Eating and Ordering Thai Food

Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice, three diners four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with other dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes are “balanced” by bland dishes to avoid discomfort.

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. A typical meal might include a clear sop (perhaps bitter melons stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce), a fried dish (fish with ginger), a hot salad (beef slices on a bed of lettuce, onions, chillies, mint and lemon juice) and a variety of sauces into which food is dipped. This would be followed by sweet desserts and/or fresh fruits such as mangoes, durian, jackfruit, papaya, grapes or melon.

AsiaFood, a resource of the Asia Society, presents Team Thailand's findings and useful information on Thai foods, spices, and recipes. Explore this resource and enjoy the unique tastes of Thailand.