Thailand is a treat for travellers all over the globe. Being in the tropics it has lush forests, beautiful scenery, and the best beaches. It is both untouched in many parts as it is modern in its other parts. This gives a visitor the best of both worlds. One can enjoy the best of modern amenities without ever losing touch with the rich culture. It is then no surprise that Thailand tour packages from India are some of the hot searches on the web.
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In addition to all of the above, the cuisine here is another one of the allures of this fascinating land. Thai food is immensely popular all over the world and rightly so. With strong and well-balanced flavour profiles, one will want to keep coming back for more. Keeping that in mind, we have compiled a list of 10 irresistible Thai dishes to try while on your trip:
- Khao Soi
- Tom Yum Noodle Soup
- Nam Phrik Ong
- Nam Phrik Phao
- Gaeng Keow Wan Gai
- Khanom Jeen Nam Ya
- Sai Oua
- Khao Yum
- Thai Roti – Roti Gulay
- Khanom Chan
1. Khao Soi:
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Khao Soi is an incredibly famous Thai dish popular all over the world. It is essentially a Thai soup. It has many variations which can be seen all over the region, but the key ingredients include coconut milk, a choice of meat, noodles, and cilantro. This deeply aromatic dish is a no-brainer and an irresistible Thai dish.
2. Tom Yum Noodle Soup:
Lobster, squid, mussels and fish tom yum soup at Pe Aor Tom Yum Kung in Bangkok.
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The first bite into Tom Yum hits you with the spice of fiery red Thai chilis. This immediate hit is then followed by the mellow egg noodles. The final act is delivered by the underlying notes of dried shrimp, peanuts, and fish sauce. It instantly gets the mouth watering! Vegan options are also available. This dish can either be enjoyed as a meal or an appetizer.
3. Nam Phrik Ong:
Thais take the business of dips seriously. Nearly every dish here has a dip to go with it. One such wildly popular dip is – Nam Phrik Ong. In the local language, Nam means water, Phrik means spicy chili. This sauce consists of chillies, garlic, ground pork and tomatoes. This pork adds a layer of richness to this dip. Enjoy this semi-crunchy paste with rice or vegetables. Nam Phrik Ong definitely makes for an irresistible Thai dish.
4. Nam Phrik Phao:
The Nam Phrik Phao is another popular dip. This versatile dip can either function as a side to your main courses or as an ingredient in it. The ingredients broadly include – dried chillies, dried shrimp, garlic, shallot, fish sauce, tamarind paste and palm sugar. Its popularity can be realised by the fact that this particular dip is available all over the world. Drop by the Chatuchak Market and pick yourself a jar of authentic Nam Phrik Phao. This dip is sure to elevate your dishes to the next level.
5. Gaeng Keow Wan Gai:
The Thai Green Curry is nothing short of soul food. Its ingredients include – galangal, lemongrass, shallot, Markut lime leaves and finally palm sugar and fish for balance. This green curry is versatile. It can be teamed up with vegan options or even seafood. It is best enjoyed with Jasmine long grain rice or Rotis. This comfort food makes for one irresistible Thai dish.
6. Khanom Jeen Nam Ya:
This one will get seafood lovers smiling. This dish is essentially rice noodles with seafood curry. The curry paste typically comprises of chilli paste, Galangal, Thai chillies, shallots, garlic, and lemongrass. The dish is best enjoyed with a topping of fresh basil, dried chillis and long beans. This one sure is tempting and makes for one irresistible Thai dish.
7. Sai Oua:
It is impossible to walk the streets in Thailand without coming across this mouth-watering dish. Sai Oua is essentially grilled well-spiced pork sausage. The spices include the traditional Thai hits. The ingredients here are lemongrass, Markut lime leaves, chillies and of course, galangal. It can be enjoyed with salad and some other Thai dishes. What’s special about this dish, in particular, is the degree of customisability. You can order one just to your liking! This Thai Sausage is surely an irresistible Thai dish.
8. Khao Yum:
Thai salads are potent enough to get everyone on the vegan train. Khao Yum is a salad and rice mix. The rice grains can be pink, blue and purple with the natural colour of beets. The ingredients here include sprouted beans, red cabbage, roasted chillies, makrut lime leaf, lemongrass, ground dried shrimp etcetera. The star of the show is the salad dressing though. Known as – “ Nam Budu ”, it consists of fish sauce, palm sugar, and ground shrimp paste. This fresh and zingy salad is sure worth a picture or two on your Instagram profile.
9. Thai Roti:
The Thai sure have a sweet tooth. The desserts here make for an exhaustive list. This particular dish has Indian inspirations. It consists of – fruits ( usually bananas ) and a topping of condensed milk, sugar. It is light and fried golden to a crisp.
10. Khanom Chan:
It is known as Thai Steamed Coconut Pandan Cake. This dessert has a jelly-like texture. The preparation is time-consuming and takes plenty of effort. This dessert includes starches from arrowroot, tapioca, and rice flour. This combination is turned into a batter with coconut milk and sugar. This batter is then split into two and infused with Jasmine water and Pandan leaves respectively. The last step includes steaming and alternately layering the end product. The end result of this labour of love will surely make you smile.
Thai cuisine has something for the more refined as well as the more street food-oriented foodie. With such a diverse range of foods to choose from, you would want to keep coming back for more. Pickyourtrail helps you plan your ideal trip. Customise and tune your travel plans to your needs and have a hassle-free trip. We hope you have a great time trying out these delicacies in Thailand.
