An Introduction To Thai Food

An Introduction To Thai Food
by: John Turner

If you mentioned Thailand to a westerner say 30 years or so ago, more than likely they would confuse the country with the Chinese Republic on Taiwan. Or, if they even knew the name at all, all it was probably through Hollywood’s slightly libelous version of Thai “history” as portrayed in Anna and the King of Siam. Nowadays, of course, Thailand is known throughout the world, and the reason is the kingdom’s fabulous cuisine. Thai restaurants can be found in almost every nation and are patronised by people who may never have set foot in Southeast Asia or possibly never even left their own.

So just what is it that makes Thai food special? Most likely it is the combination in each dish of the four basic flavours – sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Over the centuries, Thai cooking has borrowed freely from the culinary arts of China, India and Malaya, blending these different influences to create something that is truly unique. And while Thai food has a reputation for being spicy, in reality most dishes are not. The spiciness varies by region, and central Thai cuisine – the most commonly encountered variety – is probably the least spicy of all.

Recommended dishes for someone new to Thai food might be gai tawt met mamuang himapan (chicken fried with onions, cashews and mild red peppers), gai haw bai toey (seasoned chicken roasted in pandan leaves), nuea paht nam man hoi (slices of beef cooked in oyster sauce), the famous tom yam goong (a mildly spicy shrimp soup) and mee grawp (crisply fried noodles with a light coating of sugar). These favourites should be available in any proper Thai restaurant anywhere in the world.

For lunch, a light one dish meal might be preferred, say khao paht goong (fried rice with shrimp) or kweitiou paht Thai (rice noodles stir fried with an egg, tofu and dried shrimp, and garnished with ground peanuts).

A proper meal when friends gather in Thailand, however, will always include many selections. The more people present, the more the different dishes that will be ordered. Unlike a western dinner, a Thai meal will not be served in courses. There may be a light appetizer, such as baw bia tawt (fried Chinese spring rolls). But the main dishes will probably all arrive at nearly the same time. Diners help themselves by using a large serving spoon to take as much of whatever they want. There will invariably be a soup – like as not tom yang goong, possibly a mild curry made with coconut milk (not ghee as in India), and one or more chicken or fish dishes. A spicy salad may also be included, provided there are enough people to warrant it. Every effort is made to try to balance the meal, both in respect to taste and to visual appearance. (The Thais are great lovers of beauty.) At large gatherings, a common practice is to finish the meal by ordering a huge plate of fried rice to ensure that no one goes away hungry. Soft drinks or fruit juices will probably ordered for the women and children, with the men opting for the ice cold and potent Thai beer.

Sweets may follow, but desserts are not as commonly ordered in Thailand as in the west. Thai sweets are generally made from some combination of rice and coconut, but the variety is nothing short of amazing. Unfortunately, Thai sweets all do tend to taste a bit alike, and a better choice is a platter of fresh fruit. With its semi-tropical climate, Thailand has some kind of fruit always in season. Oranges are available year round, and Thai pineapples are noted for being among the best in the world. Papayas, oranges and pomelos (sort of a sweet grapefruit) will also be available most of the year, along with more exotic and seasonal fruit such as rambutan, mangosteen and durian.

In the articles on Food in Thai, that follow this one you will be introduced to the origins and types of Thai food, Thai cooking, courses and the various Cooking Schools in Thailand. We hope you will stay with us and enjoy learning more about it.

So as we say in Thailand, Sawatdee. See you next time.

About The Author

John Turner lives in Bangkok and recently started work on Food in Thai which is a journal where he hopes to capture some of the rare and very special moments he has experienced during the time he has spent in the Kingdom of Thailand

Maui, the second largest island of Hawaii

Hawaii has about the same weather, beaches and activities like parasailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc., as Thailand. But Hawaii's weather is more sub-tropical, moderated by the surrounding ocean. And you can see volcanoes plus experience snow at the top of the higher mountains in winter in Hawaii, something you can't get in Thailand. You can also see humpback whales in the ocean surrounding Hawaii.

