Thai Food - Rich in Culture and Flavor

 

Thailand, located in Southeast Asia, is known for its gorgeous mountains, scenic beaches and bustling shopping districts. One of Thailand's most memorable features is its delectable cuisine. Thai Food is a mixture of several flavors blended into perfect harmony. Balance is essential in the Thai culture and is exemplified in its cuisine. There are 5 fundamental tastes that are merged in each dish. Thai dishes often consist of foods that maintain a delicate balance between being salty, sweet, sour, bitter or spicy. It is this detailed attention that garners the praise that Thai food is often given. Thai food is among the most internationally known cuisines available in the world.
Thai food is most commonly known for being spicy. Dishes like Kaeng khae and Tom khlong are just a few examples. Kaeng khae is a spicy curry that consists of vegetables, herbs, meat and leaves from an acacia tree. Tom khlong is a spicy soup with a sourness that is derived through the addition of tamarind juice. Vegetables like tomato, mushroom and drilled chillies along with meat are common in the dish. The Thai cuisine balances certain flavors together. Spicy and sour foods are often paired to balance the taste as well as sweet and salty foods. No one flavor ever truly overshadows the other.

Thai food is said to be a blend of flavors from the four regions in the country. Each region, ranging from Isan to Southern Thailand, has cuisines that have been influenced by their surrounding cultures. Isan, for example, has dishes that are unique to its particular area. The food is slightly different from that of other Thailand regions. In Isan, sticky rice and chillies are an essential part of every meal served. The Isan cuisine consists of hotter, spicier foods with increased sourness. Central Thailand, in contrast, consists of milder flavors with jasmine rice served at many meals. Southern Thailand, located along the Malay Peninsula, has a cuisine that is uses coconuts heavily. Coconut is used as a garnishment for meals as well as for oil and milk.
In addition to specific tastes from the four regions, Thai food is also influenced by the Chinese cuisine. Techniques such as deep frying and products such as soy were introduced to the Thai culture from China. Chinese influence as well as the influence from various areas around the culture all share in shaping the exotic and flavorsome cuisines that Thailand is well known for.

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How to Use Thai Food for Romantic Dinners

 

Are you planning a romantic dinner and want to serve something different from anything you have ever made before? Thai food is the perfect selection in this case, because it is fresh, light and incredibly delicious. This is a cuisine style that is catching on around the world, but which is not so widespread that everyone knows what it is and has tried it before. That makes it perfect for a romantic dinner where you really want to impress.
Choosing Your Method
The first thing you have to do is decide whether you want to attempt making your own Thai food from a recipe, or if you want to order authentic Thai food already prepared. If you decide to order it already prepared, make sure to find a local service that creates authentic Thai cuisine. If you are going to serve Thai, you want to serve real Thai with all its delicious glory.
Another decision to be made if you are going with prepared food is to choose between picking it up or having it delivered to your home. If you pick up, make sure it will be ready and that you can pick up shortly before your dinner is planned to begin. You want it to be fresh and hot so they don't suspect they are eating cold take out.
If you have it delivered, make sure you will have it on time and that it will be fresh for the dinner. As long as you are getting it from a reputable Thai restaurant or delivery service making authentic cuisine, you should be fine.
If you are going to prepare the meal yourself, then keep reading. There are more things you have to consider so everything goes over well.
Study the Recipes
Thai cuisine is incredibly varied because of the different cultural influences that have mixed into the population of Thailand. You could taste test meals from five different authentic Thai restaurants and experience different flavors and cooking methods, all as a result of this variety.
So, it is important to spend some time studying Thai recipes and finding those that appeal to your taste buds or which your date will appreciate. You can find a lot of great desserts as well, so make sure to find recipes for every phase of your romantic meal.
The earlier you start reading recipes the better. Give yourself time to find recipes that you believe you have the cooking skills to master and which don't use strange ingredients that you may not be able to find. If you are uncertain about any ingredients, check into finding them before you decide for sure on that recipe.
Practice
Don't let the night of the big dinner be the first time you attempt the recipes you have chosen! You want to make sure you can create the recipe chosen and that the flavors come out as they should. Most people will tweak recipes based on their own taste buds and preparing the meal at least once in advance allows you to do this without the pressure of someone waiting for their meal or about to walk through the door.
Authentic Thai food is extremely tasty and can be very impressive to someone who has never had it before. Choose the right recipes or the right Thai restaurant service and you will have great food to start off a great romantic dinner.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Cheow