A journey to Thailand often ends up being the trip of a lifetime for many a traveler. From the white, sandy beaches of Koh Samui to the mist-shrouded peaks of Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand offers a little something for everyone. Regardless of where you go, you’ll find some of the tastiest and hottest food in any hemisphere. While you could spend years trying out everything Thailand has to offer when it comes to epicurean delights, you’ll have to prioritize and make some hard choices. Make sure you at least give the following dishes a try.

Kang Keaw Wan Gai
In English, it would be known as Green Curry Chicken. This sweet dish features chicken served with rice or noodles. The broth that accompanies the chicken contains sugar, coconut milk, fish sauce, and green curry chili. It’s essentially a stew that has one of the most unique flavor profiles you’ll ever come across, offering a little hint of everything in terms of taste.

Panaeng
Meat lovers will have a blast in Thailand, as many of the more famous dishes include generous portions of beef, pork, and chicken. Panaeng typically comes on a bed of hot rice, with the meat portion drowned in a rich but not too hot coconut cream sauce with some red curry mixed in for good measure.

Gai Pad Met Mamuang
If you’d like to ease yourself into the otherwise incredibly spicy Thai culinary tradition, Gai Pad Met Mamuang is the way to go. It’s perfect for the Westerner who’s not used to searing their tongue off every night at dinner. Comprised of pan-fried chicken garnished with vegetables and cashews, it’s familiar enough to not put off less adventurous diners.

Som Tam
Not every dish in Thailand revolves around spicy pork or seafood. Som Tam is a kind of salad that features green papaya, lemons, peanuts, green beans, palm sugar, chilies, some garlic, and fish oil. You can also get it with bla-rah. That’s not a typo. It’s a sauce made from fish and crab that’s been fermented for a period of time, often up to a year.

Pad Thai
There’s a reason it’s the national dish of Thailand. You may think you’ve had Pad Thai at your local Thai takeout joint, but nothing beats getting it straight from the source. If you’re not already familiar, Pad Thai is a melange of noodles, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and a number of other additional items. The exact composition varies from place to place, which is part of the fun.

Happy Trails
Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be richly rewarding when you’re traveling, whether it’s trying new activities or new foods. Thailand is the perfect place to expand your culinary horizons, thanks to the spicy and eclectic mix of exotic ingredients found in many of the foods that are available. Don’t be afraid to sample something that you ordinarily wouldn’t, because you may find you’ve discovered your new favorite far-out treat. Just know where you’re getting your grub from, and stick to semi-reputable restaurants and establishments when you order.

Josephine works for a travel agency and recommends that all her customers book all inclusive packages when travelling on their Thailand holidays as it’s a great way to save costs and allow for more spending money to see the best it has to offer!

Photo Credit: Shoops2011

This entry was posted on Monday, December 19th, 2011 at 3:22 pm and is filed under FOTH. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.