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| Thai
food is internationally
famous. Whether chili-hot or comparatively bland, harmony
is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine
is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and
Western influences harmoniously combined into something
uniquely Thai.The characteristics of Thai food depend
on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion,
and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally,
Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne
lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major
ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent
influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to
Thai cooking. |
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With their Buddhist
background, Thais shunned the use of large animals
in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and
laced with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking
methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese
influences saw the introduction of frying, stir
frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from
the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch,
French and Japanese. Chilies were introduced to
Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese
missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while
serving in South America.
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| Thais were very
adapt at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods, and
substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking
was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted
for other daily products. Overpowering pure spices were
toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass
and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used
in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased.
It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely,
but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices,
burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in
courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting
dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of different
tastes. |
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A proper Thai
meal should consist of soup, a curry dish with condiments,
and a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced
salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be
spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non spiced
items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures
within individual dishes and the entire meal.
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