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Thali

🇹🇭 The food of Thailand

39 dishes from Thailand, best known first, across 5 cities and regions.

Thai cooking is shaped by a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy tastes, using fresh herbs, rice, and a wide range of aromatics. Its dishes are lightly cooked and often shared, with influences from neighboring countries and a history of adapting new ingredients and techniques. Regional styles and royal traditions add further variety.

  • Thai meals balance sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors.
  • Rice and chili peppers are central to Thai cooking.
  • Meals are shared, with all dishes served at once.
  • Sticky rice is shaped by hand and dipped into side dishes.
  • Royal cuisine is known for elaborate presentation and fine ingredients.

The cooking of Thailand

Thai food centers on the interplay of four main flavors: sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Dishes are often lightly cooked to keep ingredients fresh and aromatic. The cuisine draws from neighboring cultures, especially Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, India, Malaysia, and China, bringing in methods like stir-frying, steaming, and deep-frying. Western contact introduced new foods such as chili peppers and peanuts. Meals are usually made up of several shared dishes, with rice as a base, and a focus on mixing flavors and textures. Presentation and ingredient quality are valued, especially in royal cooking.

Staple foods in Thailand

Rice is the foundation of most Thai meals, with both plain and sticky varieties common. Coconut milk, fresh herbs, and chili peppers are widely used, along with ingredients like fish sauce, lime, garlic, peanuts, and a range of vegetables and fruits. Noodles, often made from rice, are also popular, especially in one-dish meals. Many dishes use a mix of local and introduced ingredients, such as tomatoes, papaya, and cashews.

Sweets and drinks in Thailand

Thai sweets often reflect outside influences, such as foi thong, which adapts a Portuguese dessert by using egg threads, and sangkhaya, a custard made with coconut milk. Drinks and condiments play a role in balancing spicy food; cucumber is sometimes eaten alongside to cool the palate. Meals are often accompanied by sauces and relishes, including spicy chili dips.

From region to region in Thailand

Thai cooking varies by region. The north shares dishes and ingredients with Burma and Laos, using cooler climate produce. The northeast (Isan) is influenced by Laos and Khmer food, often using sticky rice and strong flavors. Central Thai cuisine, from the fertile plains, uses a lot of coconut milk and has roots in royal traditions. Southern Thai food, shaped by Indian and Malay connections, features rich curries, turmeric, and seafood. Bangkok's food is a mix, with influences from Teochew Chinese and Portuguese communities.

At the table in Thailand

Meals are served with all dishes at once, meant to be shared and mixed with rice. Traditionally, people ate with their hands while seated on mats, but today most use a fork and spoon, with the spoon for eating and the fork for pushing food. Chopsticks are used mainly for noodle soups. Sticky rice is sometimes shaped and dipped by hand. More dishes than guests are often served to ensure variety.

Festival and religious food in Thailand

Certain sweets, like foi thong and sangkhaya, are linked to festive occasions and reflect historical ties to other cultures. Royal dishes such as khao chae (rice in jasmine-scented iced water) are associated with special events and the hot season.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Thai cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of Thailand

