Insect Cuisine - Maeng Da Water Beetle Dip With Catfish & Roasted Chilli - Regional Thai Food

This one is my version of "The Beetles greatest hits" as I actually fell in love with this dish a few weeks ago and I've been pestering to see it made ever since. I am pretending that I am doing this for posterity - for you, the reader. In actual fact it is selfish. I just like it and want to know how to make it so I can show off in front of my Thai chef friends and colleagues;-)

I have to admit that there is something a bit disconcerting about shoving a creature into your mouth that looks very much like a giant cockroach. You wouldn't imagine it from my writing, but I am actually just like you. If someone had suggested ten years ago that I would rock up to a street vendor, hand over 10 baht, and chug a massive crawly thing with wings and half a dozen crunchy legs semi tucked under its shiny carapace, the expletives would have flown from my lips like a plague of (un-fried) locusts heading across Egypt. Laugh? I would have shat.

Thai Food

It was actually a very late night, a few beers into the evening on my fourth trip to Thailand when I was persuaded to have a crack at the grasshoppers. I actually persuaded myself, no cattle prod needed. Surprisingly, I found them a little like crisps. Flavoursome, crunchy and great with a beer. Getting my head around it was the hardest part. I had broken some sort of barrier, and far from being proud or boastful I found myself quite introspective, looking into the reasons for my terror of trying these things previously. I am not as weird as you may think.

Insect Cuisine - Maeng Da Water Beetle Dip With Catfish & Roasted Chilli - Regional Thai Food

A friend, Simon, asked today if I was a bit put out by all this weird food. My response was that yes, I was. Things like Twinkies, Steak and kidney pies, French style crumbed lambs brains and Kazakh attempts at Pizza freak the hell out of me. Natto too, which is a sticky, slimy Japanese fermented rice thing which I once had the displeasure of putting in my mouth. I am not big into guts and offal, and I also recall my teenage days when I recoiled in horror at the thought of anyone eating raw fish. Those whale-killing Japanese bastards ate RAW BLOODY FISH! I couldn't believe it. Young kiwi boys with long hair and AC-DC T-shirts couldn't possibly 'get it' back then. There was just a healthy distrust of foreigners and the 'weird crap' they passed off as food.

Thai Food

Fast forward a few years and I have run two successful Japanese restaurants and have a great appreciation for the cuisine and people. I am SO glad I didn't do the TAFE course back then that taught me how to make prosciutto, then rolled ham, then salami - and finally the popular cocktail sausages + polonies that we all know and love with their red food colouring and nasty gunk scraped off the board and made from the leftovers.

I would also dare you ALL to look closely into what goes into a chicken McNugget too, and then eat one - ever again. .

Like anything, it is a little about getting outside of the comfort zone and exploring our rationale for doing what we do, eating what we eat, and retaining the opinions and attitudes we grew up with. Some of us do, some of us don't. I truly believe that travel does force us to re-explore our convictions and raison d'etre - even if some of those discoveries are things we would rather have left more comfortably in the closet. (Don't worry - I won't start talking about the whipped cream aerosol and the batman suit.)

But back to the Maeng Da - I was sitting in a bar in Bangkok on holiday many moons ago, tucking into fried grasshoppers and teasing a clothing vendor who was eating Maeng da - these big water beetles. She was a great sport - but she turned it back onto me and offered me one.

I screwed up my nose in disgust and she gestured "No" "Not eat like that" - then she showed me - opening the carapace and revealing the interior which looked like caviar. She offered it to me, and then tried some, showing me it was OK. THIS was what we ate - not the whole shebang.

I scraped it off and tried it - the flavour was intense but strangely pleasant. Not bug-like at all. It seemed to be strangely familiar - but at the same time so very foreign.

It had the pungency of a perfume or detergent - words can barely explain - but the freshness of lime or citrus with an indescribable top note.

That was long ago, and it popped up into my existence on this planet again a couple of weeks ago in an innocuous looking dip.

I was being watched as I dipped the ball of sticky rice into the greyish matter.

It looked like babaganoush - roasted eggplant dip, but I knew it wasn't.

I thought it was a fish 'nam prik' and I wasn't far off. It had "Maeng Da" inside and from my first mouthful I was hooked. It's like the first time you taste a cocktail or a drink that has a spirit or liqueur that really appeals to you. You recognise the taste and it forms a memory - a longing and a flavour profile that lingers like a ghost in a dream. Is it real? What part of the dish IS it? You want to de-construct it and understand. I had to see the process and document it for your benefit (I told myself) but really it was for my own.

The fact that this was mashed into a dip didn't hurt either. there was no plump shiny hexapod to contend with - only a creamy textured dish with an incredible taste.

We picked up the bugs from the market.

They are called Maeng Da, which means 'pimp'. As in 'sells hookers'. Just like the big felt-hatted Negroes with fashion-murdering flares and platform heels as featured in 'Austin Powers'.

These are water beetles that skim the surface of ponds in the wet season - so 'Dad' was a bit freaked out at having to shell out 12 baht each to buy them for me - being expensive due to the lack of rain thus far into the season.

Never mind. I stumped up the 60 baht for 5 each and another 40 baht for a couple of wriggling catfish, and we drove home ready for the upcoming feast. I don't tell the story anywhere near as well as my trusty camera, so let me scribble the recipe below and run through it with you. If you can get your head around this, it's an awesome thing to try. The step-by-step photos can be found on my website if you are curious to see the visuals.