There are six major island and a few atolls in the archipelago of Hawaii. Maui is the second largest and has what many people consider as the best beaches in the world. It also has what is claimed as the largest dormant volcano on earth, the Haleakala Crater which itself is in the Haleakala National Park in East Maui. One of the pleasures that visitors and local can enjoy is a drive up to the peak to witness the spectacular sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening. At night you can also watch bright shinning stars undisturbed by stray lights from the cities.

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Thailand’s Vegetarian Festival

Thailand’s Vegetarian Festival
by: John Turner

First time visitors arriving in Thailand at the start of any October might be puzzled by the myriad of eye-catching bright yellow pennants displayed by street vendors or nowadays even strung out in front of restaurants. What it simply means is that the annual Vegetarian Festival is upon us once again.

This unique Thai festival had its origins on the southern island of Phuket some 180 years ago and has gradually spread to virtually all parts of the kingdom. Rather surprisingly, it is actually of Chinese origin and not really Thai at all. It began among the Chinese immigrants who had flocked to Phuket in the early 19th Century to work in the tin mines that once provided the island’s economy. According to local historians, about the year 1825, a mysterious epidemic struck the Chinese miners and their leaders met to discover the cause. They noted that the traditional Chinese rituals were being neglected, and the mining community was accordingly ordered to undergo a period of fasting as a penance. After nine days, the disease vanished as mystifyingly as it had arrived.

Now no one likes going hungry for days on end, so the village elders decided on a compromise. They vowed that each year on that anniversary the Chinese on the island would practice a period of cleansing by adopting a vegetarian diet. Offerings to the Chinese divinities would naturally be made and a strict code of conduct would be followed, which included sexual abstinence and foregoing the consumption of alcohol. As the years went by, something bizarre also took place. Individuals spontaneously began to be “possessed by spirits” during the festival and would take to impaling themselves with sharp object or slashing themselves with razor sharp knives. Yet once the spirit had left them, there would be no visible wounds or even the slightest scars. This Hindu like self-mutilation naturally drew Thai tourists to the island, and these Thais carried the idea of a vegetarian festival back to their home provinces.

Nowadays, the Vegetarian Festival is observed in virtually every fair sized city in Thailand. The yellow pennants one sees bear a Chinese character in red, with the Thai word “jeh” next to it. Both mean vegetarian. Any vendor displaying these flags will be selling flesh free food and the restaurants will have adapted their usual recipes to meatless cooking.

In Bangkok, the Vegetarian Festival is best seen in Yaowarat – the city’s picturesque Chinatown. It begins there on the first day of the 9th month of the Chinese lunar calendar with ceremonies similar to those on Phuket. Even before that, Chinatown residents will have started stocking up on vegetarian meat substitutes – usually high protein soy bean products, and it has been estimated that meat sales drop by as much as 70 percent during the ten days of the festival.

But the festival is not merely limited to Chinatown or the Chinese-Thais. Many ethnic Thais and even foreign expats welcome the change to a vegetarian diet, and perhaps one restaurant in five will switch over. In fact, vegetarian tourists have been known to plan their visits to the kingdom to coincide with this period.

The dishes offered during the Vegetarian Festival are nothing short of delightful. All of the Thai favourites are available, but with a slightly different twist. Instead of tom yam gung (spicy shrimp soup), there will be tom yam jeh (spicy vegetable soup). Gaeng matsaman, a delicious southern Thai curry made with chicken, potatoes, onions and peanuts, instead will have the chicken replaced by tofu. Gaeng kiao wan, a mild green curry usually made with chicken or fish, will now be made with soy protein. Mushrooms of all types will be used in abundance, and the big yellow Japanese soba noodles are used to produce a version of kweitiou pat Thai (noodles fried Thai style) that is well worth waiting for.

