Finally, I landed onThai Cuisine …

Food in Thailand has harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish.

 Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into
something uniquely Thai.

Thai cooking originally reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle where Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients, meat was avoided. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks of meats in Thai cooking.

As most Thais are Buddhist, hence Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. They were laced with herbs and spices and shredded.

In the traditional Thai cooking stewing and baking, or grilling was used but with Chinese influences frying, stir frying and deep-frying were imbibed in the cooking.

Not only the Chinese but Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese also influenced the Thai cooking. Did you know that chillies were introduced during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America?

Thais are adept at integrating foreign cooking methods and substituting ingredients. Like the ghee used in Indian cooking is replaced by coconut oil and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products. Spices are toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galangal. In Thai curries, fresh herbs are used. Thai curries burn
intensely, but briefly.

Like in Indian cuisine in Thai cuisine a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting dinners to enjoy complementarily
combinations of different tastes.