• 2 each small catfish
• Lemongrass
• Salt
• Water for poaching
• Maaeng da water beetles - 3 each
• Chillies - 3 each - toasted over a gas or wood fire flame
• Garlic - 3-4 cloves
• Salt - to taste
• Roasted dry red chilli flakes - 1 dsp
• Coriander - 2 dsp chopped fresh
• Spring onion - 1-2 each

Method

1. Put catfish in a pot with water, crushed lemongrass twisted into a knot, and some salt to taste
2. Simmer until cooked through.
3. Remove the fish - take the flesh off the bones and set aside.
4. Strain and reserve the fish cooking liquid (lemongrass fish stock)
5. Skewer the Maeng Da water beetles
6. Hold over a gas flame and toast for a minute or two until cooked through and aromatic
7. Add the garlic to a mortar and pestle and crush by pounding
8. Add the flame roasted chillies and mpound also to combine with the garlic.
9. Finely chop the whole Maeng Da beetles and pound to a soft paste until the shells are pureed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6nw1nCq3kQ
10. Add the fish and pound to a paste
11. Add the toasted chilli flakes, coriander and chopped spring onion.
12. Stir in enough lemongrass fish poaching stock to bring it to a soft dipping consistency.
13. Mix together to combine
14. Serve and top with freshly chopped spring onion.
15. Serve with fresh boiled vegetables. We used boiled baby loofah (gourd) and Thai 'praya' eggplants, boiled until soft.

Also served with sticky rice. This was an incredible and memorable dish. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have, and I have tried quite a few weird and wonderful dishes, many of which appear on my site along with 'regular' Thai recipes. I'd love your comments, feedback, questions, suggestions, abuse and expressions of horror. Please come and visit.

Insect Cuisine - Maeng Da Water Beetle Dip With Catfish & Roasted Chilli - Regional Thai Food

Shane Brierly is a professional chef from New Zealand who has been travelling the globe for the last six years cooking, eating and discovering.
He prefers the "path less travelled" and is currently living in South-East Asia blogging new foods, experiences, sights and ingredients.
Shane can be found at http://chef-a-gogo.com and is happy to answer any questions or respond to feedback left in the comments section. He loves teaching people how to cook, and is passionate about fresh food, quickly and simply prepared.

Thai BBQ or Barbeque Chicken Recipes

What makes Thai BBQ chicken recipes so delicious? It is all the wonderful and unique spices and ingredients that are used to deliver a flavor that are taste buds enjoy. These recipes are wonderful and give us a new view of how we look at barbeque sauces. You will learn once you begin to try other countries bbq recipes that many spices and ingredients can make delectable sauces that everyone will love.

This first Thai BBQ chicken recipe will give you an idea of all the different items that make your own barbeque sauce liven up the dinner table.

Thai Food

You will need 16 ounces of cubed chicken, 2 tablespoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon of seasoning salt, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tablespoon of your favorite cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 small can of pineapple chunks, 1 green pepper cubed, 1 red pepper cubed, ½ cup of coconut milk, ¼ cup of soy sauce, a tad of Tabasco sauce. Mix together all ingredients except chicken, and then marinate the chicken chunks overnight in the refrigerator. After marinating, place each vegetable, pineapple chunk and chicken on a skewer and grill until done.

Thai BBQ or Barbeque Chicken Recipes

You can also use part of the above ingredients to create wonderful dipping sauce for your Thai barbeque chicken. Just do not use the sauce that you have marinated the chicken in overnight. Just use enough of the sauce to cover the chicken and reserve the rest for your dipping sauce. Everyone will love this tasty recipe and you will love trying coconut milk for many of your bbq sauces. Pineapple and coconut milk will give your favorite barbeque sauce a new flavor that not many people have tried, but once they do they love the flavor.

Thai Food

Thai BBQ or Barbeque Chicken Recipes

Hans is author of http://www.steaks-guide.com and the Grill and Barbeque section at http://www.patio-furniture-ideas.com

The Food Cooking Show Fascination

The premise is simple. Take a chef, put him or her into the kitchen and watch them prepare their signature dishes. You might think that this would be boring after a bit but the public has proven this wrong.

Food cooking shows are the "in" thing right now. We love the idea of making food and combine it with reality television and suddenly we come back week after week to see what happens next.

Thai Food

Fox Network has uncovered a phenomenon with the cursing antics of Chef Gordon Ramsey. We cringe at his explosive attitude yet are somehow sympathetic at his attempts to turn would-be chefs into professionals.

The Food Cooking Show Fascination

We might not want to put ourselves on the line of fire but we love watching other contestants wither under his furious stare and tirades. Our kitchens may not be stocked with fois gras but we still take something away from each episode.

Thai Food

Food Network has a reality show titled "Who Wants to Be the Next Food Network Star" where amateur and professional cooks alike are given tasks to perform that somehow weed out the would-be television chefs from the rest.

We root for our favorite contestants as the season progresses until only one contestant remains. He or she is then given a food cooking show of their very own.

What is the fascination with meal preparation shows? Perhaps it is the ease at which dishes are prepared. It might be the professional cookware and charming personality of the hosts.

Some of the most popular meal preparation show hosts is not formally educated at cooking schools. Thus they give us hope that anyone can prepare delectable dishes from the comfort of their own home.

Whatever the reason behind our fascination, these shows has become an integral part of television viewing. As great chefs from the past such as Julia Child pass on, a new generation of friendly, knowledgeable faces comes to the forefront of culinary society.

Perhaps it is the grand showmanship of Emeril LaGasse yelling out "BAM" or Rachel Ray's cute acronyms such as EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil); we are drawn to our television sets and the expanding culinary world.

As other television networks air cooking shows, especially ones where competition and cut throat antics by the participants are involved, we will continue to avidly watch food cooking shows.

Not all of the popular shows feature a swearing chef and those are the ones we turn to for the free recipes, tips and colorful abbreviations becoming standard in our daily language. Bring on the "Top Chef" or "Hell's Kitchen" because we want to see what comes next.

The Food Cooking Show Fascination

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Looking For the Best Rice Flour Recipes? Check Out These Two

What hits you about rice flour recipes is their sheer ubiquity. There's one that manages to surprise you from every nook and corner of this world. From appetizers, stews, seafood to desserts, the light and breezy texture of rice flour has certainly kicked up quite a storm. And the sweet flavors more than gladden hearts.

