Popular Thai Dishes

Whether you stray off the beaten path or stick to hotels and tour groups, you are bound to see several popular Thai dishes again and again. Local people definitely have a food–obsessed culture, and their most popular Thai dishes accurately reflect this. Interestingly, these classic dishes barely scratch the surface of the creativity of Thai food as a whole. In fact, the Thai repertoire is so vast that even Thais will admit to not knowing all of the Thai food.

12 Popular Thai Dishes to Try in Thailand

Som Tam

Papaya salad is a national dish that is slowly gaining recognition outside of Thailand. The base of the salad is young shredded green papaya or mango, a few slices of tomato, and green beans.

These are pounded together with garlic, peanuts, palm sugar, and chilies, then doused with fish sauce and lime juice. Som tam has a bright taste that balances sweet, salty, and sour. In Thai restaurants, this dish comes simply made to suit the Western palate. Out on the street markets, you will have to specify other ingredients that make it really Thai, such as dried shrimp, field crabs, lots more chilies, and pla raa – fermented fish paste. Thais themselves customize this dish, telling the maker exactly how they want it, so do not hesitate to do the same as you order yours. They’ll invariable ask ‘mai pet’ – meaning ‘not spicy, right?’

Yam Talay Salad

This is a spicy salad made with seafood, such as shrimp, mussels, squid, or crab. It contains a mix of spicy and sour ingredients. It’s a must-try f you love seafood, and there are a lot of local versions of this salad that may contain one or a few of those meats. It also includes tamarind concentrate, chilly paste, fish sauce, onions, rice glass noodles, and tomatoes.

Tom Yam Goong

This hot and sour lemongrass and shrimp soup is the unofficial ambassador of Thailand. Tom yam goong usually involves a light chicken stock, shrimp, straw mushrooms, a few tomatoes for looks, and plenty of aromatic herbs like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro. The flavors are balanced to the cook’s tastes with proper amounts of lime juice and fish sauce. Sometimes the soup is really spicy, but every time you are guaranteed a delicious balance of salty and sour, as you enjoy a good bowl of tom yam goong.

Tom Kha Gai

This is another essential Thai soup dish. The key ingredients are chicken stock, chicken, mushrooms, onions, galangal, and coconut milk, which gives it a mellow white color. It is heavier and milder than the shrimp soup above, but just as satisfying, offering the classic balance of flavors that Thailand is famous for.

Gaeng Kiaow Waan

Literally translated as ‘sweet green curry’ is one of the three principal curries you find in Thailand. The curry is green (‘kiaow’ in Thai) because the curry paste is made from pounded green chilies. Other ingredients in the paste are a complex mix of pounded herbs like galangal, garlic, and lemongrass. As the name suggests, you can expect this curry to be lightly sweet, and to include the meat of choice, eggplant, coconut milk, and generous amounts of Thai basil.

Pad Thai

Noodles have made the global rounds introducing many Westerners to their first tastes of Thai cuisine. Eaten more often as a quick snack rather than a meal by the Thais, it is readily found throughout the country. The dish is cooked with fish sauce, crushed peanuts, stir–fried rice noodles, sugar, and then a few dried shrimp. It is a great Thai treat that appeals to nearly everyone. You can expect to pay next to nothing for it at a food stall compared with ordering it in your hotel, so head outside for a true taste.

Massaman

A southern Malay-style dish that is a nice mild introduction to Thai food (unless you experience a genuine spicy local version in southern provinces). It comprises a coconut-based brown curry flavored with peanuts and usually includes chicken along with potato chunks. It’s widely found on menus and is one of the most popular and flavorsome Thai dishes.

Gaeng Phet

This is the name for red curry in Thai, only the name actually means ‘spicy curry.’ The curry paste gets its color from red chilies and also includes as many as 20 other items, most prominently lemongrass, garlic, and galangal. Most restaurants serve it with your choice of meat and adjust the heat for Westerners. A favorite dish of central Thai cuisine, gaeng phet pet yang (red duck curry), is a rich and sweetly delicious take on red curry. Many Westerners count it as a favorite among Thai dishes.

Panang Curry

This is red curry with a name that is easy for most Westerners to remember, and so many enjoy this dish by default as well as by choice. It is Malay-influenced and often much sweeter and less soupy than standard red curries. The sauce is rich with flavors from red curry paste, coconut cream, and a pinch of sugar. Enjoy these Thai dishes regionally in the center of the country, in the south, or in hotel restaurants all over.

Satay

Is marinated, grilled, skewered meat – usually pork, sometimes chicken, and is known outside of Thailand nearly as well as the accompanying peanut sauce that it is served with. The sweet, creamy peanut sauce, rich with coconut milk, reflects its Malay influence and has become an icon for Thai cuisine. The remarkable combination of flavors between grilled meat and creamy peanut sauce has endeared this dish to all.

Pak Boong

Pak Boong (Morning Glory) is a popular vegetable in Thailand, thanks to its sweet and juicy taste. It’s usually boiled or steamed and served as part of a main dish, although sometimes it can be found incorporated into salads. One thing that makes Pak Boong stand out is its nutrition – it’s full of antioxidants, vitamins A and C, as well as fiber and calcium. Additionally, its leaves contain a compound that has anti-cancer properties, making it a great choice for those looking to boost their overall health. It’s often served with oyster sauce. With its diverse uses and easy preparation, Pak Boong definitely deserves its place among traditional Thai cuisine!

Pad Krapao

Pad Krapow, a popular staple dish of Thailand, is a shawarma-like plate of fried basil. This aromatic dish is made with holy basil and yummy fresh ingredients like garlic, soy sauce, chilies, and sugar. In order to make the perfect Pad Krapow, it’s important to balance the sweetness with the right amount of salty-savory elements. This dish is usually cooked with chicken, minced pork, or tofu.

The fragrance of this dish alone is enough to tempt anyone’s taste buds! Not only is this delectable dish packed with flavor, but its versatility makes it easy to enjoy over many different kinds of proteins – from chicken, beef, pork, and even fish. Make sure not to miss out on this deliciousness!