The Beginner’s Guide to Thai Food

I always knew I liked Thai food but nothing prepared me for the deliciousness that lay ahead of me in Thailand.  Along with the stunning beaches, lush jungles, and friendly people, the cuisine is one the top reasons to visit Thailand.  The smells coming from the marketplace will keep you wandering for hours, plus it doesn’t break the bank!  Expect to pay around USD$1-2 ( 30-60 Baht) a meal for some delicious street eats.

Here are some of my favorite Thai foods:

Thai Pancake

Oh how I do love the Thai pancake. Delicious fried dough filled with fruit (usually bananas) and topped with sugar and condensed milk.  Or sometimes even chocolate.  

Salapao

Steamed buns make for a popular street snack in Thailand.  You’ll find them sold at hawker stalls and they can be savory or sweet.  My favorites are sai moo daeng (pork) and sai kriim (cream filling). Yum!

Cha Yen

Also known as Thai Tea, this orange creamy drink is what dreams are made of.  Seriously, it’s mixed with condensed milk and tastes delicious!

Thai Spring Roll

This one is pretty self-explanatory!  Usually filled with veggies and a protein.  Served with sweet chili sauce.

Pad Thai

Everyone knows this one, it’s the quintessential Thai dish.  But you haven’t experience Pad Thai until you’ve experienced it in Thailand!

Kluay Tod

Fried bananas are a popular street food and common Thai dessert.

Khanom Khrok

As a lover of all things coconut, these are little bites of deliciousness.  They are small coconut hotcakes made on a special cast-iron pan.  The pan has small indentations and two halves are stuck together to make a mini-pancake. They can have different fillings, sometimes sweet, sometimes savory.

Khao Soi

Another favorite!  This Burmese influenced dish is served mostly in Northern Thailand (like one of my favorite places, Chiang Mai!).  It’s a souplike dish made with a mix of deep fried crispy egg noodles and boiled egg noodles, with shallots, lime, chilies in a curry-like sauce made with coconut milk.

Pad See Ew

This dish might be my favorite (although it’s so hard to choose!). It’s made up of fat, delicious rice noodles cooked with eggs, chicken and bok choy.  It’s darkened with soy sauce, and you’ll notice the noodles tend to stick together so you end up taking some pretty big bites (which I never minded since it’s so delicious!).

Som Tam

You’ll notice this is a staple of Thai cuisine. It’s a green papaya salad… but be warned it’s often super spicy!

Massaman Curry

This is typically found in the Southern Thai regions.  It’s muslim in origin and typically made with coconut milk, peanuts or cashews, potatoes (usually lots!), bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, palm sugar, fish sauce, chili and tamarind.  And it’s usually served with rice and chicken.

Protein on a Stick

Street vendors are usually grab and go so the meat on a stick idea is popular here.  Pork, squid, you name it!

Kai Jeow

I love eggs for breakfast so this dish is perfect! (as many of the other Thai breakfast items are what you would typically think of as breakfast!)  This is a Thai egg omelette with fish sauce, chilies, cooked in oil served over white rice and finished with sweet chili sauce.

Fresh Fruit & Smoothies

I’m a huge fan of pitaya, the delicious fruit of a cactus plant (also known as dragon fruit) so took advantage of all the fresh fruit vendors here. You’ll also find plenty of coconut, pineapple and mangoes.

There really is no comparison in Western culture to wandering through the bustling Thai marketplace with the thrill of exploring new and exciting flavors. Enjoy!