Thai food is
internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot
or comparatively bland, harmony is the
guiding principle behind each dish. Thai
cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old
Eastern and Western influences harmoniously
combined into something uniquely Thai.The
characteristics of Thai food depend on
who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for
what occasion, and where it is cooked
to suit all palates. Originally, Thai
cooking reflected the characteristics
of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals,
plants and herbs were major ingredients.
Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent
influences introduced the use of sizeable
chunks to Thai cooking.
With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned
the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts
of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and
spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were
stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences
saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and
deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th
century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French
and Japanese. Chillies were introduced to Thai
cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries
who had acquired a taste for them while serving
in South America.
Thais were very adapt at 'Siamese-ising' foreign
cooking methods, and substituting ingredients.
The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced
by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted
for other daily products. Overpowering pure
spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh
herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually,
fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries,
while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is
generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn
intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries,
with strong spices, burn for longer periods.
Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai
meal is served all at once, permitting dinners
to enjoy complementary combinations of different
tastes.
A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup,
a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying
fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace
the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy,
but the curry should be replaced by non spiced
items. There must be a harmony of tastes and
textures within individual dishes and the entire
meal.
