Understand How To Choose What To Eat In A Thai Restaurant

The cuisine of the orient has had a profound effect on the culture of the United States. There are many different styles of Oriental cuisine, most of which are indicative of a particular Asian culture. While Chinese and Japanese cuisine has been popular for a long time, the cuisine of Thailand has recently made an impact in the United States. Many of the most popular traditional dishes of Thailand can be sampled at a Thai restaurant near you.

While the food that is served at Thai restaurants uses a lot of the ingredients that are found in the dishes of other oriental style foods, they tend to be a bit spicier than some of the other oriental cuisines. There are actually several different variations of Thai cuisine. Some of these variations utilize some ingredients that are unique to that region of Thailand.

In the last decade or so there has been an influx of Thai restaurants that have opened in just about every major city in the United States. Perhaps you have one in your area, but you have hesitated to go there because you are uncertain as to whether you will like the food, or you fear you won't know what to order. The following explanation of the basics of Thai cuisine and a few suggestions may encourage you to visit the Thai restaurant in your neighborhood.

While the two foods are not exactly the same, if you enjoy Chinese food you will probably enjoy Thai food as well. The mainstay in both cuisines is rice and it is probably prevalent in many of the dishes that your local restaurant offers. It is tradition to serve groups of dishes with a complement of rice accompanying it. Thai food is prepared in several different ways but the most popular are stir fry and steam cooking.

As mentioned earlier, Thai food tends to have an ample dose of spice. This does not mean that all Thai food is spicy. As a matter of fact many of the traditional Thai dishes contain a sweet, sour, bitter or salty flavor. Often these flavors are nicely blended. While you may not be familiar with some of the dishes listed on the menu, chances are you have been exposed to most of these ingredients before.

It is common for a Thai restaurant to offer a variety of condiments to compliment the flavor of the food you order. These condiments will typically include a sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, chili powder, and fish sauce. Fish sauce is common as a condiment and there are actual several different types, one of the most popular is Nam Pla. Nam Pla is a fish sauce that is made from anchovies that have been dried with salt in an aging box. The end result is a sauce that is intense in flavor.

There are some main staples that can be found in every Thai cook's cupboard. These items include ginger, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies, and coconut milk, to name a few. Rice is obviously a big main stay in a Thai cupboard. Not only is rice sued as a side dish but it is also a main ingredient in many items, such as noodles and spring roll wrappers.

One of the most popular dishes at Thai restaurants is a dish known as Pad Thai. Pad Thai literally means Thai fry. These dishes can be found in several different variations, but most of them will contain rice noodles, shallots, eggs, and a protein source such as poultry and seafood. Pad Thai is traditionally available from street venders in Thailand.

Also popular is a dish known as Rad Na. This dish is a common item found on the menu of a Thai restaurant. Rad Na consists of rice noodles that have been cut wide, mushrooms, and garlic. This dish will also contain sea food or another protein and will be covered in thin gravy that is made of corn starch or tapioca.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

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Learn more about Thai restaurants, St Paul. Stop by Choua Phia 's site where you can find a full menu of Thai dishes available

by: Choua Phia

Total views: 1 Word Count: 676 Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 Time: 6:56 PM - 0 comments

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