Chillies were brought from America, it's not a native Thai plant. 200 years ago is about right for widespread chilly use here.

White/black pepper is just not the same stuff.

All the Thais used to use were peppercorns.That's is why they still have some dishes that are heated by zillions of pepercorns...

Chillies were brought from America, it's not a native Thai plant. 200 years ago is about right for widespread chilly use here.

White/black pepper is just not the same stuff.

Thanks Plus for the historical information.

Too bad most people outside Thailand don't get exposed to some of my favs:

cow mun gai - when prepared well, not at Carrefour, same for the rest

cow soy - favorite noodle dish ever, from anywhere

nam prik ong w/ sticky rice

generally I like norhtern food the most, maybe cause I'm from there and it's not readily available in the US

And this isn't even mentioning desert!! yummy yummy

Dodgy belly after ...too much wotever....... try.....................Lice Soop works wonders....

Pad Prik Geng Goong......aroi mahk

What about Larb Gai or larb moo ?

They are not Thai.

I love my gŭay-dtĭeow

Neither are they.

What about Larb Gai or larb moo ?

They are not Thai.

I love my gŭay-dtĭeow

Neither are they.

Yes they are...

Laab is Laotian.

gŭay-dtĭeow are Chinese

Laab is Laotian.

gŭay-dtĭeow are Chinese

Beg to differ on the first one there.... there is northern laab that uses neither lime nor roasted rice. It is indeed very different from the Isaan or Lao style of laab.

And I think that saying noodle soup is Chinese is like saying that you can't say pizza is your favourite American food because it's Italian. Eventually a food becomes so much a part of a culture that they take it and change it a bit and make it their own.

And I think that saying noodle soup is Chinese is like saying that you can't say pizza is your favourite American food because it's Italian. Eventually a food becomes so much a part of a culture that they take it and change it a bit and make it their own

Pizza is Italian - but I hear you.

Laab is Laotian.

gŭay-dtĭeow are Chinese

Laab is an Issan dish from North East Thailand, as well as being a Lao dish. guay-dtieow may have originated in China originally but is certainly considered a typical Thai dish these days.

Chillies were brought from America, it's not a native Thai plant. 200 years ago is about right for widespread chilly use here.

White/black pepper is just not the same stuff.

All the Thais used to use were peppercorns.That's is why they still have some dishes that are heated by zillions of pepercorns...

Information from Wikipedia:

Columbus brought chili peppers to Spain and interestingly wrote about their medicinal effects in 1494.

From Mexico, at the time the Spanish colony that controlled commerce with Asia, chili peppers spread rapidly into the Philippines and then to India, China, Korea and Japan with the aid of European sailors. The new spice was quickly incorporated into the local cuisines.

So chili peppers were first brought to Thailand from Europe (Spain, Portugal).

Here’s another thing about chili. Although nobody has probably done a research on it, but chili must have something to do with that much-vaunted Thai smile and high spiritedness of the Thai people. Capsaicin is also said to be a mood-lifting chemical that can cheer you up for hours (hence the phrase “chili-buzz”).

It's the endorphin release that lifts the mood when people each chili.

"Chili peppers are, in fact, a good source of vitamins A, C, and E. They are rich in folic acid and potassium, and low in calories and sodium, with no carbohydrates. They also deliver an endorphin rush similar to that produced by the body after a good jog. And, according to DeWitt, there is anecdotal evidence that certain peppers can produce a heightened state of consciousness."

Chili info

I get the reverse affect myself. If I eat a really hot dish, I get tired. Obviously I'm getting burnt out on the endorphin/adrenalin rush.

In my case eating hot chilis will make me fat, because they make me tired and lazy.

I've been watching closely what the Thais eat, and I don't believe it's the chilis that are keeping them slim. It's the regular small meal eating style and the large quatities of vegetables in their diet offering a lot of fiber, phytochemicals and other nutrients.

It's basically a very nutritious diet that's loaded up with soup which quickly satisfies the appetite and prevents one from overeating, but leaves one feeling hungry again sooner...hence the frequent meal times.

My latest favourite is "Yam Tuna"

So simple to make and delicious. Make it the exactly same as Yam Moo Yaw but substitute the Sausage with a tin of Tuna (with spring water removed) mince it all up.........lubblyjubbly.

Strangely, but with over use of MSG the smiling effect is reversed into "dumb". Also known as "chinese-rest. effect" the usage of MSG makes you feel tired, bloated and inflated in stomach area. Thais use MSG at astronomical levels - they just pour it in every meal, incl. cookies and fruits. This why its almost impossible to taste "kithcen of the world" without this stuff.

Saying that, just want to add, that the way food cooked, dispite MSG and tons of chilli, that the word "hygeine" odesn't exist in local vocab. For every dish served here I prefer nothing.

