FNB News - Thai Cuisine - An amalgam of southeast Asian tastes and flavours

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INGREDIENTS AND FLAVOURS

Thai Cuisine - An amalgam of southeast Asian tastes and flavours

Tuesday, 02 June, 2015, 08 : 00 AM [IST]

Vaibhav Verma and Manish Malhotra

Like a giant sponge, absorbing all that which came its way, later releasing it in an effervescence characterised by fragrance, flavour and beauty, Thai cuisine has elevated itself into an art form - and once you have a taste of Thailand, there truly is no turning back.

A unique culinary experience that evokes nostalgia in its special amalgam of the tastes and flavours of southeast Asia - a Thai meal leaves the palate fresh, tingling and wanting more…and more.

Thai people are used to eating rice with their meal. Most Thai people cannot have sandwiches for their meal. They call sandwiches a snack. Also, most Thai people do not sit down to eat a proper meal because they usually eat when they are hungry, especially kids and teenagers. If you know some Thai person, you might hear them say "gin khao yung" every time you meet them. It means "have you eaten yet?" or more precise "have you eaten rice yet?"

Fertile with a varied geography and long coastline, Thailand provides great culinary diversity. In Thai cooking, rice serves as the starchy foil for the flavourful soups, seafood dishes, and salads. Fresh is the name of the game.

The Thai people know spicy. Much of the unique flavour of Thai food comes from a pleasing combination of fiery spice, aromatic herbs, and piquant condiments. Chili peppers, fish sauce, shrimp paste, limes, coriander, and coconut milk contribute complex flavours.

There are hundreds of Thai dishes. Each dish has its own characteristics in flavour and feature. Thai cuisine is well-known for being hot and spicy and for its balance of five fundamental flavours in each dish or the overall meal – hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and bitter (optional). Thai food is also known for its enthusiastic use of fresh (rather than dried) herbs and spices as well as fish sauce. Each Thai dish has more than 3-4 flavours. The ingredients of each dish helps to not only harmonise all different flavours but also to make it mouthwateringly delicious.

Traditionally, Thai cooks and families usually needed quite a long time to prepare the ingredients and hence, to cook a family meal, cooperation and team work are needed. The process of Thai cuisine explains Thai life: its traditions, customs and culture. It shows Thai families were large, in which its family members live together with a warm, close relationship. In cooking, Thai family members have their fair share of helping as a team. For example, in cooking curry dishes, the children would help with light work like nipping off basil leaves and adults could squeeze coconut meat and pound chillies and spices. Nowadays, Thai food is easy and simple to cook as you can find cooked or readymade ingredients in supermarkets. However, it lacks traditional standard like in the past.

Although considered as a single cuisine, Thai food would be more accurately described as four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country: Northern, Northeastern (or Isan), Central, and Southern. Each cuisine sharing similar foods or derived from those of neighbouring countries.

Central Thailand
Central Thailand has a moderate flavour with herbs and sugar. Most curry with coconut milk dishes origin from central Thailand. For example, Kaeng Kaew Wan (Green Curry), Tom Yam (Spicy & sour soup), Tom Kha (Coconut milk soup), Panang Curry (Dry red curry).

Northern Thailand
The dishes of Northern Thailand have light flavours, with a little spices, not very hot with chillies, not salty and most without sugar. The popular dishes are Sai-ua (Thai northern sausages), Nam-Prig Ong (Minced pork and tomato chillies paste), Kaeng Kare (vegetarian curry), and Cap Moo (Som Tam (papaya salad) is a north-eastern dish).
North Eastern (or Isan).

The cuisine of Northeastern (or Isan) Thailand is heavily influenced by Laos. For example, Lap and Tom Sabb. Traditionally very spicy and strong tasting dishes, which show that northeastern Thais like strong flavours with chillies, salt, herbs, and spices.

Southern Thailand
The south has a very strong flavour of food with spicy herbs, like turmeric, and tend to contain coconut milk. For example, Kaeng Leang, Kaeng Tai-pla, and Kua Kling.

In fact, Thai food always has various kinds of vegetables as main ingredient. These can be found in many curry dishes with or without coconut milk, stir fried, salad, and eaten with chillies paste. As the Thai food’s ingredients have small quantities of fat and meat, Thai people are fortunate in their fat intake being far less than most Westerners.
Many popular dishes eaten in Thailand were originally Chinese dishes which were introduced to Thailand by Chinese emigration. Such dishes include Jok (Rice soup), Kway teow (noodle dishes), Khao Kha Moo or Moo Pa-loh (Pork stew, with or without rice) and Khao Mun Gai (Boiled chicken on lightly oily steamed rice). However, Thai people adapted and modified these dishes for local Thai flavour and taste.

