(idea) by anthropod Tue Nov 13 2001 at 22:23:27

The cuisine so ably and mouth-wateringly described by the good yam is, in fact, central Thai food, which is one of the regional cuisines of the country. Other regional cuisines exist, and I'd like to add to yam's excellent write-up by describing some of these other Thai food traditions, which together make up the national cuisine.

The south of Thailand is rather different from the centre in that it has a large Muslim population. In fact, the four southernmost provinces have changed hands between Thailand and its neighbour to the south, Malaysia, several times. Thus southern Thai food is more akin to Malay than central Thai food: it uses less chili, so is milder, and relies more on tumeric, coriander seeds, and cumin (Indian influences, no doubt). Chinese-inspired central people eat a lot of pork and fish, but the southern Muslims rely more on chicken, mutton, and goat for their lovely curries, soups, and rice-based dishes. Yellow curry with chicken is a dish you can find all through southern Thailand and into Malaysia and Indonesia. Another characteristic southern Thai dish consists of wonderful spiced chicken and yellow rice topped with caramelized onions; it's known as khao mok gai, literally chicken buried under rice.

Further north, but still in the southern part of Thailand, the Islamic influence lessens, and seafood takes precedence, as is only right in this narrow peninsula surrounded by fishy depths. Fabulous rustic fisherman stews abound on the islands, as well as delicious seafood curries baked in banana leaves and other finny delights.

The northeastern part of Thailand (Isan or Esarn) is ringed by Laos and Cambodia, and the cuisine of the region is dictated by the harsh environment. Central Thailand is a lush flood plain with abundant rainfall permitting two crops of jasmine rice a year and ample fish resources; Isan, by contrast, is situated on a dry plateau given to frequent droughts and much poverty. Where the staple in the centre and south is jasmine rice, the hardier sticky rice, which does not require flooded paddy to grow, is the staff of life in Isan. Isan has little fuel, and so many dishes are simple salads that require minimal or no cooking: som tam, kapi, and lahb are perfect examples of northeastern cuisine. Many Isan dishes are prepared using gathered ingredients which might not look much like foodstuffs to you and I: grubs, frogs, and insects are popular Isan fare. But poor people eke out an existence as best they can, and Isan people are no exception. Isan food is often very very spicy, the burning heat of hot Thai chilis not tempered by soothing coconut milk.

The north of Thailand, exemplified by Chiang Mai, has been influenced by its close neighbour and sometime occupier, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and the cuisines of the countries are quite similar. Northern Thai food, like Isan food, is based around sticky rice, and uses many of the same techniques for making simple, often raw, salads. Bangkok cuisine features a lot of fish and seafood, but pork is a much more common staple in the north, as is only fitting for a land-locked former kingdom. Perhaps the most famous dish from the north is khao soy, a variation on a Burmese dish, which consists of a bed of egg noodles with a creamy coconut curry spooned over, the whole topped with crunchy chow mein style noodles, pickled cabbage, and hot chili sauce. I ate a lot of this when I lived in Chiang Mai.

The kingdom of Thailand is a relatively new creation, and it's fascinating to see how the foods of each region have spread to all corners of the country, forging a national culinary identity comprehensible to, and beloved by, all Thai, no matter what their provenance.

And no matter what their provenance, Thai are passionate about their food. They prefer to eat communally, in a large group of family or friends. An ideal Thai meal involves no courses other than main and dessert; the main course usually consists of a collection of delicious dishes served in the middle of the group, accompanied by jasmine or sticky rice. In a restaurant, those curries and stir fries and other delicacies will be borne to the table as they are completed by the kitchen; at home, it'll all be on the table when you sit down. A meal is a social affair, with much sampling, discussion, and more sampling. Very pleasing. Noodle dishes like pad thai, by the way, are usually on-the-run food, eaten alone or with a few companions at a simple street stall. See also Dinner in Thailand for a story about doing it the wrong way.

Go here for a list of Thai recipes on everything2.

Common Thai ingredients not much found in other cuisines, and not mentioned by yam, include:

I like it! 5 C!s