Traditional Thai Food you might not know
Thai cuisine, or Thai food, consists of a variety of colours, textures, and creative concepts with a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements like Pad Thai, aromatic curries infused with lemongrass and kaffir lime, and Tom Yum, an iconic Thai broth with vibrant flavours such as galangal, chilli peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and prawn or chicken as a main protein. These are renowned worldwide.
Thai cuisine contains breathtaking ingredients that reflect the history and geography of the country. In addition, Thai cuisine is well-known among foreigners, whereas traditional Thai food is mostly undiscovered even among Thais themselves.
What is Aharn Chao Wang?
Traditional Thai food typically referred to as Aharn Chao Wang by Thais, a traditional or royal Thai dish was prepared by individuals in palaces during the Ayutthaya kingdom, and its defining characteristics include the use of an abundance of fresh ingredients. Some Thai traditional dishes require a great deal of time and a large number of chefs to prepare. Due to the fact that the majority of traditional Thai live in large families, it is also essential that traditional Thai food is served as a balanced set of foods that can be consumed by family members of various ages or generations.
Even though authentic traditional Thai cuisine is difficult to find in modern times, the following 7 dishes might spark your interest…
Pak Charm Rice Offering (ข้าวบายศรีปากชาม)
You may never have imagined the aroma of herbs such as garlic, shallots and prawn paste being grilled with banana leaf as the initial stage in preparing this menu, followed by the boiling of pork and dried beef as the primary proteins.
The main attraction of this dish is the fresh tamarind sauce pounded with prawns, dry pepper, grilled garlic and a variety of herbs. As a result, this tamarind sauce should be combined with rice to form a rice offering. This menu was created by the royal family during the reign of Rama 5 with the concept of using leftover ingredients.
Rice in Banana Blossom (ข้าวในปลีกล้วย)
The following menu, named Rice in banana blossom, was created with the same concepts as the previous dish, using the leftover ingredients to create a new menu.
For a rice in banana blossom, chilli sauce is applied to the banana blossom, which is then covered with a banana leaf and grilled. After the grilling procedure, a banana leaf and banana blossom will be cut as a form of sushi.
Streamed Fish Jelly (เยลลี่ห่อหมก)
Even though most traditional Thai cuisine may not be suitable for serving foreigners, a dish known as ‘Streamed Fish Jelly’ is prepared for the foreigners’ taste or choice.
It is essentially the same as preparing streamed fish in modern times, but what makes this menu unusual is the coating of streamed fish with jelly and freezing it in the refrigerator. This menu impresses a great number of foreigners who try it.
Yum Yai (ยำใหญ่)
Backing up to a more distant time period, Rama 2’s ‘Yum Yai’ is a dish with a balance of all tastes that is suitable for everyone because the ingredients can be altered according to the cook’s preferences; for instance, if you are on a diet, you could add more vegetables.
Even though all components are interchangeable, there are a number of essential ingredients, including egg, garlic, pork rind, dried prawns, cucumber, grilled calamari and tofu.
Rhum and Lhateang (หรุ่มและล่าเตียง)
This dish will appear on two menus under the name ‘Rhum or Lhateang’ and it is a traditional snack that has been devoured by Thai royalty since the reign of Rama 2.
The only difference between Rhum and Lhateang is their texture, as they both contain the same ingredients such as pork and prawns. Rhum will be coated with fried egg in the shape of a circle, whereas Lhateang will be produced in the shape of a net or rectangle.
Nopagao Curry Soup (แกงนพเก้า)
In accordance with Thais’ beliefs about hora, ‘Nopagao curry’ broth is prepared by pounding red peppers with numerous herbs and nine vegetables.
Nopagao curry soup was popular in the former times due to the numerous health advantages derived from the ingredients used to prepare it.
Inthanin Dessert (ขนมอินทนิล)
‘Inthanin Dessert’ may not be familiar to Thais because Inthanin is not an elegant confection. However, this delicacy smells strongly of pandan leaf and smoked coconut milk.
If you are searching for a Thai dessert that is simple to prepare, Inthanin is one of the best options.
Many traditional Thai foods or Aharn Chao wang (Royal Thai food) are not easily seen in the market. However, if you ever have the opportunity to try them, just DO IT!
If you want to know more about Thai food, you can read HERE!
