow wan (green curry): A curry made with coconut milk and fresh green chillies. Red curry and massaman curry with peanuts are also common.
• Pad kra pao: Minced meat or chicken stir-fried with Thai basil and chilli, served with rice and topped with a fried egg. One of Thais' everyday favourites.
• Khao pad: Thai-style fried rice.
• Mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang): Sticky rice drenched in coconut milk with ripe mango. It is especially delicious in mango season.

Flavours by region

The north (Chiang Mai). Khao soi, a soup with coconut milk and crispy noodles, is the symbol of the north. A spicy northern sausage called sai ua is also common.

The northeast (Isan). The trio of som tam, grilled chicken (gai yang) and sticky rice is the signature of Isan cuisine. Larb, a spicy minced meat salad with herbs, also comes from here.

The south. Seafood is plentiful, and the curries are richer and spicier. In Phuket and Krabi, grilled fish and seafood stand out.

Bangkok. This is the city where you can find dishes from every region of the country. In the evenings, the stalls in Chinatown (Yaowarat) and the night markets are ideal places for street food.

Street food tips

• Choose busy stalls. Places where locals queue usually mean fresh food that is eaten quickly.
• Choose food cooked in front of you. Hot, freshly cooked food is safer.
• Water and ice. Do not drink tap water; choose bottled water. Factory-made ice used in restaurants and cafés usually causes no problems, but be careful if you have a sensitive stomach.
• Fruit. It is safer to choose fruit peeled in front of you rather than ready-cut fruit.
• Cookery classes. In Bangkok and Chiang Mai, cookery classes that start with a market visit are an enjoyable way to get to know the cuisine.

Spice level: "mai phet"

Thai food is usually quite spicy for foreigners. If you are not used to spicy food, just say "mai phet" (not spicy) or "phet nit noi" (a little spicy) when ordering. In tourist areas the dishes may already be toned down a little, but in local restaurants spicy really means spicy. When your mouth is on fire, eating rice helps more than water.

Table manners

In Thailand, food is mostly eaten with a fork and spoon: the spoon goes to the mouth, and the fork is used only to push food onto the spoon. Chopsticks are used for some dishes such as noodle soups. In the north and northeast, sticky rice is eaten by hand, rolled into small balls. Dishes are usually placed in the middle and shared; taking a little onto your plate at a time and going back for more is considered polite. For other etiquette, see our article on Thai etiquette.

Halal and special diets

Pork is widely used in Thailand; fish sauce and shrimp paste are also the base of many dishes. The Muslim population is larger in the south of the country, and halal restaurants are easier to find there. In Bangkok too, restaurants with halal signs are common, especially in some districts. For vegetarians, there is "jay" food, which comes from Buddhist tradition and contains no animal products; stalls with yellow flags indicate it. If you have a food allergy, especially to peanuts or shellfish, we recommend carrying a card describing your condition in Thai.

Drinks

Thai iced tea (cha yen), freshly squeezed fruit juices, coconut water and iced coffee are the most popular choices in the heat. Drinking coconut water straight from the shell is part of the Thailand experience.

We do not have a ready-made catalogue programme for this route; if you would like us to plan one for your group, you can write to us via our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to eat street food in Thailand?

Generally yes, if you follow a few simple rules: choose busy stalls, prefer hot food cooked in front of you and drink bottled water rather than tap water.

Is Thai food very spicy?

Much of it is spicy, but not all. Dishes such as pad thai, tom kha gai and massaman curry are milder. You can ask for no spice by saying "mai phet" when ordering.

Can you find halal food in Thailand?

Yes. Halal restaurants are common in the southern regions and in some districts of Bangkok. In tourist areas you can come across restaurants with halal signs, but researching in advance makes things easier.

What is a typical Thai dessert?

The best known is mango sticky rice. Various puddings and jellies made with coconut milk are also common in markets.