|
Thailand means the land of the free as
it has never been under colonial rule. it has however been exposed to
foreign influences, in particular that of China. Much of the original
population of Thailand originated from China, so it is hardly
surprising that the Chinese influence on Thai cooking is very great.
Stir frying in the wok and use of an original Mongolian stewing kettle
are still in use in the Thai cuisine. Highly spiced rice noodles and
rice figure largely in Thai cooking. A fertile soil and suitable
climate for rice cultivation has made Thailand one of the biggest
suppliers of rice in the world.
Thai food is more highly spiced than
Chinese food and whereas the Chinese use soy sauce and oyster sauce,
the Thai use fish sauce. Thai cuisine became known recently and has
gained popularity in many parts of Asia and the West. Many new
ingredients such as bell peppers have been incorporated into
traditional Thai cuisine and have become the standard ingredient in
Thai dishes. The most well known Thai cuisine is the Tom Yam dish, a
very spicy and pungent typically Thai concoction. |