All about Thai cuisine

In recent years, exotic cuisine is becoming popular. Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Thai restaurants open in our cities. Eastern food is characterized by a less fatty composition, a high content of nutrients, is a healthy alternative to fast food and Russian salads, olivier and herring under a fur coat. I bring to your attention a short article about the peculiarities of Thai cuisine.

A little bit about the history of Thailand.

Thailand, located not far from India and China, gathered features of Chinese and Indian cuisine, while retaining its special character in cooking. As in most Asian countries, the basis of Thai cuisine is rice. In the north of Thailand, locals prefer thick grains and sticky rice, in the south they use long-grain rice. The high cost of meat limits its use in Thai cuisine, which is more than offset by aromatic spices, which give a special taste even to the lean dish.

In Thailand, almost all dishes are eaten with a knife, spoon and fork and sometimes with chopsticks. Of all the countries of South-East Asia, only Vietnamese use sticks. The proximity of the sea allows the Thais to produce a large number of seafood. Fish and oyster sauce is included in the recipe of almost every dish.

The main Thai spices: lemon grass, ginger, basil, pepper, garlic, coconut milk, shallots, saffron, cumin. Most of the dishes are hot, served hot.

A little history of Thai cuisine.

Modern recipes of Thai dishes have undergone slight changes, under the influence of the West, the emergence of modern dishes and appliances. But the basis of cooking remains the same as many years ago.

In Thai cuisine, a grill is often used. Dishes cooked on firewood, are obtained aromatic, tasty and not harmful to health. Cooked meat and seafood dip into sweet and sour sauce or various spices. It is believed that it is so delicious.

Thais widely use salad, filling it with low-fat sauce. In such a salad you can add pieces of meat, shrimp or other seafood. You can create your own dish with special ingredients mixed in any proportion.

In Thailand, rice and soups were always cooked. This is considered a traditional dish. Soups, as a rule, are cooked on coconut milk, adding a lot of spices.

Thais are very fond of eating. At any time of the day or night, they say hello, and then they ask: "Have you already eaten?". Thai housewives are not afraid to experiment with new ingredients, invent new recipes.

Features of Thai cuisine.

Many herbs used in Thai cuisine have medicinal properties. With their help you can help the digestive tract, cure a cold or fever. In addition, seasonings and spices give a special unique taste to the dish. What makes Thai cuisine so special?

The influence of climate, allowing to harvest up to 3 crops a year, Buddhism, which does not prescribe any restrictions in food, made Thai cuisine special. It reigns "the art of five tastes": sour, salty, bitter, pungent and sweet.

Lemon grass, ginger, coconut milk, saffron, fish and oyster sauce give the dishes sour, sweet and pungent taste at the same time. It is very common to cook chicken in combination with peanuts and other nuts.

Specific Thai herbs are very different from Russian and European. They have a more pronounced flavor, emphasizing the taste of each dish. The appearance of a new dish on the table in a Thai restaurant causes a new salivation, despite the fact that it has already been decently eaten.

For cooking, Thai people choose only the freshest products, meat, which has a tender texture and a pleasant taste. When frying do not use complex sauces, starches, dairy products and curry, in contrast to Indian and Chinese cuisine. Thais only borrowed from Asian peoples the use of a large number of spices, but they left their basis.

All Thai dishes are seasoned with sauces, the taste of which can be both sharp and sweet. However, strict proportions and balance are observed when preparing. This allows you not to bend with taste and combine not at first glance products.

To be imbued with Thai food, you need to watch how the Thais eat, and follow their example. In the West, everyone is eating with potatoes and bread, in Thailand - with rice. Thai traditional restaurants serve dishes on a large plate, which is then circled. So, everyone has the opportunity to try all the ordered dishes. At the same time, everyone has their own plate full of rice, with which they try delicacies.

Traditional Thai dinner includes main dishes, soups, hot and cold snacks. You can finish the evening meal with a rice cake cooked on coconut milk, with fruits and cream. During dinner Thai people drink water or tea with ice.

Each dish in Thai cuisine must be decorated. For this, fruit, leaves of green onion and coriander are cut out figuratively. Vegetables served neatly and beautifully sliced. The decoration of Thai dishes is a must.

Unusual and interesting Thai cuisine keeps secrets and features about which I will tell you next time.