1. Thai Food Cuisine and Culture of Thailand

2. Thai Food Thai food has become increasingly popular around the world. Harmony is the guiding principal behind Thai dishes. Blending of spicy/hot and bland to create each dish Thai food varies depending on who it is cooked for, where it is made, who cooks it, and what occasion it is being made for. Culinary influences from beginning in the 17th century include Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese.

3. Geography Thai is divided into four distinct regions: North, Northeast, Central, and South. Each has its own unique character, climate, language, personality, and cuisine.

4. Climate Climate: subtropical with long hours of sunshine and high humidity. Three seasons: hot-march to June, Rainy-July to Oct, Cool-Nov to Feb. The climate is suitable for the cultivation of a wide range of tropical and semi-tropical agricultural crops

5. Thailand Agriculture Rice is the major crop in Thailand and is the world’s largest exporter. Other large exports are rubber, tobacco, and cotton. Other crops of Thailand are corn, coffee, apples, strawberries, cocoa, peanuts and soybeans

6. Culture The wai is the common form of greeting and adheres to strict rules of protocol. Sign of respect as well as the greeting. Raising both hands, palms joined with the fingers pointing upwards as if in prayer, lightly touching the body somewhere between the chest and the forehead, is the standard form. When invited to someone’s home: Step over the threshold rather than on it. This is an old custom that may be dying out with younger Thais, but erring on the side of conservatism is always a good idea. Check to see if the host is wearing shoes. If not, remove yours before entering the house.

7. Holidays Over a dozen public holidays that Thais celebrate. Some follow the western calendar and fall on the same day each year and some follow the lunar calendar and they are different each year. Songkran (Thai New Year) –April 13 th -15 th Coronation Day –May 5 th Loy Kratong— Although not a national holiday, this is an important festival. People honor the river goddess by floating candles down waterways throughout Thailand, leading to the name “The Festival of Lights.”

8. Religion Thailand is a stronghold of Buddhism. Buddhism is practiced in Thailand by over 90% of the population. Thais respect hierarchical relationships. Social relationships are defined as one person being superior to the other. Parents are superior to their children, teachers to their students, and bosses to their subordinates.

9. Thai Cuisine A fork and spoon are the usual eating utensils. However, noodles are often eaten with chopsticks. The spoon is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. The fork is used to guide food on to the spoon. Sticky rice, a northern Thai delicacy, is often eaten with the fingers of the right hand. Most meals are served as buffets or with serving platters in the center of the table family- style.

10. Thai Cuisine continued: Leave a little food on your plate after you have eaten to show that you are full. Finishing everything indicates that you are still hungry. Never leave rice on your plate as it is considered wasteful Never take the last bite from the serving bowl. Do not lick your fingers.

11. Thai Cuisine Thai Cuisine is characterized by four different regions. Northern-Curry dishes and sticky rice. Abundance of natural resources; fish and pork. Northeast- Pork salad, bamboo shoot soup, sour fish, salted beef, Tumsom (papaya salad), and BBQ chicken. Intense flavor. More rice and less food. Central- Abundant seafood. Produces best fish sauce and shrimp paste. Southern- Cuisine has Malaysian influence. Grilled fish, yellow soup, Prawn skewers. Spicy food and heavy use of turmeric.

12. Thai Meals A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal. The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate.

13. Thai Meals continued: Tidbits- These can be hors d'oeuvres, accompaniments, side dishes, and/or snacks. They include spring rolls, satay, puffed rice cakes with herbed topping. They represent the playful and creative nature of the Thais Salads-A harmony of tastes and herbal flavors are essential. Major tastes are sour, sweet and salty. Dips-Dips entail some complexity. They can be the major dish of a meal with accompaniments of vegetables and some meats. A particular and simple dip is made from chilies, garlic, dried shrimps, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and shrimp paste Soups-A good meal for an average person may consist simply of a soup and rice. Traditional Thai soups are unique because they embody more flavors and textures than can be found in other types of food.

14. Thai Meals continued: Curries - Most non-Thai curries consist of powdered or ground dried spices, whereas the major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chilies, shallots and shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galangal, coriander roots, lemon grass, kefir lime peel and peppercorns Single Dishes- Complete meals in themselves, they include rice and noodle dishes such as Khao Phat and Phat Thai. Desserts- No good meal is complete without a Thai dessert. Uniformly sweet, they are particularly welcome after a strongly spiced and herbed meal.