Eating Thai

Eating Thai The etiquette and enjoyment of a Thai meal Wherever it is eaten—in a restaurant, on a city sidewalk, on the open verandah of a farm house, even in the middle of a rice field at harvest time—a Thai meal is nearly always a social affair. Today, in most urban areas, a table and chairs are likely to be used for dining, though the floor still suffices in many rural homes, covered with several soft reed mats. Moreover, Western cutlery has come into general use: not knives, for in a properly prepared Thai meal nothing is large enough to need cutting, but a large spoon to scoop up individual portions of rice and a fork to help move the food on one's plate.

In the north and northeast, where steamed glutinous rice is preferred, it is proper to use the fingers to form small balls and dip them into more liquid dishes. Chopsticks may also be provided for Chinese-style noodle dishes, and a ceramic Chinese spoon for soups and certain desserts.

A large container of rice is always the centerpiece. Around this are placed all the other dishes and condiments, with the possible exception of dessert, if one is served. Guests are free to help themselves, in any order they want, mixing dishes at will and seasoning them with a wide variety of condiments to achieve the desired taste. The soup may thus be eaten at either the beginning or the end of a meal, and the salad likewise. The only constants are the rice, which accompanies almost everything, and dessert, which is usually brought after the other dishes have been removed.

The ideal Thai meal aims at being a harmonious blend of the spicy, the sweet and the sour, and is meant to be satisfying to the eye, nose and palate. Sometimes several of these flavors are subtly blended in a single dish, while sometimes one predominates. In addition to the rice, a typical meal might include a soup, a curry or two, a salad, a fried dish and a steamed one.

There will also be a considerable variety of sauces and condiments: nam pla, the essential salt substitute made from fermented fish; nam prik, which is nam pla combined with chopped chilies and other ingredients; crushed dried chilies as well as fresh ones for those who like their food really hot; pickled garlic; locally made chili sauce, and such fresh vegetables as cucumbers, tomatoes and spring onions.

The most common dessert is one or more of the delectable fruits that are so abundant in Thailand, while on special occasions, more elaborate desserts such as Foi Thong ("golden threads") or banana-leaf cups of Takaw, a confection of tapioca starch, sugar and coconut that comes in a wide variety of forms, may be served.