Saying that, just want to add, that the way food cooked, dispite MSG and tons of chilli, that the word "hygeine" odesn't exist in local vocab. For every dish served here I prefer nothing.

I was just curious, I've seen the word "hygienic" used on various vegetables at my local supermarket (Foodland).

In particular, they have "hygienic tomatoes" and "hygienic cucumbers" and in fact I just use some this evening in my salad. They cost more than twice that of "normal" ones but look identical and don't seem to taste any different either.

Does anyone have any idea what they mean by "hygienic"?

PS. Did anyone ever see the 9,999 baht per kilo frozen Japanese tenderloin beef they had there last month?....maybe it's still there.

Most popular Thai dish overseas?

PAD THAI.

beef cashew or egg noodle

Too bad most people outside Thailand don't get exposed to some of my favs:

cow mun gai - when prepared well, not at Carrefour, same for the rest

cow soy - favorite noodle dish ever, from anywhere

nam prik ong w/ sticky rice

generally I like norhtern food the most, maybe cause I'm from there and it's not readily available in the US

And this isn't even mentioning desert!! yummy yummy

Agree!!! You've got some real good ones in there. There's nothing wrong with tom yum and pad thai which thai food is known for by westerners, but there are so many signature dishes that will knock the socks off people who try them. I would add to your list:

yam pla duk foo (fluffly catfish & mango sauce)

pla gow sahm rote (3 flavor grouper--sweet, sour, spicy)

tote man goong (shrimp cakes)

sticky rice & mango dessert!

I love Pad Tua and Gai Steak and Pad pet ma muang him ma pan gai(alloy jing jing) Cashews with chili and chicken

Oh and my wife says she misses MK so much

Moo Gop

Moo Oph

Kai Kratiem

Moo Kratiem

Khao Sawy Plaa

Any freshwater steamed fish w/veg

Are all pretty good. I definitely eat way more pork here than I ever did at home

Saying that, just want to add, that the way food cooked, dispite MSG and tons of chilli, that the word "hygeine" odesn't exist in local vocab. For every dish served here I prefer nothing.

I was just curious, I've seen the word "hygienic" used on various vegetables at my local supermarket (Foodland).

In particular, they have "hygienic tomatoes" and "hygienic cucumbers" and in fact I just use some this evening in my salad. They cost more than twice that of "normal" ones but look identical and don't seem to taste any different either.

Does anyone have any idea what they mean by "hygienic"?

PS. Did anyone ever see the 9,999 baht per kilo frozen Japanese tenderloin beef they had there last month?....maybe it's still there.

they use the word "hygienic" for plants that are grow in a hydroponic (grown without soil - the roots are immersed in nutrient rich water) environment.

its cleaner than vegetables grown in soil and fertilized chicken manure.

The word "hygenic" is referred to those veges that are grown and it meets the minimum level of insecticide by the Agriculture Dept. besides the organic grown.

I like all the dishes on the list plus a score of others. I think most people who like Thai food will start out with the food on that list, and then progress on to other stuff like spicy 'yam'.

As for Northern Thai food, I really do like the stuff they promote, like nam phrik awng, kaeng pblii, kaeng hang leh, khaao sawy, sai ua, etc.

But the 'real' Northern Thai rural food is quite different - most of their other 'kaeng' are clear soups spiced with pla ra and chili as well as harshly bitter vegetables, and not eaten when warm, rather they are place on the floor or table and allowed to grow lukewarm or cold. Instead of lean meat, they contain intestines or knuckles, or meat still attached to the bone, but chopped into smaller pieces so you have to dissect the pieces either on the plate as best you can, or with your teeth and then spit out the bpieces of cartilage and bone that are too rough or sharp to chew safely. Same thing with fish. Deboning first just does not seem to be an option.

Not my idea of an enjoyable meal. I know lots of it is healthy though - many of the veggies used contain high levels of beta carotene and other anti oxidants which help fight cancer, for example.

Anyways, I much prefer lean meat.

gŭay-dtĭeow neua (that is, beef noodle soup).

Hold the oil.

Or the chicken variety. Either one.

Healthy.

Khao mun gai is from china

specifically it's Hainanese Chicken Rice

Geng Liang

Geng som

Geng Lao

Pad Thai

Thom Yum Goong

-even the instant, cup noodle variety.

Laab is Laotian.

gŭay-dtĭeow are Chinese

Up-country laab is also going to be completely different that anything served in the west. Normally it is made from the guts and heavily spiced. In the west, it is usually made from a choicer cut of meat and not nearly as heavily spiced.

I patronize a lot of west London area Thai restaurants and by far the most common dishes I overhear being ordered are phad thai and tom yung goong.

A really great dish that one doesn't see too often is fish with red chile & coconut curry, plah gaeng see dairng or sometimes known as plah choo chee. Fish cooked just right, with just the right amount of curry and chiles. Wow!

I think the most overlooked really good starter, if made well, is tod mun plah.