So what is the "Big Secret" to Thai food?

It seems everywhere you go these days you trip over, articles, recipes and videos about Thai food. They all seem to be advocating you use a different style, method or ingredients.

The fact is there is no definitive recipe for any meal, it is always up to the preparers own preference.

I live in Thailand and although a "Brit" I only eat Thai food, (except on rare occasions), I have eaten everywhere from street vendors to high class restaurants and they all serve up similar sounding but hugely different offerings and just like any other country, Thailands' food has regional variations.

A quaint old English phrase spirings to mind "They do things different up North" and so it is everywhere you go in the world.

However there is no excuse for bad practice, and in Thai cooking this is particularlt true as you are invariably dealing with a variety of hugely varient flavour groups, texture groups aromatics and colours.

Flavours

Pungent: chilli,garlic,ginger

Sweet: sugar,sweet chilli,tamarind

Sour: tamarind,lime

Delicate: cucumber, lettuce, coriander,beansprouts

Aromatic: lemongrass, galangal,ginger

Textures

Delicate: holy basil, sweet basil, spinach (popeye salad), beansprout

Fibrous: lemongrass, galangal

Soft: tofu, squash, scallions, beansprout

Chewey: squid, tamarind,

Crunchy: spring onion, peanut etc

Aromatic

Delicate: basils, coriander, peanut, coconut

Strong: ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic

Colours Aw heck, are you getting the idea?

By no means an exaustive study (I'm sure you''ll think of ones I missed) but hopefully you get the point that many of these ingredients fall into one or more group. (I'll be honest I was getting confused there myself)

So back to my question... What is the BIg Secret?

Read on...

"Balance!"

A good Thai chef will balance that lot with consumate ease, they don't measure stuff out by the "tbs" or "cup" they know what goes with what and how much of it to use.

Here's the kicker: There aren't many of them around! A real rarity even here in Thailand. I believe that many Thai people including chefs have scoffed so much chilli as they grow up, their taste buds have become jaded

Two top Thai dishes:

Take Som Tam (papaya salad) and Tom Yam Gung (spicy, sour prawn soup) .

Sidebar: By the way Thai's generally call both shrimp and prawns "Gung" they then add a further descriptive to define the size and style. I remember when I was new to Thailand, I ordered barbequed gung, I was asked to choose my gung. Thinking I didn't need to look, prawns all look the same right? I declined, they insisted... What I was taken to see was crayfish the size of lobster! Good job I looked or I might have ordered a dozen! It wasn't very pleasant actually, very chewy and virtually tasteless, except for the chilli sauce, which was delightful and not over pungent. Saved an otherwise tasteless meal.

Back to the plot: They are both easy to make, simple ingredients, and an easy process. The trouble is, Somtam in most places is just plain "hot as hell fire" and after 3 gobfuls you lose all sensation of taste. (not pleasing to the palate) it needn't be like that, you can enjoy all the other contrasting flavours, textures and aroma, tomato, lime, peanut, papaya, sugar, garlic etc, if it's done right it is spicy, aromatic, sour, sweet, crunchy, soft, sweet in short- deliciously refreshing and good for you too! The same goes for Tom Yam Goong and many other classic Thai recipes. How many times have I had a wet Pad Thai, yuck!!

So when you're making Thai food try to think about the "Balance" you will enjoy it so much more!

Think about the best order to add the ingredients to preserve their qualities, how to treat that ingredient for best texture and flavour, and which ones are likely to overpower the others.

Two Som Tam Tips

1. After peeling your Papaya, wash off the foul tasting residual sap before shredding, this will help preserve the delicate flavours (it alledgedly causes spots, but that could just be an old wives tale)

2. Some ingredients like chilli and garlic need to be pounded hard, so they go in first, Put the shredded papaya in to your cruk-sac (pestle/mortar) LAST to preserve it's texture, it doesn't need much pounding, just enough so it takes on all the flavours of the juices

I don't subscribe to the macho, pier pressure "I'll have 15 chillies in mine" club. 3-5 chillies in a portion for two is spicy enough and will still allow you to enjoy all the other flavours to the end, not to mention what ever you are eating with it.

Aww go on then..., .

What goes with what?

"Balance" applies to your whole meal for best enjoyment, so if you're having Som Tam how about barbecued chicken, smokey barbecue together with spicy salad to refresh the palate.

What about a nice fried chicken red curry? Rich spicy flavours... My suggestion would be a nice lightly savoury and delicate pork and lettuce soup!

Get the idea? We take a lot of trouble choosing a wine to compliment our meal and too few people apply the same principles to what they order to actually eat.

The same applies to all food in my opinion, not just Thai recipes, so lets all eat a "Balanced Diet" enjoy "Balanced Food" and live a "Balanced Life"

I'm a very balanced individial..... I've got a chip on BOTH shoulders

Hope you found this helpful.

By the way my wife is a Thai chef who can "Balance" which is why I know what I'm talking about, and it's so often dissappointing when we dine out.

Tambalai