The Charm of Thai Food

Thai food always has various kinds of vegetables as main ingredients. These can be found in Kaeng Liang, Kaeng Som, Kaeng Noppakaaw, Kaeng Kae, Kaeng Nor Mai. and Kaeng Hua Pli (kaeng means curry). Of the “yam” (salad) type, are Yam Hua Pli and Yam Kalaampli. There are many foods that are good eaten with vegetables. Isaan’s vermicelli, as well as that of the South, Kaeng Tai Pla and Kaeng Lyan are very delicious having vegetables as their parts. The Som Tam of any region either Issan’s Som Tam Malakor or the North’s Tam Som O or Tam Mamuang are to be with Chaom’s tops, Chapluu leaves, Kratin’s tops and Tong Laang’s tops.

For Plaa (a Thai salad with raw or partially cooked meat), Lon (a kind of shrimps or crab sauce) and Lap (a kind of minced beef, or chicken or pork salad), including Namprig (Chilly sauce), raw or boiled vegetables are needed to eat with. The Thai food of the Centra part needs vegetables to be side by side; examples are Khanomchin Namya and Namprig Chaonaa. Bai horapa (Sweet Basil ) and Pagkaad Hom (Romain lettuce) are served with Po Pia Tod (Spring rolls). Various kinds of Miang (minced meat wrapped up by leaves): Miang Khanaa, Miang Mamuang, Miang Kaam are served with fresh vegetables.

Besides producing fibre, the green leaves of Khannaa, Pakbung, Tamloeng and lettuce help reduce the body’s lack of Vitamin B2 when taken with meat. Vegetables’ green leaves consist of Vitamin A which is very useful to the body, taken with the fat in cooking oil. Deep green and yellow vegetables produce Betacarotine, an anti-cancerous substance which turns to be Vitamin A needed by human body. Yam (Thai salad) has a small quantity of meat but its main ingredients are vegetables. All yams have fat ingredients; examples are Yam Yod Krathin, Yam Bai Bua Bok, Yam Hua Pli, Yam Tawai, Yam Mamuang, Yam Yuan, Yam Yai, and Yam Woon Saen.

thai food : thai grilled beef salad
thai recipe : hot and sour soup with prawn (tom yum koong)

As the Thai food’s ingredients are small quantity of fat and meat (with about 20% of fat), the Thai people, then, are fortunate in their fat taking less than the western people, and less risky of having breast cancer. The Values of Thai Food:

1. Food Values: Thai food has values obtained from ingredients which are vegetables, spices and herbs.

2. Herb and Spice Values: As Thai food has its main ingredients consisting of herbs and spices , then, it has a great value.

3. Folk Wisdom and Art and Culture Values: In general, each of the Thai food has its own natural flavor and features, for example, Kaeng Khi Lhek, which consists of the leaves of Khi lhek with their bitter flavor but by the old genertion’s folk wisdom in mixing these bitter leaves with spices, coconut milk and meat, Kaeng Khi Lhek becomes a delicious cuisine.