What is thai food?
Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese cooking. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America. Thais were very adept at’ Siamese-ing’ foreign cooking methods and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk was substituted for other daily products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galangal. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the fresh herbs increased It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai
