Thailand food is one of the most unique and delicious cuisines in Southeast Asia. If you are in a restaurant serving Thai food, you will notice its striking difference from Chinese and Indian cuisines. Let us take a look at the historical origins of the Thai food.

History and Origins

The Thai delicacy originated with individuals who emigrated from the southern Chinese provinces many years ago. In the ancient period, there was a significant Szechwan influence on Thai cuisine. However, over the years, there have been many other influences from different parts of the world.

In the distant past, it is believed that Buddhist monks brought in the Indian touch to the Thai cuisine. Also, southern Muslim states contributed significantly to the cooking style in the southern part of Thailand.

After Thais came into contact with the Portuguese missionaries and the Dutch traders, their cooking style was also influenced by European cuisine. It has been shown that during the same period, some influence came from the Japanese. At the time of writing, Thai has its unique cuisine that stands out from the crowd and is affected by five tastes; salty, bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy.

The Regional Differences

Thailand boasts vast geography, and through the years, this has contributed to the differences in cooking styles in various regions within the nation. At the current time, the country is known to have at least four different cooking styles. They have the northern style, the north-eastern style, the central style, and the southern style.

The Thai dishes can be classified into four types, which include rice dishes, side dishes, desserts, and plate meals. If you are planning a travel to Thailand, you should be ready to taste different cooking styles and dishes to have an exclusive experience of their cuisine. They also have some of the best restaurants in the world serving an array of local and foreign dishes.