By Eli
From spicy curries, coconut soups, pad thais, fried rice to seafood extravaganza, exotic fruit, and sweet desserts, Thailand has one of the most fascinating cuisines in the world.
Eating for Thai people is a huge part of their everyday lives and as I have my fair amount of faux-pas and awkward situations I thought I’d share with you some useful tips and facts which you may find interesting.
1 SHARING IS CARING
If you are not sharer like myself, you are in big trouble. I am very particular and picky about my food, so the whole concept of letting someone order for you, and share was quite challenging for me at the beginning.
When eating at home or in a restaurant, Thai people traditionally order many different dishes, which complement each other, and everybody shares the meal together.
When sharing food, don’t take more than 1-2 spoon fulls of one dish at the time, or you will appear greedy. Thais are very generous and considerate, so make sure everyone has a chance to taste each dish.
2 WHERE ARE THE CHOPSTICKS?!
Not many people know that chopsticks are not really used in Thai food culture, only with a few noodle soup dishes exceptions. If the dish is not served with chopsticks, don’t ask for it.
Also, don’t waste your time looking for a knife. Traditionally, Thais eat with spoon and fork, which is used for manipulating food on the plate, so don’t stick it in your mouth.
3 SPICY OR VERY SPICY?
If you don’t like spicy food it’s not a problem, many foreigners think that all Thai food is very spicy, which is just not true. There are many mild dishes and most meals are made to order, so I am sure you will find plenty to choose from.
Saying that I’m myself a well known chilly fanatic. I just can’t get enough and I also secretly enjoy the surprised looks of locals, watching me spooning off piles of chilly powder in my curry. Challenge accepted.
4 life is food and food is life
Thai people live and breathe food, and from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep, they eat or think about what they are going to eat. There is no concept of breakfast, lunch or dinner so you just eat whenever you feel like it and that is usually very often.
Most Thais are very lucky with their metabolism heritage…and for the rest of us, this means hitting the gym 5x a week, just to be able to keep up.
5 THE WORLD’S SMELLIEST FRUIT
Thailand has some of the most delicious and exotic fruit and durian is one of them. Durian is regarded as a delicacy, rare and expensive superfruit and you will either love it or hate it. Recently one rare durian was auctioned for 300,000THB, which is almost 10,000USD.
Due to its overpowering smell, durian has been banned in many types of public transport and hotels across Asia, and you will see the “no durian” sign in many places when traveling across Thailand. Its taste and smell are so unique that is difficult to describe, but according to my friend, who actually enjoys eating durian, he describes the aftermath of eating it: ‘Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother’.
Can’t wait to give it a try?
6 EAT LIKE A KING
One of the fantastic facts about Thai food is that is not only delicious but also cheap, you can be poor but still, eat like a king, when living in Thailand.
All ingredients are fresh and carefully selected to achieve the perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter– the secret 5 flavors of Thai cuisine.
7 TAKE YOUR TIME
When eating with family or friends, take it easy and take your time, Thais like to enjoy and savor their every meal and there is never any rush.
Respect the Thai customs, and watch out for your feet, especially if you are sitting on the ground, always wait for the senior person to begin their meal before you start shoveling in mouthfuls of food and also keep your eating area clean…The look I get from my husband when I drop a grain of rice off my plate is always deadly.
8 THAI CLASSICS
If it’s your first time in Thailand, and you are not sure what to order, you can always go for the Thai classics. You can’t go wrong with pad thai, fried rice or green curry but don’t be afraid to experiment.
Most Thai dished are simple, fresh and delicious and their taste varies depending on the region. So the Tom Yum you got served in Chiang Mai will be very different from what you get in Phuket.
9 ICE COLD BEER
For the person from the nation of the biggest beer drinkers in the world, it is difficult for me to grasp the concept of serving a beer with ice…but, it actually makes sense. Thailand has such a humid and hot climate that serving a beer on ice is actually a great idea and it tastes sooo refreshing.
10 TIME TO PAY
In some countries, such as where I’m from, the big part of the dining experience is the lengthy arguing over who is going to pick up the check and even physical fighting is not unheard of.
Well, in Thailand it is not accustomed to doing so, on most social occasions the person, who has the highest social rank, which is usually also the wealthiest person,
is expected to pick up the bill. Uffff…
"What would you like for dinner?" "Not thai food"...said no one. ...Ever
Read more here about the MOST POPULAR THAI DISHES and how to order them:
15 Thai Dishes You Have To Try When You Visit Thailand
