Living in Thailand means more than just enjoying a tropical climate with pristine beaches and welcoming people – it also means amazing food. Expats, these are some of the top Thai dishes you should not miss!
One of the great things about living in Thailand is that you get to experience the best of Thai food right from where it originates. While Thai restaurants are scattered all over the world, you would be hard pressed to find better Thai food from the streets and malls in Thailand itself. There is a wide variety of dishes that are available in the Land of Smiles that expats can try. Read on to find out more about some of these fantastic Thai dishes!
Kao Pad Kra Pao
This is a common Thai dish that you can find in a variety of food outlets in Thailand; from market stalls to high-end restaurants. Kao Pad Kra Pao is basically meat (usually minced pork or chicken) that is stir-fried with chilies or basil and placed on top of rice. comes in variety of variants including a variant that is served with fried egg. Regardless of how you take it, Kao Pad Kra Pao should be on top of the list of dishes that you look out for whether you are eating out in a fancy restaurant in Thailand or simply looking for quick meal out in the streets of Thailand.
Tom Yum Soup
This is a great dish that is known the world over, if you love your soup hot and spicy. The soup consists of stock, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, lemongrass and crushed chili. The soup is taken with pieces of meat of any kind although it is more often than not likely to come with shrimp. If you don’t mind chili, this is a great starter to your meal.
Kway Teow Moo Daeng
Kway Teow Moo Daeng is another favorite Thai dish that is easy to find in Thailand because of the way it is made and to some extent some of the ingredients that are used. This noddle soup is made by making pork bones and onions broth and keeping it boiling on small simmer for a long time. The broth is then taken with noodles, sprout and red pork. It is a great dish and made more special by the fact that you are only likely to ever find it in Thailand. So, if you are a new retiree who has just got your Thai retirement visa, this dish will keep you happy here without breaking the bank.
Pad Thai
Pad Thai is a popular Thai dish that consists of stir-fried rice noodles, which are cooked with eggs and diced tofu. Often, the dish is flavored with fish. Variants of Pad Thai often contain vegetables such as bean sprouts, radishes and raw banana flowers. In Thailand, Pad Thai is served both in high-end restaurants as well as in the streets. While Thai restaurants around the world can make a mean Pad Thai, it is hard to beat the local hawkers who can be seen cooking up a storm, such as on Khao San Road.
Pad See Ew
Pas See Ew consists of rice noodles that are made with chicken, eggs and Bok Choy (a kind of cabbage). Soy sauce is added to the dish to darken the noodles and add flavour. Other types of meat may be used as well, depending on your tastes. Common replacements to the chicken include seafood, shrimp, beef and other kinds of meat and fish.
Som Tam
This is another popular dish to have in Thailand that consists of papaya shavings that are pounded in a mortar with peanuts, tomatoes, fish sauce and other ingredients. You can choose the amount of chilli that goes into your Som Tam and can range it from mild to fiery. While the ingredients do not sound like they work together, the result will blow your taste buds away. And no where do they make Som Tam as good as in Thailand so if you are an expat living in Thailand, it’s a dish you will see everywhere you go – whether it’s the Issan region or the southern region in Thailand.
Mango Sticky Rice
For dessert, nothing beats the Mango Sticky Rice with consists of sweet mangoes that are mixed with sticky rice and coconut cream syrup. If you notice the tourists (especially Chinese tourists) that are touring the night markets, many of them will be looking out for this dish. This is because the popularity of Mango Sticky Rice is widespread in the Asian region, and many of them associate this dish with Thailand synonymously.
Kao Kai Jeow
This is simple yet delicious Thai dish that simply means fried egg served on top of white rice with sweet chili usually available. Though it sounds simple, the meal is surprisingly good and filling. Though you can find this in Thai restaurants around the world, nowhere do they whip it up as well as they do in Thailand, where it is always a great way to enjoy a cheap meal.
As you can see, Thailand has numerous culinary gems just waiting to be discovered. If you are new to Thailand, go out today and try to sample a few of these delightful dishes. For those of you who are living abroad and thinking of moving to Thailand, you can be assured that when it comes to food in Thailand, you will not be disappointed. If you need expat visa services to kick-start your journey, give us a call today!
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