Top 10 Thai Foods You Must Try Once

Thai food is one of the most popular cuisines across the world. The rich and aromatic flavours achieved with earthy spices and exotic herbs are magnificent! There’s more to Thai food than noodles, rice, soups, and curries. The cuisine has a rich history and is full of complex flavours. Here are some of the top Thai dishes you need to try at least once.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai has to be one of the most popular Thai dishes. They are flat rice noodles that are stir-fried with seafood, fish, pork or tofu, shallots, beans, tamarind sauce, fish sauce, eggs, and topped with roasted peanuts and herbs. This dish offers the trademark Thai flavour, a mix of sweet, sour, and salty. This famous Thai food will open up your taste buds and make you want to explore Thai cuisine even more.

Khao Pad

Khao Pad is one of the most popular Thai dishes locals enjoy, especially for lunch. It is fried rice that is stir-fried with seafood, fish, pork or tofu, onions, eggs, garlic, fish sauce, herbs, and vegetables. It is a simple dish that leaves room to experiment with the amount of spice you want to add.  

Pad Kra Pao Moo

Pad Kra Pao Moo is a famous ‘one plate’ meal in Thailand. It is minced pork stir-fried with onions, shallots, beans, fish sauce, and palm sugar. This mix is then poured over white steamed rice and topped with a fried egg. You can substitute the pork with other meat or any vegetarian substitute as per your preference.

Tom Yum Goong

Tom Yum Goong is a hot and sour shrimp soup that is to die for! The soup consists of shallots, mushrooms, lemongrass, fish sauce, lime juice, lime leaves, and red chili peppers. Shrimp is the most common meat used in the soup, but you can also try chicken, fish, or mixed seafood. It is a flavourful mix of spicy, sour, and aromatic herbs that will transport your tastebuds to food heaven!

Kaeng Lueang

Thai cuisine is known for its variety of delicious curries. Dozens of varieties have developed with regional flavours over the years, but three main curries are popular. The yellow curry known as Kaeng Lueang uses turmeric as its main ingredient, fused with shallots, cumin, coriander, lemongrass, and galangal. Potatoes, vegetables, and coconut milk are also added to the curry with chicken or other protein. The yellow curry has a mild flavour and lesser chilies than the red curry.

Gaeng Daeng

Gaeng Daeng is a spicy and sweet red curry that uses red chilies as its main ingredient. This aromatic curry is a mix of crushed chilies, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, blue ginger, coconut milk, tomatoes, vegetables, and chicken. It is the perfect combination of rich, creamy, spicy, and sweet flavours that Thai food is popular for.

Gaeng Keow Wan Gai

Gaeng Keow Wan Gai is not for the faint-hearted! The green curry is the spiciest of the lot. The curry’s main ingredient, crushed green chilies, add to the green colour and the fiery taste. Like all other curries, the green chilies are mixed with shallots, lemongrass, galangal, kafir lime, chicken, and coconut milk which helps subdue the spice a little. Potatoes, eggplants, and other vegetables can be added too. 

Khao Soi

Khao Soi is a coconut curry noodle soup and a popular street food item in Thailand. The curry consists of coconut milk and curry broth, paired with soft egg noodles, shallots, vegetables, chicken, or any other protein and topped with a fried egg. It’s a medley of spicy, sweet, and creamy flavours all in one bowl.

Som Tam

Som Tam is a delicious and spicy green papaya salad. This salad is not like your usual salads. The dish consists of shredded papaya mixed with fish sauce, lime juice, red chilies, tamarind juice, roasted peanuts, and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and beans. This savoury, sweet, spicy, and sour salad is one of the most popular Thai dish.

Khao Niao Mamuang

Khao Niao Mamuang is a classic Thai dessert that is the perfect way to end a meal! It is a sticky rice pudding prepared in coconut milk, and topped with mangoes and condensed milk. Yes, it is as delicious as it sounds!

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If you’re a foodie looking to explore new dishes, you must add these Thai dishes to your list. They will open your taste buds to a world of new flavours!