Go Into Raptures

Thai Food

Recipes with rice flour can make your tastebuds go into raptures. There's Philippine sweet rice cake or Babingka that you can afford nothing more than a forlorn resistance to, and is matched only by the German orange cake with a sprinkling of freshly grated coconut. Thai coconut pancakes, sweet Pretzels or jalebis with the Indian connection, Oriental sesame balls or peanut butter Mochi lead the pack from the Asian continent.

Looking For the Best Rice Flour Recipes? Check Out These Two

Greet These Recipes Exultantly

Thai Food

If Deutschland rice flour chocolate cake sounds simply irresistible, you better not waste any time in taking down the ingredients:

• ¾ cup rice flour
• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup ground hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 ½ oz. crumbled chocolate bar
• A pinch of salt
• Grated peel of ½ a lemon

Separate the eggs whites from the yolks and keep aside. Whisk egg whites. Mix the egg yolks with all the remaining ingredients and then fold in the egg whites. Bake first at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and then subsequently at 350-400 degrees for about 60 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack. It'll disappear before you know it.

If you think only kids are completely in thrall to muffins, think again. Check out what you need for these wheat-free muffins:

• ¾ cups rice flour
• ¼ cup soy flour
• ¼ cup fructose
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon soda
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 beaten egg
• ¼ cup cottage cheese

First, mix all the dry ingredients. Add the remaining items and mix adequate quantities so that the mixture's moist. Bake in greased muffin tins at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or till the muffins are done.

Your face is sure to be suffused with a warm glow when you watch the animated chatter that their presence causes.

Looking For the Best Rice Flour Recipes? Check Out These Two

Do you know The Easy Way To Cook Long Grain Rice ? Interested in 10 great tips on kitchen knives and cookware? Check out http://www.SpicyKitchens.com

Political Unrest in Thailand

The situation in Thailand reminds me the old saying - be careful what you ask for you may just get it. In September of 2006, Thailand went through a military coup. The military asked for the Prime Minister to step down. After the coup, the provisional government investigated the ousted Prime Minister and charged him with many things, mostly related to a misuse of his position as PM, which lead to a huge increase in his and his family's personal wealth.

I had the fortune to be seated next to another expat on my travels from Thailand recently, he from the UK and me from the US. He lived in Thailand outside Bangkok and me living in Bangkok. We had a discussion about ousted PM Taskin. He indicated that he believed Taskin did great things for Thailand, giving more money to people living outside Bangkok. I believe ex-PM Taskin did give things and money to people living outside Bangkok. However, the amount of wealth distributed in these outlining areas is quite small compared to ENORMOUS increase in personal wealth of ex-PM Taskin and his Family.

Thai Food

In a capitalistic economy, wealth is distributed by competition. Basically if something is desired by the people, the person/company that can manufacturer the item better and cheaper will sell more, gaining wealth. The company produces more of these items and hires more people. These people spend their money on food and things they desire and the economy hums along. When normal competition is interfered with by governments, the distribution of wealth becomes skewed and the wealth tends to stay in the hands of the few with power. We have all heard of countries where the upper class grows unusually large and the middle class grows small and the lower class becomes huge.

Political Unrest in Thailand

Ex-PM Taskin used his political power and turned it into wealth for him and his friends. His political power came from his campaign promises to the people outside of Bangkok which led to his election. So, while he was PM he had to make it seem that the people living in these areas benefited. But did they benefit? Well, yes and no. Yes, they benefited directly by decreased taxes or a new blanket or other some such item. However, the amount of wealth distributed to the people was very small compared the amount of ENORMOUS wealth which went to his friends and family instead of making its way by unimpeded economic forces.

Thai Food

Now, a little over a year later after the coup, there is still political unrest in Thailand. The new democratically elected Prime Minister has invited the Ex-PM back to the country. There are many questions arising about the ability of the current Prime Ministers ability to govern, such as:

1. There is a question concerning the validity of the elections that put the current PM into office;
2. There is a question concerning his ability to remember past important events; and
3. There is a question concerning his ability to deal with Thailand's neighboring countries and their human rights abuses.

Now, the old PM has returned to Thailand and pleaded not guilty to the charges of abuse of power. I can almost feel the Thai people taking a big breadth, waiting to see what happens. I originally came to Thailand because it feels like a safe place to live and the people are polite and friendly. I can only hope it can stay that way.

Political Unrest in Thailand

Copyright 2008 Asia Products LLC.

Christopher Snyder is the owner of Asia Products LLC and currently is living in Bangkok, Thailand managing an e-commerce store buying products to sell on http://www.asiaproductsllc.com He is documenting some of his more interesting travels in his Asia Travel Ideas website: http://www.apllc-connect.com

You can email him by clicking:
here

Qualities That a Food Truck Vendor Must Have

In the past, people thought of food trucks as a source of junk food. However as time went by, the usefulness and the functionality of food trucks have been unveiled. People who are swamped at work and have no time to take their lunch in the comforts of their homes of sit down restaurants count on food truck owners to bring them hearty meals.

Because of the popularity of vending trucks, some people who would want to earn are venturing to this type of business. If you wish to be an effective food truck merchant, you must have the following attitudes:

Thai Food

Patient. Finding a vehicle that you can turn into a vending truck entails a lot of time. There are a lot of companies who sell vehicles that are ideal for being converted into food trucks. If you lack the patience in scouring the market for the best deal that you can get, then you may be tricked by merchants who take advantage of the high demand on vehicles. If you want to save money and get the most effective vehicle you must have the ability to search for the best deal.

Qualities That a Food Truck Vendor Must Have

Hard-working. A food vendor needs to be industrious. Being industrious means being able to get as many orders as you can from the offices that are situated at places where your food truck will pass on. If the vendor is industrious then he will be able to distribute his goods to many offices.

