Understand How To Choose What To Order In A Thai Restaurant

Oriental cuisine in its many different forms has been popular in the United States for years; however there is one form of Oriental cuisine that has recently gained more popularity. Thai cuisine shares many of the styles and ingredients of other Oriental cuisines. Chances are if there is a Thai restaurant in your area then it most likely serves some of the traditional favorites of Thailand.

Upon your first visit to a Thai restaurant you may think that many of the dishes are similar to those you will get a Chinese or Japanese restaurant. However, one you try some of these dishes you will notice a difference in the two cuisines. Typically Thai food tends to contain a fair amount of heat, meaning it is rather spicy. This does not mean that all Thai cuisine is spicy, in fact there are different regions of Thailand that all have an effect on the heat and flavor intensity of the food.

In the last decade or so there has been an influx of Thai restaurants that have opened in just about every major city in the United States. Perhaps you have one in your area, but you have hesitated to go there because you are uncertain as to whether you will like the food, or you fear you won't know what to order. The following explanation of the basics of Thai cuisine and a few suggestions may encourage you to visit the Thai restaurant in your neighborhood.

While the two foods are not exactly the same, if you enjoy Chinese food you will probably enjoy Thai food as well. The mainstay in both cuisines is rice and it is probably prevalent in many of the dishes that your local restaurant offers. It is tradition to serve groups of dishes with a complement of rice accompanying it. Thai food is prepared in several different ways but the most popular are stir fry and steam cooking.

As mentioned earlier, Thai food tends to have an ample dose of spice. This does not mean that all Thai food is spicy. As a matter of fact many of the traditional Thai dishes contain a sweet, sour, bitter or salty flavor. Often these flavors are nicely blended. While you may not be familiar with some of the dishes listed on the menu, chances are you have been exposed to most of these ingredients before.

It is common for a Thai restaurant to offer a variety of condiments to compliment the flavor of the food you order. These condiments will typically include a sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, chili powder, and fish sauce. Fish sauce is common as a condiment and there are actual several different types, one of the most popular is Nam Pla. Nam Pla is a fish sauce that is made from anchovies that have been dried with salt in an aging box. The end result is a sauce that is intense in flavor.

There are some main staples that can be found in every Thai cook's cupboard. These items include ginger, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies, and coconut milk, to name a few. Rice is obviously a big main stay in a Thai cupboard. Not only is rice sued as a side dish but it is also a main ingredient in many items, such as noodles and spring roll wrappers.

As far as popular Thai dishes are concerned there are few that are more popular than Pad Thai. Pad Thai translates to 'Thai frying'. There are many variations of this dish, built they all contain noodles that are made from stir fried rice, eggs, sprouts, shallots, and a meat product such as pork or chicken. In Thailand this traditional dish is available from roadside vendors.

Rad Na is another dish that you will typically find on a Thai restaurant menu. Rad Na is a dish made from wide rice noodles, oriental style mushrooms, and garlic. It will also contain a source of protein such as seafood or poultry. The dish is topped off with thin gravy that is made from stock, soy sauce, and a type of starch such as corn starch or tapioca.

Learn more about Thai restaurants, St Paul. Stop by Choua Phia 's site where you can find a full menu of Thai dishes available