Thai gastronomy: what to eat and where, beyond pad thai

Thai cuisine is one of the most recognisable in the world, but also one of the most misunderstood. What most Thai restaurants in Europe serve is the central-south version of the cuisine, softened for foreign palates. In the country there are actually four great regional cuisines with very different ingredients, techniques and flavours: central, northern, northeastern (Isaan) and southern. Understanding this completely changes how you eat in Thailand.

This guide is not a recipe book but a mental map to choose well: what to order, where, when, and how not to always fall on the same four dishes.

The four cuisines

Central. The cuisine of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya plain. Jasmine rice, red and green curries with coconut milk, the classic pad thai (invented in the 40s as national dish), tom yum goong (spicy sour prawn soup), tom kha kai (chicken soup with coconut milk). Fish sauce in almost everything. The most internationally known and, in a way, the sweetest and softest.

Northern (Lanna). Burmese and Yunnan influence. Less spicy but deeper dishes. Stars: khao soi (noodle soup with curry, coconut and chicken or beef, with fried noodles on top), sai ua (Chiang Mai spiced sausage), nam prik ong (chilli and pork paste to dip with vegetables), gaeng hung lay (Burmese-style pork curry with ginger and tamarind). Glutinous rice in balls as base.

Northeastern (Isaan). Laotian influence. The spiciest and often the most interesting. Som tam (green papaya salad with chilli, peanut and lime, literally pounded in mortar), larb (minced meat salad with herbs and toasted rice), gai yang (marinated grilled chicken), sai krok isan (sour fermented sausage). Glutinous rice. It is southern Lao food, but in Bangkok you find it everywhere because hundreds of thousands of Isaan workers emigrated to the capital.

Southern. Malay and Indian influence. Largely Muslim. Cuisine with yellow curries with fresh turmeric and more fish. Massaman curry (Persian-Malay style curry with peanuts and potatoes), khao mok (Thai biryani rice), gaeng tai pla (very spicy fish curry). Use of fresh coconut in many dishes.

The 15 essential dishes

If you have two weeks in Thailand, this is a reasonable list of what you shouldn’t miss:

1. Pad thai. The basic. Rice noodles stir-fried with tamarind, peanut, tofu, prawns, spring onion and lime.
2. Tom yum goong. Prawn soup with galangal, lemongrass, chilli and lime. Spicy and sour.
3. Som tam. Green papaya salad. Order it “thai” (soft) or “Isaan” (with crab paste and aggressive chilli).
4. Khao soi. The northern star. Look for it in Chiang Mai.
5. Pad kra pao. Meat (chicken, pork or beef) stir-fried with holy basil and chilli. Served with rice and fried egg. The quintessential Thai lunch.
6. Massaman curry. Soft curry with peanut, potato and meat (traditionally lamb). Less spicy.
7. Green curry (gaeng keow wan). Green curry with sweet basil and small aubergines.
8. Mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang). Classic dessert: ripe mango with glutinous rice, coconut milk and sesame.
9. Larb moo. Minced pork salad with herbs, lime and toasted rice.
10. Moo ping. Grilled pork skewers with sweet and sour sauce. Classic street breakfast.
11. Boat noodles (kuay teow ruea). Noodle soup with dark broth and spices. Originally served on boats.
12. Satay. Chicken or pork skewers with peanut sauce. Malay origin.
13. Khao kha moo. Rice with pork leg stewed in sweet soy sauce with spices.
14. Gai yang + som tam + khao niao. The “Isaan trio”: grilled chicken, papaya salad and glutinous rice.
15. Roti. Thin crepe filled with banana and condensed milk. Addictive street dessert.

Street food: where, when, how

Street food is probably the best expression of Thai cuisine. It is not simply cheaper: it is usually also fresher, tastier and more authentic than mid-range restaurants.

How to choose a stall: look where Thais eat. A stall with 15 Thais eating at lunchtime is always safer than an empty one with an English sign.

Food safety: the Thai street food standard is quite high compared to other Southeast Asian countries. Stomach problems come more from ice (not always made with potable water) and raw salads with papaya or vegetables than from the cooked dish itself.

Cities with best street food:

• Bangkok: Yaowarat (Chinatown) at dusk, Petchaburi Soi 5, Chan Road in Sathorn, Or Tor Kor Market.
• Chiang Mai: Warorot Market, Sunday Walking Street, Chang Phuak Night Market (with the “Cowboy Hat Lady” and her mythical khao kha moo).
• Phuket Town: Lardyai Sunday Walking Street.
• Ayutthaya: Chao Phrom Market.

Cooking classes: the best gastronomic gift

One of the best cultural investments of the trip is signing up for a half-day Thai cooking class. Standard price 1,200-2,000 THB. Includes a visit to a local market, explanation of ingredients, cooking of 3-5 dishes and tasting.

Recommended schools:

• Chiang Mai: Thai Farm Cooking School (best in the north), Thai Akha Kitchen (ethnic Akha minority cuisine).
• Bangkok: Silom Thai Cooking School, Baipai Cooking School.
• Koh Lanta: Time for Lime (the most reputable in the south).
• Koh Phangan: Phangan Thai Cooking Class.

It serves as a gift and a reminder: many recipes can be replicated at home if you find galangal, kaffir lime and fish sauce.

Drinks: beyond Singha beer

Beer. Singha, Chang and Leo are the three nationals. Singha more bitter, Chang sweeter, Leo more balanced.

Fresh coconut water. The fruit is opened in front of you. 30-50 THB. The perfect drink for heat.

Thai iced tea (cha yen). Strong black tea with condensed milk on ice. Very sweet and bright orange.

Thai iced coffee (oliang). Black coffee with ice, very sweet.

Fresh fruit shakes. Any tropical fruit blended with ice and a little condensed milk. Mango, pineapple, watermelon, dragon fruit. 30-80 THB.

Sugarcane juices (ooy). At street stalls. The cane is pressed in front of you.

Local rum and whisky. Sangsom, Mekhong. Do not expect great quality: drunk mixed with cola or tonic.

What you probably won’t try (and should)

• Durian. The forbidden fruit. Intense aroma (banned in hotels) but surprising flavour once past the first spoonful. Try it at least once.
• Mangosteen. The “queen of fruits”. Delicate, sweet, only available in season (May-August).
• Longan, lychee, rambutan. White-fleshed sweet fruits.
• Fried insects. Grasshoppers, worms, scorpions at night markets. More texture than flavour.
• Khanom Thai. Traditional sweets made with rice flour, coconut and palm sugar. Extraordinarily varied.

Practical tips

• Spicy: if you can’t handle it, say “mai phet” (not spicy) or “phet nit noi” (a little spicy). Even so, prepare yourself.
• Ice: at Thai stalls, commercial ice (with a hole) is safe. Casual cubes less so.
• Utensils: fork and spoon (no knife, food comes pre-cut). The spoon is used with the dominant hand to bring to the mouth; the fork to push. Never used together in the same mouthful. Noodles and soup with chopsticks.
• Tips: not mandatory but appreciated at restaurants (20-50 THB or leave the change).

The full Far Guides Thailand guide includes a gastronomic map by region, glossary of dishes with translation, verified cooking class recommendations and a list of markets by city.