Thai Food

Friendly. It is important that you are able to build rapport with your customers. This is because if they see you as a familiar face and not just a businessman who thinks of nothing but profits. Friendliness translates to you selling more of your goods and products.

Creative. Customers do not like routine food. This is the reason why they would skip going to the office cafeteria to eat their meals. You must be creative in your menus. Make sure that you have a variety of food that you can offer to your customers. It will not only make your customers happy but you will also be able to stay ahead of your competition.

Manage time effectively. You must remember that the main reason why you are starting a food truck business is for the flexibility and freedom instead of just being stationed in one location. If you are able to manage your time well then you can serve many customers. The more places you are able to pass by in one day, the more customers you, more profits you gain.

The food truck business is not a difficult business to learn. If you possess all these traits then you will surely make it big.

Qualities That a Food Truck Vendor Must Have

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For a free mini-course on running your hot dog business visit www.hotdogcartsecrets.com/ right now.

Thailand Travel - 10 Interesting Facts About Thailand

It's certainly the mesmeric land of Thais that attracts more visitants than any other country in the Southeast Asia. Thailand is the country known for beguiling scenic beauty, stunning beaches, impressing culture, commendable hospitality, fantastic temples, ruins & souvenirs of fabulous ancient kingdoms, gastronomic riches, and lovely, smiling, and welcoming people.

Thailand certainly the destination that appeals you, bewitches you, captivates you, enthralls you....! It's the place that makes you visit it again and again. It's the vacation destination that you dream of. Surely, you can find oodles of interesting things in Thailand, but here are the 10 most interesting facts about Thailand.

Thai Food

It is often nicknamed as the "Land Of Smiles," because of the perceived gentleness of its people. The country is really populated by smiling, inviting, and receiving people. Thais are really gentle, polite, soft spoken, friendly, and hospitable human beings.

Thailand Travel - 10 Interesting Facts About Thailand

Siam was the old name of Thailand. It was the official name of the country until 1949, when it was changed to Thailand by official proclamation. 'Thai' in the Thai language means 'freedom'. So, Thailand means "land of freedom" or "land of the free".

Thai Food

The Mon ruled over what is now known as Thailand. The area was also held by Khmer. The Mon Empire was a great Buddhist empire, and the empire had trading relations with Indians for centuries.

Thailand retains much of its original culture, because it is the only Southeast Asian nation that has never been colonized. Thai culture is kin to the Cambodian culture & religion, which was adopted by Thais in the 13th century, after the fall of the Khmer Kingdom.

King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, established Bangkok as the capital in 1782. Bhumibol Adulyadej, the current King of Thailand, is also a Chakri Dynasty ruler. He is also known as Rama IX. He is the longest serving monarch in the Thai history.

95% of the Thai people are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition. 4.6% of the people are Muslims. Malays are mainly concentrated on the southern tip of Thailand. 0.75% of the people are Christians, mainly Catholics. Sikhs & Hindus are tiny, but influential. The nation also has a small Jewish community.

Thailand is also known as the "Land of white Elephant." White elephants were highly esteemed and valued by the Thai Rulers. Elephants are still highly revered in Thailand. They are considered as the symbol of peace and prosperity.

Thais do not like someone touching them on head. They believe that soul, which is considered extremely sacred, resides in head. So, don't ever touch a Thai on the head, not even a Thai child.

Thailand is the 49th country area wise, with its total land area of 514,000 km² (198,000 sq mi). It is comparable to the size of France, and it is somewhat larger than the California State of the United States.

Thailand has 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which include Ban Chiang Archaeological Site near Udon Thani, Dong Phayayen - Khao Yai Forest Complex, Historic City of Ayutthaya & Associated Historic Towns, Historic Town of Sukhothai & Associated Historic Towns - including Kampang Phet and Si Satchanalai, and Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Thailand Travel - 10 Interesting Facts About Thailand

Author writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for Hotels, Villas, Holiday villas in Thailand, and Holiday villas worldwide.

Spicy Thai Food

If you love spicy food you really owe it to yourself to try Thai food. Thai people eat more chili per person than any other country in the world! In Thailand we love our spicy foods. Many of the herbs that we use are to make the food spicy also. These herbs include lemon basil, ginger, and of course chili.

In Thailand we use many different types of chili. It depends on the dish that we are cooking and also on what region of Thailand you are in. The Thai word for chili is prik. The chili that you see the most is the standard Thai Chili. It is available almost every place you will go to in the world. There is also the same kind of chili that is often found in the southwestern US that is available mostly in Northern Thailand. It is served in lot of ways same as in the US. They use it to make pizza, sausage, eggs, and even serve it as a relish when finely chopped. Another of my favorites is prik kee nu, this is a very small, extremely spicy chili. There are often served as a condiment and used to add flavor to things like meatballs.

Thai Food

Chili is also used to make your curry hot. Curry is a mixture of chili and other ingredients to give the desired flavor for the type of curry. There are several varieties of curry, but we mainly use five types, green, red, yellow, massaman, and penang curries. The curry that you use depends on what you will be using with it. Different meats use different curry to get the correct flavor. If you are a vegetarian you also will want to use the right curry for tofu.

Spicy Thai Food

For herbs, if you have never used lemon basil in your spicy foods you are missing out! Sweet basil is what most are serving when you get basil. You already know how much flavor basil will add to you dinner. Now if you want to add flavor with a bit of spice to it try lemon basil. It looks much like the basil you normally will buy, the leaves are normally a bit smaller though. It has a great flavor and it will make your food much more spicy. It is really good when you combine with chili for extra spiciness and more heat.

Thai Food

Another herb that will make your food spicy is ginger. Ginger has many uses and a great flavor. You can boil it to make a tea, you can add a nice some sparkle to your grilled and baked fish and it also makes a great stir fry. There are so many uses for ginger. I recommend the fresh ginger and grind or grate it yourself. You get much more flavor than the powder that comes in the spice cans at your grocery store.