Bangkok 1Bang Phut 1Hua Takhe 1Isan 1Lanna 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
TofuVegan豆腐 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreSoft white blocks made by curdling soy milk and pressing the curds Main dish Thapthim kropVeganทับทิมกรอบ 🇹🇭 ThailandThai dessert of red water chestnut cubes in coconut milk and ice Sweet or dessert, Snacks Roti canaiரொட்டி சென்னை 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 5 moreUnleavened flatbread tossed thin and cooked until crisp, served with curry or dal Bread, Breakfast, Snacks KabochaVeganカボチャ 🇯🇵 Japan and 5 moreA sweet, dense winter squash with edible skin, used in Japanese and Asian cooking Main dish, Lunch, Dinner LimeadeVegan 🇧🇸 Bahamas and 5 moreSweetened lime juice mixed with water, served cold as a refreshing drink Drink, Snacks Thingyan riceFish or seafoodသင်္ကြန်ထမင်း 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 1 moreRice in scented water, served cold with fried dried fish for the Burmese New Year Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Khanom sai buaVeganขนมสายบัว 🇹🇭 ThailandSteamed Thai dessert made with lotus stem, coconut milk, and rice flour Sweet or dessert Phat khingMeatผัดขิง 🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreStir-fried ginger dish from Thailand and Laos, often made with chicken and vegetables Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Luk chupVeganลูกชุบ 🇹🇭 ThailandThai sweets shaped and colored to look like tiny fruits and vegetables Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Mu pingMeatหมูปิ้ง 🇹🇭 ThailandCharcoal-grilled pork skewers, a popular Thai street food often served with sticky rice Street food, Breakfast, Lunch Mu kropMeat 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreThai-style fried pork belly with a crunchy golden skin Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Thai teaVegetarianชาไทย 🇹🇭 ThailandStrong black tea mixed with milk and sugar, served hot or over ice Drink Khanom krokVegetarianขนมครก 🇹🇭 ThailandThai coconut milk and rice flour pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan Sweet or dessert, Snacks Khanom mo kaengขนมหม้อแกง 🇹🇭 ThailandThai dessert custard made with coconut milk, eggs and sweetened starch Sweet or dessert SatoVeganสาโท 🇹🇭 ThailandFermented rice drink from northeastern Thailand, often shared from a communal bowl or jar Drink Fried rice 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreCooked rice stir-fried with eggs, vegetables, meat or seafood, and seasonings Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Satayꦱꦠꦺ 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGrilled skewers of seasoned meat or seafood, often served with peanut sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner BalutMeat 🇵🇭 Philippines and 3 moreA fertilized duck egg incubated, then boiled and eaten from the shell Street food, Snacks Spring roll春卷 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA thin wrapper rolled around vegetables or meat, served fried or fresh Main dish, Snacks, Lunch Tom yumต้มยำ 🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreHot and sour Thai soup with herbs, often made with shrimp or chicken Soup, Lunch, Dinner Pad thaiผัดไทย 🇹🇭 ThailandStir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, shrimp and peanuts, a Thai street food classic Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Wonton云吞 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChinese dumplings with a thin wrapper, filled and served in soup or fried Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner SeitanVegan 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreWheat gluten shaped and cooked as a meat substitute Main dish KetupatVegan 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreRice packed in woven palm leaf pouches and boiled until firm Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Omuriceオムライス 🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreJapanese fried rice wrapped in a thin omelette, often topped with ketchup Main dish, Lunch, Dinner CendolVeganꦕꦺꦤ꧀ꦝꦺꦴꦭ꧀ 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGreen rice flour jelly with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and ice Drink, Snacks Tom kha kaiMeatต้มข่าไก่ 🇹🇭 ThailandThai chicken soup with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and mushrooms Soup, Lunch, Dinner YoutiaoVegan油條 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreLong, golden-brown strips of deep-fried dough eaten across East and Southeast Asia Street food, Breakfast, Snacks Green curryแกงเขียวหวาน 🇹🇭 ThailandA Thai coconut curry colored and flavored with green chilies and herbs Main dish, Lunch, Dinner ModakVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreA sweet dumpling with coconut and jaggery, offered in Hindu and Buddhist rituals Sweet or dessert, Snacks Larbລາບ 🇱🇦 Laos and 3 moreFinely chopped meat salad with herbs, a national dish of Laos Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner Massaman curryแกงมัสมั่น 🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreA Thai curry blending local and imported spices, often made with chicken and potatoes Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Shumai烧卖 / 燒賣 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreChinese dumplings filled with seasoned meat, often served as dim sum Dumpling, Breakfast, Lunch Oyster omelette 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreA chewy egg and oyster dish fried with starch, popular across East and Southeast Asia Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Gulai 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreSpiced Southeast Asian stew with coconut milk and a blend of local herbs Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Phat kaphraoผัดกะเพรา 🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreThai stir-fry of meat or seafood with holy basil, served over rice Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Nam phrikน้ำพริก 🇹🇭 ThailandThai spicy chili paste pounded with garlic, shallot, and lime juice Sauce, pickle or ferment Red curryแกงเผ็ด 🇹🇭 ThailandA Thai curry of meat or tofu in coconut milk with a spicy red paste Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Salted duck egg 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreDuck eggs preserved in salt, prized for their rich, orange-red yolks Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Lunch

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