Why is Thai food an international favourite?
Not only the unique taste in each dish, there are more reasons why Thai food is popular among foreigners. Decoration, Thai food has an attractive decoration inducing appetites. Such as, Thai fruit and vegetable carving is an art which has been introduced to dishes, which makes you feel fascinated with the delicate preparation. Also, Thai food has both values of nutrition and medicine, obtained from ingredients such as vegetables, spices and herbs and without artificial flavouring substances. Moreover, Thai food can be harmoniously taken with other food, for example, Pad Kaprao as spaghetti sauce, and Nam-prig Pao, chilli paste, as sandwich filling or bread spread.

Thai folk wisdom, art and Thai culture is translated in Thai food. It reveals the characteristics of Thai people: their delicate taste, discipline, rules of conduct, artistic taste and human relationship. Hence, Thai cuisine is not only about food but it is an art to learn.

Top Thai Dishes
1. Tom Yam Kung (spicy shrimp soup) 99% (recipe)
2. Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai (green chicken curry) 85% (recipe)
3. Phat Thai (fried noodles of Thai style) 70% (recipe)
4. Phat Kaphrao (meat fried with sweet basils) 52% (recipe)
5. Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (roast duck curry) 50%
6. Tom Kha Kai (chicken in coconut soup) 47%
7. Yam Nua (spicy beef salad) 45%
8. Mu or Kai sa-te (roast pork or chicken coated with turmeric) 43% (recipe)
9. Kai Phat Met Mamuang Himmaphan (chicken fried with cashew nuts) 42% (recipe)
10. Phanaeng (meat in coconut cream) 39% (recipe)

There are many kinds of Thai curry dishes, from non-spicy to very spicy. When people hear the words "Thai Curry," the first thing that comes to their mind is some spicy coconut milk with curry paste. This is not totally true. Thais say "Kaeng" which means "Curry." However, Kaeng in Thailand does not only mean curry, but it means the cooking process of mixing various kinds of vegetables with liquid like water or coconut milk. It can be spicy or non-spicy or a vegetarian or non-vegetarian dish like soup, stew, curry or even dessert. In Thailand, there are 2 types of Kaeng: Kaeng Jued and Kaeng Ped. Ped literally means spicy and Jued means tasteless. Kaeng Jued usually refers to non-spicy soup dishes.

Kaeng Jued
Kaeng Jued dishes usually comprise broth, vegetables and meat. Homemade broth is preferred over bouillon cubes. Broth is made from boiling pork ribs or chicken bones in water for a long period of time. You will often hear Thais say "nam soup" which means broth. To make broth, the bones should have a little bit of meat and fat left on them. On low heat, boil meat in water. Once the boil begins, reduce heat to its lowest point so that the broth just barely simmers. The longer the simmering, the more flavour you will get. One-and-a-half to two hours usually is enough to extract flavours from meats. Before using broth, straining is a must.

The clear broth then will be used in a different kind of Kaeng Jued.

Examples of Kaeng Jued

Kaeng Jued Fak: chicken/pork broth with winter melon
Kaeng Jued Mara: chicken/pork broth with bitter melon
Kaeng Jued Mara Yat Sai: chicken/pork broth with stuffed bitter melon
Kaeng Jued Pla Muek Yat Sai: chicken/pork broth with stuffed squid
Kaeng Jued Taeng Gwa: chicken/pork broth with cucumber
Kaeng Jued Taeng Gwa Yat Sai: chicken/pork broth with stuffed cucumber
Kaeng Jued Tao Hu: chicken/pork broth with bean curd
Kaeng Jued Wun Sen: chicken/pork broth with clear noodles

Kaeng Ped
Most Kaeng Ped dishes differ in degree of spiciness. Some are very spicy and some are mild. Some have coconut milk and some do not. Kaeng Ped can be categorised into 6 different types: Kaeng Ped, Kaeng Khua, Kaeng Liang, Kaeng Som, Tom Yum and Pad Ped.

1) Kaeng Ped
It can be confusing that Kaeng Ped is a subcategory of Kaeng Ped. There are 2 distinct types of Kaeng Ped: Kaeng Ped with coconut milk and Keang Ped without coconut milk. The key to a delicious Kaeng Ped is curry paste. Either homemade or commercial curry paste must be finely ground. Fish sauce and sugar are the two main ingredients to flavour Kaeng Ped dishes.

