Your Thailand Vacation Food Extravaganza

I love Thai food Even before I went on my first Thailand vacation , I frequented Thai food haunts first in London, then when I moved to New Zealand, I discovered a couple of Thai eateries in the New Zealand capital, Wellington

And then I went on an extended Asia vacation. And here, in the Land of Smiles the Thai food is authentic . You can really taste the subtle blend of spices and texures that make Thai food an experience in itself .

I was amazed , though, to discover how different the the dishes are in the many provinces in Thailand. There are four major regions and they have their own special cuisine. And occasionally you can find foreign aspects in the dishes that have combined with Thai cooking over the years and melted into the distinct Thai flavour.

For example, the Northern part of Thailand evolved its own cultural identity that is not only different in language and legends but also in its food . Over the { centuries aeons}, this part of Thailand was ruled sometimes by Myanmar (Burma), and sometimes by the old kingdom of Ayutthaya that attracted international traders.

So, in the North you get the traditional sticky rice that is made into bite size portions with your fingers and then used to mop up the sauces from other dishes . TheNorthern regional chillies are much milder than the fiery offerings from other parts of the country , and you can find specialities like moo ( Pork ) that is deep fried until it is crispy .

In the Northeast this gastronomic wonderland , in Issan as it is known locally the food is spicy and not for the faint hearted. Some of the local dishes include the notoriousSom Tam, or green papaya salad,. Lap which is a hot and spicy ground meat or chicken salad, and the flavoursome Kai Yang, barbequed chicken. Like the Thais in the North, they like their rice glutinous, and here they use it as a sweet dish as well. Sticky rice and mango is one of my favourites.

The central region of this food paradise is where the the Thai dishes that you know about come from. Native spices such as garlic, black pepper and fish sauce were over time complimented with coriander, lime and tomato. The chilli pepper, without which a Thai meal wouldn't be a Thai meal, was introduced from the Americas . This is interesting because these peppers are now essential in Thai cooking .

Fruit plays an important role in a Thai meal, and often you get a complimentary plate of fresh local fruit to round off your meal .

The influence of the Malaysian peninsula can be noticed in the food of Southern Thailand. As this area is also surrounded by the sea, there is plenty of excellent freshly caught seafood available. Lobsters, crabs, squids, scallops, mussels all have their place in a Thai meal .

Coconut milk is used here to take the heat off the chilli-laced curries and soups . The oil of the coconut is for frying, and the white insides you eat as a flavoring . Cashew nuts are grown here, and the locals make a really great dish which you may know as chicken and cashew nut .

I like the spicy yellow curry, and the mild Massaman curry which is more akin to an Indian, Korma style curry . Satay which are pieces of charcoal grilled chicken, beef or pork cooked on skewers and served with a palate testing peanut and chilli sauce is yet another Thai food experience that has become part of International cuisine.

With such a variety and diversity of food in Thailand it's not surprising that the Thais spend a considerable time each day eating. I wonder where they put it all...?