In fact, Thailand’s Vegetarian Festival is probably one of the best times to visit the country, even though it does fall within the rainy season. After all, you can always carry an umbrella. And the choices of food offered at this time of year rival the best of any cuisine that Asia has to offer.

So next time you come to Thailand, look for those yellow pennants. If it is not that time of year, just tell your waiter you want to try the aharn jeh, the dishes on the vegetarian menu. Most restaurants will have one. It makes a pleasant break from the usual meat heavy diet that is so common in the west.

Aharn jeh aroy mahk! Thai vegetarian food is delicious. Try it and see if you don’t agree. You should also visit us on www.foodinthai.com where you will be introduced to the origins and types of Thai food, Thai cooking, courses and the various Cooking Schools in Thailand. We hope you will stay with us and enjoy learning more about it.

About The Author

John Turner lives in Bangkok and recently started work on www.foodinthai.com which is a journal where he hopes to capture some of the rare and very special moments he has experienced during the time he has spent in the Kingdom of Thailand

Travelling Thailand: 5 Top Destinations

Travelling Thailand: 5 Top Destinations
by: Robert Thatcher

With several sights to see and surprises to offer, Thailand could be one of the best locations you should not miss to visit. Culture, beaches, people, and heritage sites are some of the things you can expect when you travel to Thailand.

Bangkok – Traveling Thailand wound not be complete without visiting Bangkok. As the nation’s capital with an estimated population of over 10 million (including the neighboring provinces), this city is by far the largest in the country. The city is divided into 50 districts or khet but for tourists and those who are new in the place, 6 divisions would be more useful. These are Ratchadaphisek in the northeast section of the city, Sukhamvit in the southeast, Silom in the south, Thonburi in the west, Rattanakosin in the central north, and Phahanyothin in the north. The whole Bangkok district would give you a diverse taste of culture, history, religion, modernity, and fast-phase life. You can actually witness how all these blend together to comprise the whole Bangkok package. Buddhist temples, historical museums, towering buildings, contemporary restaurants and hotels, shopping centers, canals and rivers, and food make Bangkok a one of a kind city in Southeast Asia.

Phuket – Down south, Phuket features magnificent beaches, tropical sunsets, white sands, blue seas, and breathtaking sceneries. No wonder it is the most popular vacation destination in Asia beating every beaches of the neighboring countries. It has several beaches like Kata Beach, Karon Beach, Patong Beach, Kamala Beach, and Surin Beach. The island showcases several water sports and activities including parasailing, jet-skiing, and scuba diving. By day, Phuket is alive with beachgoers and shoppers and by night, lights, sounds, and party people dominate the whole island.

Chiang Mai – The second largest city in Thailand with an estimated population of more than 200,000. This city located in the northern part of the country offers greener and quieter city. Chiang Mai’s tourism is becoming more and more popular and permanently settling at this city is very common. When you travel Thailand and visit Chiang Mai, you surely would want to see museums such as Hilltribe Research Institute Museum and the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Center. With religion and history enriching the city, you can see several Buddhist temples such as Wat Chiang Mun, Wat Chiang Mun, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Oo-Mong, Wat Phra Jao Mengrai, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, and Wat Chedi Luang. The oldest temple dates back in the 11th century. Chiang Mai features attractions such as Chiang Mai Flower Festival in February, Bo Sang Umbrella & Sankampang Handicrafts Festival in January, The 2nd Orchid Fair also in January, and the Loi Krathong Festival usually falls in November.

Pattaya – Located 150 km. north of Bangkok, Pattaya is one of the most popular tourist destinations, which offers great beaches, beer and go-go bars, and a wide array of sport activities. Visit Pattaya when you travel Thailand is a must. Although it is the most overdeveloped part of the country in terms of tourism, prices in Pattaya still remains with reach. In fact, prices of foods, accommodation, and transportations are very affordable.