Examples of Water-based Curry Dishes
Kaeng Hang Le: Northern style curry with meat, curry powder, lemongrass, ginger, shallots, shrimp paste, chilies and peanuts.
Kaeng Pa: Jungle curry, Northen curry. This curry is hot and full of flavour from fingerroot, kaffir lime zest, lemon grass, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste and chillies.

Kaeng Leung: Hot yellow curry, most common meat used is fish. Other ingredients are winter melon, chillies, garlic, turmeric, lemon grass, shallots and shrimp paste.

Examples of Coconut-based Curry Dishes

Kaeng Daeng: Red curry with meat, bamboo shoots, Thai sweet basil, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk.
Kaeng Kari: Indian style curry with meat, potatoes and coconut milk
Kaeng Kiaw Waan: A slightly sweet green curry with meat, Thai eggplants, pea eggplants, winter melon, Thai sweet basil (Bai Horapa), kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk.
Kaeng Matsaman: Curry with meat, potatoes, peanuts and coconut milk (a mild curry from the Muslim Southern part of Thailand).
Kaeng Phed: Spicy curry with meat and chilies.

2) Kaeng Khua
Kaeng Khua curry paste makes this curry dish distinct and different from Kaeng Ped dishes. Kaeng Khua curry paste has either deep-fried fish, grilled fish or dried small shrimp as part of its ingredients. Most Kaeng Khua will not have added spices because of its strong aroma. The typical flavours of this curry are sweet, sour and salty. The most common meat is fish, shrimp or clamp.

3) Kaeng Liang
Kaeng Liang is Thai vegetarian curry. The main ingredients of this curry are vegetables, usually there is no meat. Some recipes may add chicken or shrimp. However, if we look at Kaeng Liang curry paste, this dish is not vegetarian. Part of Kaeng Liang curry paste is dried shrimp paste (ka pi), dried shrimp and deep-fried fish or grilled fish. This curry is a water-based curry that is quite thick.

4) Kaeng Som
Kaeng Som is a water-based curry that in flavour combines sour, saltiness and a little sweetness. The common meat used in this curry is fish or shrimp. Some recipes use clams. Common vegetables are morning glory (phak bueng), bottle gourd (phak nam tao), water mimosa (phak kra ched), Vegetable Humming Bird (dok kae), cabbage (kra lum plee) and juice-based tamarind.

5) Tom Yum
Tom Yum is a hot and sour soup. Tom Yum soup dishes have lots of herbs and meat as the main ingredients. Few vegetables are used in Tom Yum soup, although usually included are oyster mushrooms or straw mushrooms. Common herbs used in Tom Yum soup are kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, chillies and coriander roots. The common meats used in Tom Yum soup are chicken, shrimp and fish. Examples of Tom Yum soup dishes are

Tom Kha Gai: Coconut-based hot and sour soup with chicken
Tom Kha Pla Duk: Coconut-based hot and sour soup with catfish
Tom Kha Ta Le: Coconut-based hot and sour soup with seafood
Tom Yum Gai: Water/broth-based hot and sour soup with chicken
Tom Yum Goong: Water/broth-based hot and sour soup with prawn
Tom Yum Hua Pla: Water/broth-based hot and sour soup with fish head
Tom Yam Moo Pa: Water/broth-based hot and sour soup with boar

6) Pad Ped
Pad Ped is similar to Kaeng Ped; however, Pad Ped dishes use less coconut milk or water than Kaeng Ped. Thus Pad Ped is more like a stir-fried dried curry paste dish with meat and vegetables. Vegetables include Thai eggplants, yard long beans, bamboo shoots and pea eggplants. Two main ingredients used in flavouring Pad Ped dishes are fish sauce and sugar. Examples:

Pad Ped Moo Tao Fak Yao: Stir-fried red curry paste with pork and yard long beans.
Pad Ped Pla Duk: Stir-fried catfish with chili paste.
Phanaeng Gai: Stir-fried phanaeng curry paste with chicken and kaffir lime leaves.
Phanaeng Moo: Stir-fried phanaeng curry paste with pork and kaffir lime leaves.

Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, 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. Thai cuisine owes much of its character to the cuisine of the region - Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian and Burmese – and to the spices that came alongside invasive cultures and marauding armies. The latter faded away in the natural course of time, leaving behind a plethora of herbs, spices and seasonings. The Thai blended these to create a subtle cuisine which is only now coming of age. As more Thai restaurants and take-aways open, their success is assured because the taste and visual presentation appeal to one and all.

(The authors are asst professors at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology)