🖐 5 TRADITIONAL THAI DISHES! DO YOU KNOW THEM ALL?

It took me almost a month to prepare this article! I ate with local people, walked in small bars and stands, tried different tastes and even talked and watched the work of local chefs. Thanks to this, today I can share with you 5 dishes, which in my opinion are worth trying on the island of Phuket! 

The first two dishes have made Thai cuisine famous all over the world and are known to practically everyone! Although they are not very popular among the locals (they are usually ordered by tourists), local chefs have improved their preparation to perfection! 

The other three are the dishes that are most often ordered by locals and they are the ones that are most popular at Phuket. 

1. PAD THAI

The first dish you're sure to know and hear about is Pad Thai, a fried rice noodles. It is usually served with chicken or shrimps.
The set of spices used in it and the way it is prepared make this dish, although it is simple, very deep and full of flavour. The spices that make Pad Thai a phenomenal dish are: tamarind paste, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, chilli and garlic.
A set seemed to be simple, but believe me that combined with the skilled hand of a Thai chef gives fantastic results. 

Traditionally, Pad Thai is served with beans sprouts, roasted peanuts and lime, the addition of which increases the taste of the dish even more.

2. TOM YUM

I think every foodfan knows this soup! It is popular all over the world and comes from Thailand. Tom Yum soup has a spicy - sour taste and is ideal for hot days! It adds energy, hydrates well and has a surprisingly fresh taste! 

Most often it is served with chicken or shrimps (this is my favourite version), and in the set you will often get rice as well. 

The amazing taste of this soup is caused by kaffir ( lime leaves), lemon grass, ginger and galangal. This blend of ingredients makes the soup very refreshing, and it also perfectly balances its spicy taste.
Surprisingly, to the original version we don't add coconut milk, but cow's milk. 

3. PORK SATAY

Time for dishes that are most often ordered by local people! The first one is pork Satay. To prepare this dish, the pork is cut into thin slices and then marinated in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic and ginger. The whole thing is marinated quite long and then filled with sticks and very short-grilled on both sides. 

Satay does not exist without a peanut sauce! This sauce makes the whole dish surprisingly tasty and very rich in taste. The sauce contains roasted peanuts, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, lime, garlic and coconut milk - these ingredients mix give it a truly unique flavour. 

The dish is cheap, delicious, surprising and for me it is one of the most interesting forms of pork I have had the opportunity to try so far.

4. GREEN PAPAYA SALAD

Green-lovers, I haven't forgotten about you either! 

If you are in the Phuket area, try green papaya salad! It is a very popular addition to many dishes, but it also serves as a full dish. Just tell the cook that you want a full dish and you will get a set with rice and some extras. It can be served with an egg, fermented fish, snails, small crabs and other seafood. The sour-sweet taste of the salad fits perfectly into fish meals and perfectly balances its spicy taste.

To prepare the salad we finely chop papaya, add small tomatoes, chilli, roasted peanuts, lime, palm sugar and a mysterious ingredient - powdered, dried shrimps! 

Thanks to these ingredients, the taste is amazing and very original! 

5. GREEN CURRY WITH PORK

This dish has expanded my culinary horizons the most, because I have always associated curry with India and the consistency of soup or stew. In Thailand, on the other hand, this dish is being prepared in a completely different way! 

The finely chopped pork is fried together with green curry paste, kaffir, lemon grass and ginger.
If the curry paste itself is not enough spicy, the Thais add an extra portion of chilli peppers to the dish. :)

I heard that this dish is especially liked by locals and I am not surprised by it! It has a very fresh taste and is as hot as a good Thai dish should be! 

Searching for and discovering new flavors in Thailand was a great fun and I hope this article will inspire you to try this wonderful cuisine!

Which of these dishes looks the most appetizing to you? Or maybe you know some other Thai dishes that you think are worth trying? 

Let me know in comments! 

@the.foodini