Krabi – In a small province of Krabi lies a small town with the same name. Paying a visit Krabi town when you travel Thailand is worth the time. Located south of Bangkok near Phuket and Phi Phi island, the town features great beaches along with high end hotels and not so expensive hotel that cater tourists of different classes.

About The Author

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides thailand travel resources on Your Thailand Travel.

Thailand Rock Climbing

Thailand Rock Climbing
by: Rick Chapo

Mention Thailand and images of beaches, elephants and Bangkok come to mind. Less known is the fact Thailand rock climbing is some of the best in the world.

Thailand Rock Climbing

Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is bordered by Cambodia, Burma and Laos in the north and Malaysia in the south. The shape of the country is somewhat similar to Italy, and you’ll find similar differences between northern and southern Thailand that you do in Italy. For rock climbing enthusiasts, the south of Thailand is where the action is.

The rock formations in Thailand are almost universally limestone. The level of climbing can be as simple as bouldering or as challenging as tackling over vertical cliffs. This makes Thailand a popular rock climbing destination since it has a little something for everyone.

Krabi

Located on the southern section of the “tail” of Thailand, Krabi has a wide variety of rock climbing challenges. Most of the climbs in this area are of the pre-bolted sport route variety. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of climbs with difficulty levels from beginner to multi-pitch knuckle crushers.

The beauty of climbing in Krabi is…well, the beauty. While you might have visions of jungles and mosquitoes when thinking of Thailand, Krabi is an area of a different sort. Most of the climbs have been set up on cliff faces on the beach. Being natural capitalists, the Thai’s have built hotels, bars and so on at these locations. As a result, you can literally climb a multi-pitch route for five hours, cool off with a swim and then have a beer. If there is such a thing as a rock climbing heaven, many feel Krabi is it.

Before you cash in your savings, keep in mind that Thailand is a seasonal vacation spot. If you go during the wet season, there is a good chance you’ll just end up sitting around drinking beer. While that isn’t too bad, you’ll go crazy looking at the climbs that are so close, but oh so far away.

Generally, you want to head to Thailand from late November through maybe April. The summer months tend to be both incredibly hot and wet. Make sure you pull up forecasts for the area before booking a trip.

Flying to Thailand is inexpensive, but flights are incredibly long with stopovers. Still, it is all worth it once you experience Thailand rock climbing.

About The Author

Rick Chapo is with www.nomadjournals.com/climbing.cfm - makers of rock climbing journals. Personal climbing journals make great Christmas gifts for rock climbing, mountain climbing and ice climbing. To read climbing articles and stories, visit Mountain Rock Ice.

Planning A Trip To Thailand?

Planning A Trip To Thailand?
by: Robert Michael

If you want an exotic trip, why not choose Thailand? Though it might be costlier than heading to southern California or Miami, you’ll have memories (and photographs!) that will wow your friends and family for years to come.

As you plan your priceless journey, just remember to keep a few factors in mind:

Thailand Visit Tip #1: Learn about Thai food

When you get to Thailand, you’ll no doubt be trying a great deal of Asian cuisine. Thus, it would behoove you to try some of the more common Thai dishes before you set off on your journey. If you live near a large city, you no doubt have access to any number of Thai restaurants. When you go, ask the servers or proprietor(s) about authentic Thai fare. That way, you’ll be able to prepare your palate for your visit.

If you’re not able to make it to a Thai eatery, you can always check out a book on Thai cooking from the local library (or purchase one in your Barnes and Noble or Borders bookseller.) This way, you can try your hand at creating some of the culinary delights you’ll be feasting on during your time in Thailand.

Thailand Visit Tip #2: Dress for the temperature and weather conditions

Because the Internet affords you the opportunity to find out about weather anywhere in the world, make sure you jump online during the days before you leave for your visit to Thailand. That way, you’ll know exactly what to pack (and what not to wear). Nothing is worse than being in a country where you don’t know the language and are feeling physically uncomfortable because you’re dressed inappropriately.

