Thailand’s famous noodle dish, Pad Thai, included in Oxford online dictionary

Thailand’s iconic noodle dish, Pad Thai, has made it into the Oxford online dictionary, according to a Thai PBS World report. The dictionary defines Pad Thai as, “a dish from Thailand made with a type of noodles made from rice, spices, egg, vegetables and sometimes meat or seafood.”

Pad Thai, a stir-fried noodle dish which is usually made with chicken, shrimp, or tofu, came into being during World War II and was originally known as Guay Tiew Pad. The idea for a noodle dish was cooked up, so to speak, during a time of steep rice prices, with Thailand’s leader of the time, Plaek Pibulsongkram, suggesting a national dish made from noodles. The cheaper alternative to rice was widely available and worked with other local ingredients. In addition to its meat, seafood, or tofu component, Pad Thai is rounded out with the addition of fish sauce, tamarind juice, and palm sugar, giving it its unique sweet and savoury flavours.

The new dish took off and became a hit nationwide, with its name eventually changing to Pad Thai. Today, it is one of the most popular street food options, a big hit with visiting tourists and locals alike, and holds its own against iconic national dishes such as Tom Yum Goong or the traditional Thai omelette.

Pad Thai features on many lists of unmissable Thai dishes and has been listed as one of the world’s best foods and is firmly a part of Thailand’s cultural heritage.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World