For regular reader of Modern Thrill, it will come as no surprise that I am something of a foodie. I truly enjoy everything about food from the preparation and history to sharing regional dishes with the people who have been making dishes for centuries.
If you haven’t noticed, there has been a large proliferation of Thai food restaurants in the U.S. over the past couple of years. For the longest time, the only Thai food that Americans knew about was the peanut based Pad Thai.
Thailand tours offer much in the way of familiarizing oneself with the excellent food. But true Thai food is so much more robust and colorful than this simple noodle dish. During my time in Thailand I experienced an incredible variety of different foods that the locals so graciously shared with me.
But not only did they share the food with me, they also shared the techniques needed to create a variety of different noodle dishes, curries, and regional delicacies. Some dishes aren’t even allowed in the U.S.
Here are my favorite dishes sampled in Thailand.
Panang Curry
This is another dish that has been made popular in the United States but it is still worth mentioning. My favorite curry the country has to offer. Panang typically consists of coconut milk, palm sugar, a protein, and the traditional panang curry paste.
Panang is quite spicy but has some nice sweet notes to it. Serve this with some pineapple slices and basmati rice for a delicious light curry.
Plah Pow
I can’t say that I have ever seen this dish stateside. Plah Plow is made with any kind of lean white fish like tilapia and snapper. The fish is then stuffed with a mixture of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and other aromatic flavors. Then, and here’s the kicker, the entire fish is rolled in thick coat of salt and grilled to succulent perfection.
Most people are put off by this weird salted fish concoction but I think it’s delicious.
Guay Teow Nuaa (Sen Lek)
If you have seen the Thai food restaurants propping up throughout the U.S. then you have definitely seen all of the Vietnamese Pho shops opening up as well. Guay Teow Nuaa is essentially the Thai version of Pho. Translucent rice noodles are placed in a broth that has been cooked for upwards of two days with lean pieces of beef and pork. This dish is perfect for when you are sick or if you need to warm up during those cold winter months.
