Thai food like one kind of Thai culture, is the product of various influences. Starting with Sukhothai and early Ayutthaya was simple as mainly fresh or died fish mixed with rice and vegetables, a few spices, a salty sauce made of fish (fish souce) or shrimp. Contacting with foreign cultures as China India or Europe, it made the development of cooking Thai food.
Today it covers a wide range of dishes many of them regional specialties. Those of northeast are generally regarded as the spiciest. In the south seafood is plenty and Muslim food appears on the menu.
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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Pad Thai : Stir-Fried Rice Noodle




Pad Thai is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with the usual Thai condiments. In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.


There have evolved two different styles of Pad Thai: the version most often found in the streets of Thailand, which is relatively dry and light; and the version that seems dominant in many restaurants in the West, which may be covered in a red oil and can be heavy tasting.


This dish was introduced and made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was Prime Minister during World War II, partly for his nationalism campaign, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand at a time when the government faced a major budget crisis. He was helped in this regard by the famous aristocrat, Prapavee Kunuchit.


Outside of Thailand, Pad Thai is one of the best-known Thai dishes, and is very popular in Thai restaurants in America.

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