The heat of thai food

[SJM2013]

That's heat as in chilli hot...or the general lack of it from my perspective.

I admit, I do consume a lot of very hot food back home in Newcastle, England.

From phall curries to hot sauces off the internet, to birds eye chillies, scotch bonnets/habs and further up the scoville scale.

With thai food seemingly world renowned for its use of chillies and spiciness, I've got to say I am somewhat disappointed.

In my 3 months in bangkok/pattaya ive tried my fair share of local dishes (maybe central thai food, not sure) as well as isaan food...but It just doesn't cut it for me.

There's also a reluctance from thai restaurant and street hawkers to put too much chilli/spice in their dishes for farangs. I am very insistent with this though!

I even had a kebab vendor in pattaya warning me that it's very spicy....it was sweet chilli sauce...<deleted>.

To counterbalance all this, I must add, in the last few weeks I have discovered southern thai food which certainly cranks up the heat level several notches. I think they use copious amounts of birds eye chillies in their dishes...which has to be good.

I can't understand why southern thai food is so difficult to find in central bangkok as it's right up there taste wise.

I have to go up to thong lo, and rather expensive restaurants to find the stuff.

Anyway, this is not a criticism of the merits of thai food. Far from it as I like most of what I've eaten.

Anybody else find most of the thai food in bangkok a touch benign?

[Jingthing]

It's probably another case of spice race bias.

I also love super hot food.

The only way I get it as at places that KNOW me and know that I'm serious.

I think the default spice even for Thai isn't really hot enough for me.

So then I get it and I mean seriously get it.

But the staff still stares at me while I'm eating.

Oh well!

That all said, not ALL Thai dishes should be super spicy. This can be a problem even when I've trained some places, as they will give me the dishes I want super hot super hot, but also basically ruin dishes that are supposed to be more subtle.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Jingthing

[SJM2013]

The thing is, nearly all the chillies they use seem to be bog standard thai green chillies. They are moderately hot chillies. It doesn't really matter how many they use in their dishes, if they are not that hot to start with...the resulting dish won't be that hot.

[Jingthing]

You're going to the wrong places then.

[rgs2001uk]

I can't understand why southern thai food is so difficult to find in central bangkok as it's right up there taste wise.

I have to go up to thong lo, and rather expensive restaurants to find the stuff.

Dont know what you mean by central Bkk, is this place central enough for you?

Located at Ratchatewi BTS station exit 2 Coco walk,

http://thaisclub.blogspot.com/2011/11/393_18.html

You need to keep your eyes peeled for the little black man signs, or learn to read Thai to locate these places.

Petchaburi rd is another area littered with these hole in the wall type places, well worth tracking down.

Be aware some of these places are owned/run by Muslims and some dont serve alcohol, doesnt bother me, I go for the food.

[Suradit69]

It's probably another case of spice race bias.

I also love super hot food.

The only way I get it as at places that KNOW me and know that I'm serious.

I think the default spice even for Thai isn't really hot enough for me.

So then I get it and I mean seriously get it.

But the staff still stares at me while I'm eating.

Oh well!

That all said, not ALL Thai dishes should be super spicy. This can be a problem even when I've trained some places, as they will give me the dishes I want super hot super hot, but also basically ruin dishes that are supposed to be more subtle.

"The only way I get it as at places that KNOW me and know that I'm serious."

Yes, that's a problem when trying new places. In a way you can't blame them since some farang go bright red and then (to save face) go ballistic in reaction to anything remotely spicy.

Since I almost always eat out with a Thai friend, he does most of the ordering at new places, so that seems to help since they're not sure who's eating what and he usually reminds them with things like larb moo that it should be spicy.

It's also better to eat at restaurants that do not have almost exclusively farang customers. If I spend a few days in Bangkok, I'm more likely to eat some meals in touristy places and the food there is usually dumbed down no matter who does the ordering.

At least when ordering things like ก๋วยเตี๋ยว, you can spoon on the heat yourself.

[wolf5370]

I think the northern food is much spicier. Also a touristy like places (places used to feeding tourists) will tend to be conservative on the price (even sometimes if you ask for it to be Thai-style hot or phet-phet). I eat at a Thai place across the road from me and it can be pretty spicy (I too only east hot madras/vindaloo/and Phal in London's Indian restaurants and like it quite spicy). They use a lot of red chillis. Stuff like Laab, northern som tum, orange curry, pad prik gaeng etc are all pretty spicy where I go - they are used to me enough that they prompt me by dishes when being served. The menu is all Thai (which I can read) - which I think is often a good way to tell if the food is going to come out authentic.

Don't know BKK/Patters well enough to suggest a venue, but maybe look for a northern restaurant and try there.

[malcyx]

there arnt many dishes that are meant to be super hot ..

that's just a british novelty thing to see who can eat the hottest meal..

If you want it hot then ask for it hot as possible..

if the dish isn't meant to be super hot then it wont be..

if you live in Thailand try growing your own chillies n take them with you to get cooked for you ..

enjoy the food ,

[SJM2013]

That restaurant looks damn good...off there in the next 2 days for sure...thanks for the link.

It's my first time in thailand so I'm just learning as I go regarding the regional differences for thai food. I read that southern thai food was not easily found in bangkok, a cluster in thong lo (fancy) and some near wang lang (dirt cheap). I have been to one in each area and they seem to be used by local thais only. Food in thong lo is exceptional and chilli hot too, but wang lang was very ordinary.

If I order non spicy thai food I wouldn't dream of asking them to add chillies for fear of spoiling the dish.

No, it's thai food that is intended to be chilli hot that I have been disappointed with, and I really only use small hole in the wall eateries where thais eat.

"that's just a british novelty thing to see who can eat the hottest meal"

I don't fall into this category either. Been eating hot food for over 20 years, and with the availability of hot sauces and chillies online my liking for all things chilli has increased.

In fact, it's a common mistake, as I eat chillies to get a chilli high (endorphin/serotonin not sure which) and the subsequent mellow come down.

I would LOVE to get all that from a moderately hot curry or hot pepper as it would be so eay to do.

But no, your tolerance level to chillies just increases the more you eat and so it's more difficult to attain. Well, mine does anyway.

Like I said, it's only in the last few weeks and with me eating southern thai food have I been errrm back on track.

[lockman]

I've found that anytime I'm near BKK or Pattaya, the food is always not very hot when ordering in any Thai venue, but if an outside vendor and you speak some Lao to them, comes out OK. They think farangs can't handle it (as most cannot) and are trying to make food you can eat. Using Lao or Issean dialect gets the right results. I even remember eating with the wife and she didn't want very hot, and the waitress (different) was perplexed when we swapped plates.

[jdean]

Some Thai dishes are very spicy with almost no chili in them, just other leaves and roots that pack a kick!

[rgs2001uk]

Some Thai dishes are very spicy with almost no chili in them, just other leaves and roots that pack a kick!

Correct, give this man a cigar.

Thats one of the reasons I love Sth Thai food, must be the Indian/Arabic/Malay influnence.

Too be honest to me jacking up on chillies is nothing more than disguising the cheap meat/ingredients used, the food is so crap that only by adding chillies does the food become edible.

Ginger anyone? Or in Thai pat prick king, lovely.

[Jingthing]

Not this again.

Anyone with elementary knowledge of food knows there are spices and there are chilies. I like high volume on both except when that doesn't work with a dish.

As far as the origins of spices, chilies, and salt originally being used to disguise dodgy meat and or preserve meat -- SO WHAT?!?

Some Thai dishes if served bland are just simply horrible and not really Thai food.

For example, imagine a green curry with almost no spice and no heat. I don't have to. A dining mate forced that on me once.

Imagine Portuguese food without Bacalao.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Jingthing

[CPT]

When you have the opportunity to eat Southern Thai food next, be sure and order Klua Kling. Very spicy and meant to be heavily 'diluted' if you will with rice making it easy to control the spice level. A pork version is even available in the refrigerated cases at 7/11 though it is not nearly as good as fresh. Yum nam can be made rather spicy as well. Dishes made with chili powder rather than or in addition to fresh chilis tend to be better for ratcheting up spice levels.

I certainly understand what many are saying about dishes being misprepared in an effort to suit foreign palettes. It is frustrating but I have a hard time getting angry as they are trying to be accommodating and I appreciate the sentiment. I've also had dishes in Isaan that were just awful because someone decide that it should be composed of 90% chilis when the dish should have been better balanced. Look for dishes that are normally prepared spicy, such as klua kling, rather than asking folks to add spice to a dish that doesn't call for it and you will get more spice without ruining the flavor.

Regarding which region's cuisine is the spiciest here is my experience from mildest to spiciest:
-Central

-Northern

-Isaan

-Southern

[robenroute]

...be sure and order Klua Kling. Very spicy and...

It's "khua kling", not "klua". The "kling" has a falling tone to it, as if uttered in a state of surprise or shock. Oh, and the spiciness depends on where you go/get it and/or who makes it. But yes, it can be rather fiery.

Bon appétit!

[I Like Thai]

Try Pok Pok/ Somtam and let us know how you get on.

[tommoody336]

The thing is, nearly all the chilies they use seem to be bog standard thai green chilies. They are moderately hot chillies. It doesn't really matter how many they use in their dishes.

www.dinein.co.uk

[lomatopo]

I think the balance of sweet/sour/spicy/bitter/umami in several combinations is what can make Thai dishes sublime, along with contrasting textural components. If a dish is overly spicy then you cannot really taste anything else. So unless the protein component has gone bad, in which case a lot of spice can mask that, most dishes may not be spicy enough for the OP.