There are many reasons to visit Thailand and Hua Hin, some of which include the food.
Thai cuisine is seen as a celebration of fragrance and freshness. One of the important things to remember about Thai food is that it is on the spicy side, which is how the flavors are heightened. There is an abundance of these flavors to take in while visiting Thailand. Below are twelve dishes you will not want to miss:
Phat Tai
This dish was invented in the 1930’s by a Thai-Chinese chef. Phat Tai is a dish made up of thin rice noodles that are stir fried with egg, shrimp, and tofu. The dish is seasoned with sugar, tamarind, dried chili, fish sauce, and vinegar.
Laap
This sums up the northeast of Thailand in one dish. Laap is minced meat that is seasoned with lime juice, roasted rice powder, fresh herbs, and fish sauce. The dish is paired with sticky rice and is to be eaten with the hands.
Tom Yam
In English this is referred to as‘ sour Thai soup.’ It is based in an herb broth that has a spicy/tart taste. Tom Yam Kung is a variation on this and includes shrimp, which is a very popular Thai dish and is one of the local foods in Hua Hin.
Khao Soi
Khao Soi is popular in the north of Thailand, and is a curry-based noodle soup. The soup traditionally revolves around beef or chicken, sliced shallots, crunchy pickled greens, and an optional side of limes. The greens provide a nice contrast to the spice-heavy, rich, coconut milk broth and wheat and egg noodles.
Phat Kaphrao
This popular Thai street food is a combination of meat that is flash fried with holy basil. Phat Kaphrao also comes with a big helping of fresh garlic and chili. This dish is served over rice with a fried egg on top.
Som Tam
The origin of Som tam is in the rural northeast of Thailand. This dish contains strips of unripe, crunchy papaya that is bruised with a pestle and mortar combined with long beans, tomato, fish sauce, chili, and lime. Som tam is good coupled with a basket of sticky rice.
Green Curry
This is a good dish for the Thai food novices out there. Green Curry is a mixture of an herb and spice paste that is combined with coconut milk. This dish is perfectly paired with a plate of jasmine rice, as it is not to be eaten as a soup.
Kai Yang
This is the Thai version of grilled chicken and hails from the northeast of the country. Kai Yang involves marinating of the chicken in a mixture of coriander root, garlic, and fish sauce. This dish is good with sticky rice and green papaya salad.
Yam
This is considered a drinking snack or a side dish, and is usually listed as a Thai “salad” that is a mixture of seafood or meat with a spicy, yet tart dressing made up of fresh herbs. Yam Wun Sen is a variation on this dish that combines slinky glass noodles, shrimp, and minced pork.
Khao Phat
Fried rice is the comfort food of the Thai people. There are hundreds of variations on the fried rice dish, but this is one of the staples. This simple dish combines rice that is fried with egg and chunks of crab.
Gai Med Ma Moung
Gai Med Ma Moungis cashew nuts combined with stir fried chicken. This can be a spicy dish, so it is possible to ask for a milder version. Vegetables are also included in the dish as well as a side of steamed rice.
Massaman Curry
Another good Thai curry is Massaman Curry. This is a soft type of curry compared to the aforementioned Green Curry. It contains dried peppers which do give it a little bit of spice. The rich flavor of the paste is made up of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin.
