Understand How To Choose What To Order In A Thai Restaurant
The cuisine of the orient has long been appreciated by American diners, but it has not been until recently that there has been much attention given to the cuisine of Thailand. The foundation of Thai food is very closely related to the other cuisines of the orient such as Chinese and Japanese. Thai restaurant cuisine is typically very similar to the traditional cuisine of Thailand.
Many of the dishes on the menu of a Thai restaurant are similar to other oriental dishes but tend to be a bit spicier. However, not all Thai dishes are necessarily spicy hot. In fact there are several different regions of Thai cuisine, and they vary slightly in the way the food is prepared.
The popularity of Thai cuisine has increased greatly in recent years, with at least one Thai restaurant in each major city across the United States. If you have a Thai restaurant in your area but you have hesitated to try them because you are simply not familiar with the food that is served, this simple explanation of some of the more popular dishes may encourage you to try Thai food.
While the two foods are not exactly the same, if you enjoy Chinese food you will probably enjoy Thai food as well. The mainstay in both cuisines is rice and it is probably prevalent in many of the dishes that your local restaurant offers. It is tradition to serve groups of dishes with a complement of rice accompanying it. Thai food is prepared in several different ways but the most popular are stir fry and steam cooking.
Thai cooking contains a generous use of spices, but this does not mean that all their food is spicy. In fact Thai food tends to have a variety of flavors, including sweet, salty, and bitter or sour. Most restaurants will offer a variety of condiments with their food, some of these may be unfamiliar to you.
The condiments that you will typically find in a Thai restaurant is chili powder, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce and a condiment known as nam pla. Nam pla is a type of fish sauce that consists of anchovies, salt and water. The anchovies and salt are placed in a box and allowed to ferment. The end result is an intensely flavored condiment.
There are some main staples that can be found in every Thai cook’s cupboard. These items include ginger, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies, and coconut milk, to name a few. Rice is obviously a big main stay in a Thai cupboard. Not only is rice sued as a side dish but it is also a main ingredient in many items, such as noodles and spring roll wrappers.
As far as popular Thai dishes are concerned there are few that are more popular than Pad Thai. Pad Thai translates to ‘Thai frying’. There are many variations of this dish, built they all contain noodles that are made from stir fried rice, eggs, sprouts, shallots, and a meat product such as pork or chicken. In Thailand this traditional dish is available from roadside vendors.
Also popular is a dish known as Rad Na. This dish is a common item found on the menu of a Thai restaurant. Rad Na consists of rice noodles that have been cut wide, mushrooms, and garlic. This dish will also contain sea food or another protein and will be covered in thin gravy that is made of corn starch or tapioca.
Looking to find the best Thai restaurant in St Paul, MN, then visit www.kruathailand.com to find the best Thai food in the twin city area.