You can use all of these in your everyday cooking to give you a little spicy food any time. And if you want to try spicy Thai food you will always be using these items each time you cook!

Spicy Thai Food

I love to cook any kind of food and try new recipes that I see. I often change them to fit my style of cooking or to use what I have available when I can not get all of the ingredients. Of course since I am from Thailand My favorite food is Thai food and that is what most of the recipes you will find on my site are. So please come on by and tell me how you like my recipes at http://www.cookingwithsaichon.com

A Brief Description of Thailand Food and Thailand Culture

Thailand food
It is beyond any doubt that food is a part of any gathering, thus, becoming the part of social occasions or itself the reason to celebrate. Normally, as per the western culture, a normal meal in any restaurant consists of starter, main course and then dessert. But in Thailand, the custom is a bit different with regard to Thailand food, as there is no single dish for a single person. As a general, all present in a gathering share the same dish together. So, it's better to have many guests together around the table than to enjoy with one or two as eating alone is considered a bad luck in the country.

One of the good things about Thai food is that they never dispose away the leftover food, as they consider it inauspicious and an enraging act to a female deity, 'God of rice'. Generally there are four seasonings in Thailand food- sweet, sour, salty and spicy. The food is satisfied only if it contains all the four tastes. Thai dinner mostly include meat, fish, noodles, vegetables and soup followed by desserts including fresh fruits and colorful rice cakes. Besides meals, there are snackers consisting of chicken or beef satay, spring rolls, salads, raw vegetable with spicy dips and sweets.

Thai Food

Thailand culture
Thailand culture is highly influenced by Buddhism in addition to some influence of Hinduism and other Southeast Asian neighbor. Thai art is the main item included in Thai Culture. Buddha image is the main constituent in different period having distinctive styles. At present, there is a fusion of traditional art with modern techniques. India has also laid much influence on Thailand literature. It includes the most notable work, Ramakien, the version of Indian epic, Ramayana. The poetry of Sunthorn Phu is also quite famous in Thailand.

A Brief Description of Thailand Food and Thailand Culture

Spoken drama is not given any importance in Thailand, but instead there is Thai dance, divided into three categories- Lakhon, Likay and Khon. A form of shadow pay, Nang Drama, is popular among southern Thailand. Folk music and classical music both are have their significance in addition to pop music.

Thai Food

Apart from it, one of the common customs included in Thailand is Wai, a common gesture that is similar to Indian Namaste. The hospitable and generous people of Thailand pay a lot of respect and homage to their elders, as it is the core of their faith and spiritual belief. Seeking blessings from the elders is considered important mark of respect.

A Brief Description of Thailand Food and Thailand Culture

Nancy Eben

Thailand Food

Thailand Hotels

Food in Thailand

Thailand is a country that is best being explored with all your senses - specially your tastebuds though! Because Thai people love their food. And if you have an adventurous tongue, then you'll appreciate the diversity that Thai food has to offer too.

The most popular Thai dishes
Some of the most favourite dishes among foreign visitors to Thailand are Pad Thai (fried noodles), Tom Yam Kung (a sour-spicy shrimp soup), Tom Ka Gai (a chicken curry with coconut milk) and the Massaman Curry (a speciality from southern Thailand).

Thai Food

Ingredients of Thai Cuisine
The probably most noticable ingredient of Thai cooking is: chili. Even though it's not an original Thai ingredient - it has just been introduced to Thailand a couple of hundred years ago by Portugese traders who brought it from South America - it's hard to imagine Thai cooking without chillis nowadays.

Food in Thailand

Fortunately for you, most Thai people nowadays know that Westerners prefer a milder taste and often have a hard time dealing with original Thai spiciness and will prepare dishes "mai ped" (not spicy) if cooking for European or American visitors.

Thai Food

Coconut milk is another popular ingredient. It's being made by pressing with flesh of coconuts with water, and gives a meal a nice, mild, soft, round note that counterbalances the spiciness.

Lemongrass is also a commonly used ingredient because it makes a dish taste pleasantly fresh. Different sorts of herbs like Thai basilicum, ginger, galangal, tumeric and cilantro are also commonly used. Note that in Thai cuisine, herbs are almost always used fresh, not dried. This is partly because fresh herbs tend to cool the body down in comparison to dried herbs, which often have "heating properties".

Eating in Thailand: A Shared Experience
There is a distinct difference between the eating habits of Thai people and people from European or American descent. Western people tend to order separate dishes, even when eating together. Thai people on the other hand order several dishes which will then be positioned in the middle of the table. Everybody gets his own plate of rice, and then everybody eats from these foodladen plates. It is not common to load your own food on your own table. Instead, you always take another spoonful from the shared plate, mix it with some rice, and eat it, and take another spoonful from the shared plates. Loading up food on your on plate is considered impolite for Thai people.

Vegetarian Food in Thailand?
Many people are under the impression that Thailand is a country where there are lots of vegetarians. However, this is not the case. Even most vegetarian dishes (like fried mixed vegetables) are prepared with either fish sauce or oyster sauce (both of which are made from either fermented fish or oyster essence). If you communicate that you are vegetarian however, they will prepare vegetarian food for you, but you should then learn to communicate that in Thai before arriving in Thailand.

Beancurd is most often also just another condiment in a dish, and seldom the main ingredient. Even though it is commonly used in Thailand, it most often is just added to a dish that contains meat for bigger variety.

Food in Thailand

Ramin Assemi loves Thai food and Thai culture - if you plan to visit Thailand, be free to contact him for travel advice. He's always glad to share his experiences with other visitors to the land of smiles.

Thai Food Culture

A highlight for many people on a Thailand holiday is experiencing Thai food culture. Traditional rituals, great hospitality and fresh, vibrant flavours ensure Thailand is a food lover's delight, with exciting offerings on every corner- from busy street stalls to more luxurious restaurants.

Thailand is the world largest exporter of rice, and it is the staple part of a Thai diet. Rice is by no means just a food source in Thai culture, but is also associated to certain gods and traditions, differing in certain regions. It is unacceptable in Thailand to leave rice on your plate to be thrown away, as it is widely believed that it will anger the 'god of rice' a female deity who ensures that everyone will have enough food to survive upon.

Thai Food

Interest in Thai food culture has increased worldwide and is now a popular cuisine to eat in the Western world, with dishes such as Thai green curry and fried rice and noodles populating many menus. However, as many travellers to Thailand will be able to vouch for, the native Thai food will taste very different to recipes adapted for Western palates, where the presence of Chili is often pared down and restaurants often divide their menus into starters, mains and desserts, which is uncommon in Thailand.

Thai Food Culture

Eating out in Thailand is often a social affair as dining alone is considered to be bad luck. Individuals will usually order one dish each and will share the meals between then group. It is considered a mark of respect and sophistication when an individual listens carefully to the orders of others around him and chooses a dish to complement his companion's choices. A typical Thai dining experience will include four different flavours all consumed together, salty, spicy, sweet and sour.

Thai Food

A common ritual in Thailand is to remove shoes before entering a restaurant or house, and to sit cross-legged on the floor to enjoy a meal. Dining tables are mostly used by the very wealthy and are even then close to the floor and usually made from teak.

Presentation is a key part of Thai food culture and chefs often strive to create delicate and intricate carvings from fruits and vegetables. Most people will have probably have seen examples of such creations such as flowers made from carrots, which have been submerged in ice water to retain their vibrant colour and strong texture.

Contrary to popular Western beliefs, most Thai's do not use chopsticks to eat (apart from noodles) but favour spoons and often only use forks to shovel food onto the spoon, rarely placing it into their mouth. Many Thai recipes are created using bite-sized portions of food so the need for knives is exempt.

Snacking is a cultural norm, with street stalls offering a variety of fares, from chicken and beef satay, to spring rolls, and sticky rice rolled into small balls.

Once a meal has been eaten, it is likely that the person deemed most wealthy or senior in the group will be expected to pay the bill. If a foreign person is dining with a group it is often considered to be them, so remember this if you are invited to a meal out whilst on your Thailand trip.

If you have adventurous tastes and want to experience real Thai food culture, why not look out for edible critters such as scorpions, beetles and a variety of bugs, many of which are deep fried and sold in Thai markets - perfect for a crunchy snack!

Thai Food Culture

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Thai Food - Phad Thai and Tom Yum Kung Recipe

Phad Thai

Ingredients

Thai Food

Narrow rice noodles 400 g.

Thai Food - Phad Thai and Tom Yum Kung Recipe

Water 400 g.

Thai Food

Phad Thai sauce 320 g.

Dried shrimp 60 g.

Chopped Salted white radish 40 g.

Yellow soybean curd 160 g.

Bean sprouts 400 g.

Chinese leek leaves 60 g.

Egg 4 Vegetable oil 120 g.

Ground peanut 40 g.

Chinese leek leaves 60 g.

Egg 4 Vegetable oil 120 g.

Ground peanut 40 g.

How to Cook

- Fry noodles with water until soft

- Add sauce and mix thoroughly

- Add dried shrimp, Chopped Salted white radish and soybean curd

- Add oil around the pan, break eggs and fry until done

- Add bean sprouts, Chinese leek leaves and fry and serve warmly

Phad Thai Sauce Ingredients

Shallot 50 g.

Garlic 25 g.

Palm sugar 125 g.

Sugar 10 g.

Fish sauce 50 g.

Tamarind juice 25 g.

Vinegar 33 g.

Salt 1 g.

Ground dried chili 1 g.

Oil 40 g.

Vinegar 33 g.

Salt 1 g.

Ground dried chili 1 g.

Oil 40 g.

Note: The sauce recipe makes 2 kg.

How to cook

- Pound shallot ingredients in a pot. Heat the ingredients until melted.

- Bring to boil and then add the sautéed shallots and garlic.

- Mix them together and pack in plastic bags, 80 grams each.

- Scramble egg and mix with the seasoning noodles. When the noodles look dry, add bean sprouts and Chinese chives.

- Stir them together with noodles until cooked. Then remove from the heat.

Strong point of Phad Thai: High calories, protein, fibers, calcium and phosphorus.

Tom Yum Kung

Main Ingredients

Shrimp 500 g.

Rice straw mushroom 600 g.

Chili paste 150 g.

Soup stock 2,500 g.

Citric acid 10 g. Salt 15 g.

Fish sauce 100 g. Sugar 20 g.

Lime juice 15 g.

Hot chili 10 g.

Dried Chili 10 g.

Lemon grass 40 g.

Shallots 40 g. Galangal 10 g.

Kaffir lime leaves 5 g.

Vegetable oil 100 g.

How to cook

1. Roast chilies, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, galangal and lemon grass and then grind them until smooth to Tom Yum paste.

2. Stir-fry the Tom Yum paste with oil. Add sliced lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves, set aside.

3. Put citric acid, salt, sugar and water into a pot. Melt it and bring to boil. Then add fish sauce and bring to boil again.

4. Add the Tom Yum paste into the pot. Stir it thoroughly and bring to boil again. Pack in plastic bags, 90 gram per bag.

Thai Food - Phad Thai and Tom Yum Kung Recipe

Thai Food

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The History of Thai Food & Food Preparation

Compared with India and dishware, Thailand has a comparatively terse cooking history. The dwell in to facilitate became Thais migrated south from what did you say? Is right now the Yunnan province of dishware flanked by the 6th and 12th centuries.

From the 13th century, the most basic phase of Thailand's history, at hand were merely four cooking techniques in utilize. Food was boiled or grilled; it was preserved and ground into dips; or it was eaten chilly.

Thai Food

There were abundant provisions of fish and seafood, as well as fruit and vegetables, and these were eaten with rice as an supplement. The food was spiced up with black sprinkle and meals were plain shared affairs.
At the Crossroads

The History of Thai Food & Food Preparation

With its posture on the cross-roads of east west sea routes, Thailand was ideally placed to experience and absorb the cuisine of other countries. The Thai dwell in took what did you say? Was most excellent from India, dishware and the Middle East and infused it with their own herbs and elegance with the end result being the unique Thai cuisine.

Thai Food

Instead of the ghee used in India, Thais used coconut smear with oil to cook the spices to facilitate were the basis pro curries to facilitate became part of the Thai repertoire, while noodles, a pin of Chinese cuisine, took a role of equal import in Thailand. Woks were as well introduced from dishware and with them came the contemporary frying method of cooking.

Hot, Hot, Hot

Nowadays Thailand is famous pro its very boiling dishes but or the 17th century black sprinkle was used pro tally round to a dish. Chillies were introduced into the realm by Portuguese missionaries who had bare a taste pro them in South America. Tomatoes were as well introduced on a propos the same measure.

Eager spices can overpower a dish but the Thais learned how to enhance the dish, while cooling it down, by tally aboriginal herbs. Inwards a average Thai meal all the dishes will be served all together so the sundry tastes can complement all other.

The Portuguese were as well in charge pro the now-renowned Thai sweets made from egg yolks and darling.

The Five Tastes

The Thais worked using their own native ingredients alongside the newcomers to create contemporary and distinctive flavours. Thai food typically incorporates all 5 tastes - sweet and vinegary, hot and brackish, and bitter - consequential in a meal to facilitate is fragrant and flavoursome.

Sitting Down to Dinner

Inwards a traditional realm family, Thai dwell in sit on the floor, the men cross-legged while the women kneel with their feet pointing away from the food, which is plain and shared.

At a royal banquet, however, the food is everything but plain! The grounding of food and, in specific, the carving of fruit and vegetables has develop into an art form in its own absolute.

Food Carving

Begun in the royal courts, food carving became a skill to facilitate rejection aristocratic female can be with no. The presentation of a meal was - and is - considered as foremost as the taste. Although food carving reached its top for the period of the 19th century, a royal banquet at the moment is still a sight to behold. And these days it's not recently pro royal family. Since a opinionated revolution in the 1930s, this art has been skilled in schools.

Using Your Hands

One hundred years previously Thais were consumption their meals with their hands, rolling rice into balls and tumbling it in sauces. Today they might utilize a spoon and fork, or chopsticks pro noodles.

The Buddhist influence has destined to facilitate meat is more often than not served in small chunks or tattered so there's rejection need pro a knife. Thais will claim the spoon in their absolute administer and fork in the absent, pushing food on the spoon and putting the spoon into the way out.

Delighting the Senses

By being willing to test, be trained and adapt, the Thai dwell in come up with twisted a awful cuisine to facilitate is fragrant and delightful to all the senses. Its reputation and increasing worldwide popularity is well-deserved.

The History of Thai Food & Food Preparation

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Thai Recipes - Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

Pad Thai is a stir fried noodle dish, traditionally made with shrimps or prawns but can also be made with pork, chicken, beef, and even tofu. It can be made to be dry and light or heavy and oily depending on your tastes.

A delicious, quick, easy to prepare, and healthy dish, with low cost ingredients. It's easy to see why this dish is so readily available on the streets of Bangkok, and why it's so popular with budget conscious backpackers.

Thai Food

Flavours are somewhat complex, combining hot, salty, sweet and sour, but together a good balance is created.

Thai Recipes - Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:
Serves 2

Thai Food

200g of Shrimps or prawns (raw preferred)
2 medium sized eggs
approx 130g of dry rice noodles
4 tablespoons of pad thai sauce
1/2 lime
1/2 cup chinese chives
1 cup of bean sprouts
1 tablespoon of crushed chillis
1 tablespoon crushed peanuts
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
1 carrot (optional)
2 spring onions (optional)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Pad Thai cooking instructions:

Step 1: Soaking the noodles - Fill a large bowl or container with warm water, and place the 130g of dried Thai rice noodles (approx 1/3 of the pack) into the bowl so that the water is completely covering the noodles. They will need about 10 minutes of soaking, so that they become soft, but not cooked.

Step 2: Take the 200g of prawns and using a sharp knife, make a cut along the back to open them up slightly, removing any stringy vein type material from inside. Once this is done, wash them all under cold water.

Step 3: Cut away the bottom 1/3 of the Chinese green chives and put aside for use later. Chop the other 2/3 of the chives up for cooking. Follow by slicing the spring onion diagonally into thin pieces. Also slice the carrot into thin slices, or grate it, keeping a handful aside for use later. Finally cut your lime into quarters, wash the bean sprouts, and your preparation is complete.

Step 4: By now the noodles should have been soaking for about 10 minutes, poor them into a sieve and drain all excess water.

Step 5: Put 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil into a wok or pan, and set your cooker to a high heat. When the wok is hot, put the prawns in (ensure they have been drained of any water to you don't get hot oil spat at you!) Immediately after the prawns, crack the 2 eggs and put the white and yoke into the wok. Stir contents thoroughly adding more oil if required. After a few stirs, add the noodles, and continue to stir quickly and frequently.

Step 6: Add the 4 tablespoons of pad thai sauce, and stir in. Ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and the sauce evenly distributed. By this stage, all ingredients should have been cooking for just a couple of minutes on a high heat, cook for too long and the dish will become too dry.

Step 7: Add the chopped Chinese green chives, spring onions, some of the chopped carrot, and the bean sprouts into the wok. Once again stir everything together so the ingredients are well mixed. Add the 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, and continue stirring.

Step 8: Now the noodles should be soft and tangled - the cooking is complete. Pour contents onto a plate, and add to the side of the plate the bottom 1/3 of the Chinese green chives, bean sprouts, the 1/4 of lime, 1 table spoon of crushed chillies, and 1 tablespoon of crushed peanuts. Sprinkle some of the grated carrot you kept back earlier over the noodles.

Serve and Enjoy!

Thai Recipes - Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

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Barbeque Chicken Recipes That Win Competitions

If you are serious about winning the next cook off you go to and plan on using barbeque chicken recipes to do it, there are some important things to keep in mind on how to out cook the competition and make your recipe sing. It takes a delicate balance on the grill to win, and nothing is more important than that. So make sure you prepare yourself!

If you are grilling for competition, you must use charcoal! This is not an option. The difference between a charcoal grill and a gas grill is like the difference between using a toaster oven and a microwave. Would you microwave toast? No? Then why would you make a barbeque chicken recipe on a gas grill? There is no flavor in the flames, which are an essential key to your success in a cook off. I recommend Kingsford charcoal as they are the best quality available.

Thai Food

For the barbeque chicken recipe, make sure it contains a good balance of sweet and spicy. For the sweet, add some honey or teriyaki sauce to the mix. The sweetness acts as the yin to the yang of the spicy. The two are very much complimentary. For spicy, add some chili powder, ground pepper or cayenne to the mix and it will make your sauce taste amazing and with a nice kick as well.

Barbeque Chicken Recipes That Win Competitions

When making barbeque chicken recipes for a competition, make sure your grill is set at a low temperature and the flames are very delicate, just right for cooking barbeque. You want to let your chicken sit at a low flame for about a half hour, and add the sauce at the end. If you add the sauce right at the beginning, you are bound to end up burning the sauce, which never tastes very good! So make sure to get a balanced sauce, cook slowly and add your sauce at the very end for the best barbeque chicken recipe at the cook off.

Thai Food

Barbeque Chicken Recipes That Win Competitions

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Barbeque Chicken Recipes

Spicy Thai Food Recipes

On visiting a new country we would always like to experience the local cuisine. Thailand is a country which is famous for its various culinary delights. A wide basket of variety foods are available here, which ranges from the extra spicy to the saline. Huge array of restaurants that serve the local foods will definitely delight your taste buds.

The number of restaurants serving Thai food is on a high not only in India but across the globe as well. The food is spicy because Thai people eat more chili per person than people of any other country.

Thai Food

Most of the aromatic plants, including lemon basil, ginger etc., grown in Thailand are used in their dishes to make the food spicy. Thai people use these herbs and spices due to the following two reasons:

Spicy Thai Food Recipes

*They love spicy food and
*Spices have medicinal purposes.

Thai Food

A major difference noted in Thailand is that they will not use a knife, instead use a spoon. Pieces of meat or fish served here are cut into small portions and that can be eaten with the spoon.

Thai people rarely eat food alone and they share each others' food plates. A plate of rice is served with almost all Thai meals.

On the basis of where you stay in Thailand, they use numerous types of chilies in the dishes they cook. (Thai word for chili is prik.) Thai Chili is the most common type of chili, available almost everywhere in the world. Another type is prik kee nu, a very small, extremely spicy chili, often served as a condiment.

Chili is also used to make the curry hot. Albeit having several varieties of curry, they use only five types, green, red, yellow, massaman, and penang curries. In order to get the correct flavor for different meats they use different curry. Lemon basil has a great flavor and it will make your food much spicier.

Ginger is another herb that makes your food spicy. You can boil ginger to make a tea and add some sparkle of it to grilled and baked fish.

Spicy Thai Food Recipes

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Thai Herbs - Garlic, Ginger and Tamarind in Thai Food

Garlic

Garlic is actually important ingredient use in Thai Food and found in every recipe prior to fried vegetables and meat. It is also unable to be missed in soup and chili paste and as well spicy salad. This includes the pickled garlic, garlic plants and fried chopped garlic to sprinkle the food.

Thai Food

Benefits:

Thai Herbs - Garlic, Ginger and Tamarind in Thai Food

- Reduce blood pressure

Thai Food

- Prevent heart disease

- Antibacterial, fungal, yeast, virus

Garlic Use in Thai Food:

- Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai

- Beef Masaman

- Kai Phad Phed

- Phanaeng Kai

- Som Tum

- Phad Thai

- Khao Phad Kra Prao

- Nam Ya Pla

Ginger

Thai people use ginger to reduce the fishy smell in many dishes. Tom Som, steam fish with lemon or fry with meat and as well ingredients in Miang (tidbits), such as Miang Kum, Miang Pla Tou, Miang Som. It is also mixed with pickling, mussels, Tai Pla, Saeng Wha, etc. Chopped ginger is tasty to fry with meat and as well Yam Pla Tu, Yam Khing, Yam Pla Kra-pong and Yam Hoy Kraeng. Pickled ginger is a good supplement to boiled rice and many types of paste. Ginger juice and ginger boiled in syrup and mixed with mung bean or sweet potatoes are tasty desserts.

Benefits:

- Antihistamine

- Antibacterial, Fungal, Yeast, Virus

Ginger Use in Thai Food:

- Beef Masaman

Tamarinds

Thai people in every part eat the tamarinds, fresh leaves, flowers and the pods as vegetables and seasoning agents. The content in the ripe pods provides sour taste. People in the middle part of Thailand use the young pods as ingredient of the tamarind paste. The fresh leaves are used in soups; Tom Klong Pla Kroab and Pork and pumpkin in coconut soup.

Benefits:

- Cooling

- Laxative

- Antihistamine

Tamarind Use in Thai Food:

- Beef Masaman

- Phad Thai

Thai Herbs - Garlic, Ginger and Tamarind in Thai Food

Thai Food

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