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Know Thai food: order well, eat safely

20 lessons: tom yum, curries, som tam, regional dishes, noodle shops, spice levels, condiments, desserts, fruit seasons, vegetarian and halal food, and street food safety.

20 lessons · about 107 min in total

  1. 1 Tom yum clear or creamy, and why tom kha is not just tom yum with coconutClear tom yum is sharp, sour and hot; creamy adds milk for a softer taste. The herbs you leave in the bowl, prawn or seafood, how tom kha differs, and how to order. 6 min read
  2. 2 Thai curries compared: green, red, panang, massaman, jungle and sour curryWhich Thai curries use coconut milk and which do not, how hot each runs, and what sets each paste apart. Six common curries in one table, plus shrimp paste and peanuts. 5 min read
  3. 3 The four Thai table condiments: how to use them, and a prik nam pla ratioSugar, fish sauce, chili vinegar and chili flakes: what each adds, which dishes they suit, how to season without oversalting, and a prik nam pla ratio. 5 min read
  4. 4 Thai one-plate meals: khao man gai, kra pao, khao kha moo, fried rice, rad naFive one-plate dishes found on every street: what each is, what comes with it, what you can choose, the words to order (khai dao, phiset) and allergy questions. 6 min read
  5. 5 Som tam styles: tam Thai, tam pu, tam pu pla ra, tam sua and fruit tamSom tam is not one dish. What goes in each style, how it tastes, how to order heat by counting chillies, and how to pick pla ra and crab safely. 6 min read
  6. 6 Larb, nam tok, grilled chicken, sticky rice and jaew: ordering Isan, cookedLarb uses minced meat, nam tok grilled sliced meat. Eat with grilled chicken, sticky rice and jaew, and know why Thai health officials warn about raw larb. 5 min read
  7. 7 Northern Thai food: khao soi, nam ngiao, hang le curry, sai ua and nam prikSix northern dishes you will meet most: what goes in, how they taste, which have coconut milk and which are hot, a meal for two, and what to ask with a food allergy. 5 min read
  8. 8 Southern Thai curries: gaeng som, gaeng tai pla, khua kling, and why so hotSouthern curries are hot: chilli-heavy paste, often black pepper and turmeric, and often no coconut milk to soften it. Four key dishes, plus phak nao. 6 min read
  9. 9 How to order at a Thai noodle shop: noodle, broth, size and condimentsA Thai noodle shop needs four things: which noodle, which broth, what goes in, and the size. What each noodle is made of, and how to use the condiment rack. 6 min read
  10. 10 How hot? Thai phrases for spice level, hidden heat, and what helps when it burnsMai phet, phet noi, how many chilies: the words that make a Thai kitchen understand you, where heat hides, and why milk beats water when it is too hot. 6 min read
  11. 11 Jay, vegetarian and vegan in Thailand: what differs, and how to order safelyJay drops meat, egg, dairy and pungent vegetables; vegetarian drops meat; vegan drops all animal products. The yellow flag, hidden fish sauce and shrimp paste, phrases. 6 min read
  12. 12 Eating halal in Thailand: the logo, what to watch for, southern Muslim dishesThailand's halal logo is issued by the Central Islamic Council of Thailand. What it looks like, certified vs Muslim-run places, hidden pork in Thai food, and what to ask. 6 min read
  13. 13 Thai street food safety: what to look at before you orderIs it really hot, does food turn over, are raw and cooked apart, does the money hand touch food, how is ice kept, and the SAN sign that replaced Clean Food Good Taste. 6 min read
  14. 14 Ice, drinking water and iced drinks in Thailand: choosing safelySealed tube ice versus scooped crushed ice, what Thai FDA testing found, how to check labels and bottle seals, and when to ask for no ice. 5 min read
  15. 15 Thai food leftovers: storing curries and rice, the 2-hour rule, reheatingInto the fridge within 2 hours, 1 hour above 32°C. Coconut curries spoil fast, rice must cool quickly, reheat to 74°C/165°F, and how many days in the fridge. 5 min read
  16. 16 Ordering Thai food with less salt and sugar: sodium in noodle soup, what to askOne bowl of noodle soup holds 1,304-2,862 mg sodium per Thai Department of Health data, against WHO's 2,000 mg a day. How to ask for less sauce, sugar and broth. 5 min read
  17. 17 Seven Thai desserts worth knowing, from mango sticky rice to foi thongMango sticky rice, bua loi, thapthim krop, lot chong, khanom chan, thong yip and foi thong: what goes in them, which came from Portuguese egg sweets, what to watch. 6 min read
  18. 18 Thai fruit seasons by month, and how to pick fruit that is ready to eatWhen durian, mangosteen, rambutan, longkong, longan, lychee and mango peak, East vs South, figures from Thai agriculture offices, and how to tell ripe fruit. 4 min read
  19. 19 Thai markets explained: fresh, weekly, floating, night markets and food courtsWhat each kind of Thai market sells, the best time to go, what to eat there, and how to keep food you take back so it stays tasty and safe. 4 min read
  20. 20 How to choose a good Thai street food stall: signs to read before you sitWhat a queue of locals, a short menu, a one-dish stall, busy hours and cooking to order tell you, hygiene points, the SAN sign, and what reviews miss. 4 min read