Things You May Not Know About Thai Food
                       WELCOME
TO
Things You May  
Not Know About  
Thai Food
Food lovers all around the world like eating and enjoying different local 
cuisines. The best  way to understand the food of a particular country is by 
trying its local food that is eaten  by its people daily. But if you aren’t able 
to travel to some other place, there is nothing to  worry about because 
today you can find any time of food anywhere in the world.
Yes, if you are in Hong Kong and craving Thai food, there is no need to 
travel to Thailand  to relish it. All you need to do is, go to the Best Thai 
Restaurant in Hong Kong and eat  whatever your heart wants. The 
popularity of Thailand is increasing for many good  reasons like Thai 
people are considered to be very friendly and open-minded. It is not an  
expensive place and the climate is also warm.
But out of all the best thing about Thailand is its Thai food, its exotic and 
tasty cuisine.  Yes, if you are in Hong Kong, you can still have the best 
Thai food ever that too from the  Best Thai restaurant in Hong Kong 
i.e., Mint and Basil in Tung Chung.
While you enjoy Thai food, let me tell you some interesting facts about it.
TOGETHERNESS: THAI PEOPLE LIKE TO EAT TOGETHER
Sharing is caring. Thai people believe in the 
concept of  enjoying their food together. When 
a Thai family gathers  for a meal, they usually 
eat together form a single large  bowl.
If they are having a big meal at a time, there 
are many  different dishes they keep on the 
table. It may sound  strange to you that no one 
has his or her own plate when  eating together, 
but it is a fact.
Thai people when eating together would want 
everyone at  the table to try a little bit of each 
dish present in front of  them. Also, they would 
consider it impolite if you ate more  than others.
NOODLES ARE NOT FROM THAILAND
You might be thinking that noodles are 
common  throughout Asia. Well, now people 
do eat noodles but  unlike Japanese people 
who eat them daily.
But, when we talk about Thailand, this is not the 
case.  Thailand first got noodles during the 
Second World War  when there was a food 
shortage. Due to war, the country  was reeling 
under hunger followed by floods that  destroyed 
the production of rice. Then noodles were first  
introduced to Thailand.
BALANCE IS IMPORTANT
Thai food is characterized by an amazing taste. It is also because Thai chefs use a variety 
of spices in the  food. Thai food is made by using shrimp paste, fish sauce and these 
ingredients make Thai food even tasty  and salty.
To make the dishes sweet, people use palm sugar and different fruit extracts. To add 
spice, they add fresh  herbs, which keep the food healthy. All of the ingredients are not 
added at once. An experienced chef will  dedicate special attention to each dish. He will 
try his best to achieve the perfect balance.
FRESH INGREDIENTS ARE PREFERRED
Thai chefs try to avoid preserved ingredients. You will hardly see dried things of any kind 
in Thai food.  Proper Thai food will usually contain fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and 
spices. This is the reason that  researchers have concluded Thai food is one of the 
healthiest foods. If you think healthy is not tasty, then  you are absolutely wrong 
because Thai food has all the qualities that one would want in his or her food –  rich 
taste, colorful appearance, and supreme health benefits.
RICE IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
Rice is an indispensable part of Thai cuisine. Thai 
people  prepare it in a number of ways. They 
combine it with  almost every dish they prepare. 
Just like in many other  Asian countries, rice is an 
important part of their culture, in  Thailand too, it 
is critical to have it with almost every dish.
By the way, do you know Thailand is one of the 
largest rice  exporters in the world?
BASIL – WIDELY AND COMMONLY USED
Basil is a common ingredient. You might have 
heard it being  used in Southeast Asia, but this 
herb is special in Thailand.
Even though it is very popular in the 
Mediterranean. When  we talk about basil in 
Thailand, we talk about an herb that  is unique 
because it cannot be found anywhere else in the  
world.
Also, it is known for its spicy flavor.
DURIAN – AMAZING FRUIT
Yes, you heard it right. It is an exotic Thai fruit. 
This is also  called “king of all fruits”. It is found 
throughout the country.  This fruit has more than 
a hundred known varieties in  Thailand. It is 
characterized by its strong odor – the reason  it is 
banned in public buildings and buses.
Some say DURIAN smells like blue cheese, while 
others say  it smells of onions. However, do not 
just go by the smell.
Must try it if you are in Thailand.
THAI IS NOT CHINESE AND VICE VERSA
Many people confuse both. Westerners have a difficult time distinguishing the Asian 
countries and the  nationalities. This is the reason they confuse China with Japan, 
China with Thailand, or even Thailand  with South Korea.
It is, however, important to know that Thailand is a completely different nation. It has 
nothing to do with  China and Japan. Similar is the thing with their food. Thai food is a 
little spicy whereas Chinese dishes  usually have a milder flavor. Thai food contains 
more herbs and is also usually cooked lightly.
DESSERTS ARE MOSTLY NOT COLD
Desserts are usually cold…right? Okay, sometimes those are also served hot. But Thai 
desserts are  usually not cold. Thai cuisine doesn’t contain many cold sweets. Thai 
people find it rude to serve desserts  cold. Unlike desserts in the West, traditional Thai 
sweet treats like khanom waan are not served cold,  unless it is coconut ice cream.
The reason is that quite recently, most people did not have refrigerators. Even if they 
had, electricity was  not cheap. So, to keep the cost down, desserts were made fresh 
daily, by using palm sugar, sweetened  coconut milk, and other different toppings.
POPULAR THAI CUISINES
Some of the popular Northern Thai cuisines include:
KHAO SOI
Khao Soi is a creamy noodle soup/curry. Perhaps the most famous Northern Thai dish. The 
soup is topped  with crispy fried noodles and served with chicken drumsticks. Khao Soi is 
not too spicy but gives subtle  flavours of garlic, ginger, and turmeric. The soup is usually 
served with lime, pickles, red onion, and  coriander.
HANG LAE
Hang Lae is a stew with a pork belly. It is made by using aromatic spices like tamarind 
and star anise. This  is made by using pork belly which is stewed for hours and it literally 
melts in your mouth.
Usually, this dish is topped with roasted nuts and finely chopped cilantro. Generally, 
Hang Lae is not a  spicy curry. So, if you do not want something spicy, then go for it.
NAM PRIK ONG
This Northern Thai specialty is a version of the common Nam Prik, a dish that is found 
in Thailand.
Nam Prik Ong is a dip that is made of ground pork, chilies, and tomatoes and served with 
cabbage leaves.  It is mild, full of herbs, and also reminds you of Italian pasta. If you put 
vegetables in this dip, you will get  an explosion of true flavors.
GET IN 
TOUCH
Shop K, Seaview Crescent, 8 Waterfront Rd,Tung Chung 
Hong Kong
+852 2762 8077
[email protected]
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