Thai
A balance of sour, sweet, salty and spicy in a single bowl.
Thai cuisine is all about balancing four flavors in a single dish: spicy, sour, sweet, and salty. Fish sauce, lime, chili, palm sugar, coconut milk, and plenty of fresh herbs show up in almost every recipe. Tom yum, pad Thai, and curry are the most famous dishes abroad, but Thai street food is far more varied: fried rice, noodle soups, green papaya salads. Cooking is usually quick and over high heat, with a strong focus on ingredient freshness. Here are recognizable Thai recipes — from spicy shrimp tom yum to sweet mango sticky rice.
Frequently asked questions
How spicy is Thai food, really?
The heat level is easy to control with the amount of chili — many home versions can tone it down without losing balance, since the flavor also relies on sour, sweet, and salty notes.
What can I use instead of fish sauce?
If you don't have fish sauce, soy sauce with a splash of lemon juice works as a substitute, though the flavor will be less deep — fish sauce brings a distinctive umami note.
What is mango sticky rice?
It's a dessert of glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, served with fresh mango and drizzled with sweet coconut sauce — one of the most popular Thai desserts.