Thailand Visit Tip #3: Go to your doctor

Before traveling overseas, it’s best for you to get a full physical at your doctor. Why? First of all, you really should have an annual appointment, anyway. But secondly, you don’t want to have a health emergency when you’re overseas.

Your physician may also prescribe a variety of shots or suggestions for healthy eating regimens while you’re in Thailand. Make sure you bring a notepad and jot down all his or her comments.

Thailand Visit Tip #4: Get your passport in advance

Many people traveling to countries such as Thailand forget to order their passports until too late. In all the excitement, this important “to do” is entirely forgotten.

Rather than waiting until the last minute, make sure that you get your passport immediately, because it can take some time to receive in the mail. In fact, you might even want to get your passport before you book your flights to and from Thailand, just to be on the safe side. (And your passport will last many years, so even if you have to put off your Thailand trip for a year or two, your passport will still be good.)

By taking a few precautions, you can ensure that your time in Thailand will be well-spent and will result in a meaningful vacation that you’ll recall with fondness for the rest of your life.

About The Author
Robert Michael is a writer for MT Thailand which is an excellent place to find thailand links, resources and articles. For more information go to: www.mtthailand.com

Diving On Koh Tao In Thailand

Diving On Koh Tao In Thailand
by: Andy Perrin

Scuba diving is by far the biggest attraction on Ko Tao, and it is easy, fun, and you will see a lot of fish, perhaps even turtles, stingrays, barracuda, reef sharks, and even a whale shark if you get lucky

You will get good diving weather on Koh Tao apart from November, when the sea is choppy, and visibility is poorer than normal. The visibility can be over 40 metres during the rest of the year.

You will find a lot of dive operators on the island, and some of them offer accommodation. Just beware that when you read the accommodation is free, it’s not really, because they will offer discounts if you stay somewhere else.

In 2006 you will pay in the region of 10,000 bht for a PADI open water certificate, and this should include the new PADI training manual, proper professional instruction, rental equipment, boat dives etc. This may include insurance and basic accommodation, but shop around, and remember the methods of instruction may differ enormously.

A few hints include avoiding shops that use swimming pools to teach you in. You’ll find it cold, boring, and unhygienic, bearing in mind this is a very popular diving island, and they will have literally hundreds of students .

Choose one that will take you to a private beach so you will see fish and coral right away, it is a lot more interesting, and you will probably get more dives!!

It’s also a good idea to find a dive shop that has its own private pier, so you won’t have to climb over other boats at the pier, although you won’t be carrying your dive gear, that should be carried by a Dive Master Trainee. In addition you ought to ask how many students there will be in your group, because there should not be more than a small handful, if they tell you there will be more than ten then look elsewhere. You want personal tuition for something as important as this, and you want your course to be really enjoyable.

If you are looking for specific dive shops, this list whilst by no means exhaustive, is at least a starting point.

1. Coral Grand . Located in a much quieter area than the other dive shops, at the far end of the beach, the hotel is more upmarket than most on the island although the 'free' rooms are still basic. Operates 2 dive boats plus a speed boat.

2. Divepoint . Located in Mae Haad on the waterfront. Divepoint has probably the nicest dive boat on the island, big enough that you won't have to carry your gear to and from it. PADI and SSI.

3. Easy Divers. Fantastic Dive Shop with really experienced instructors. Professional and fun with great accommodation. Based right in the heart of Ko Tao.

4. IDC Ko Tao. Instructor development courses (IDC's) run every month by English PADI Course Director Matt Bolton.

5. Phoenix Divers. Right on Sairee Beach, has good boats, new gear and multilingual often western staff.

6. Stingray Divers. Very modern dive resort overlooking Chalok Ban Khao Bay.

Hope this information helps you to have great diving experience on Koh Tao.

About The Author
Andy Perrin feels you don't need five star to have a great vacation, and if you want to check out what he means try http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Far-East-Hotels/Thailand/Koh-Tao/.