The Evolution of Thai Cuisine

The Evolution of Thai Cuisine The development of a unique and skillfully composed mosaic One of the most notable characteristics of Thai decorative art is its passion for intricate detail, particularly apparent in complex mosaics of colored glass and porcelain that adorn so many religious buildings. From afar, these suggest a solid, seamless pattern; only on closer inspection are the separate components revealed, and the skillful way they have been put together.

It is easy to see an analogy between such mosaics and many aspects of Thai culture, including its cuisine. Here, too, a wide variety of elements have been brought together and artfully composed into something quite unique, often surprising in the effect that it creates.

Little is known about the cooking of Sukhothai, where so much of what we regard as distinctively Thai first emerged. From the information in King Ramkhamhaeng's famous inscription, however, it is clear that rice and fish were the major ingredients. Fruits were undoubtedly plentiful as well, along with mushrooms that grew wild in the forests and a variety of vegetables. One item not present,

however, was the now ubiquitous chili, which originated in Central and South America and did not appear in Asian cuisines until the arrival of the first Europeans, several centuries later.

. A clearer picture is available of Ayutthaya, thanks largely to 17th-century French visitors who characteristically devoted a considerable amount of space to the subject of food in their accounts of the kingdom. Simon de la Loubere, for instance, who came with a diplomatic mission in 1687, was struck by the fact that the people ate sparingly. Good salt, he found, was a rare commodity, and fresh fish was seldom eaten, despite its abundance.

"A Siamese," he wrote, "makes a very good meal with a pound of rice a day, which amounts to not more than a farthing, and with a little dry or salt fish, which costs not much more...Their sauces are plain, a little water with some spices, garlic, or some sweet herb. They do very much esteem a liquid sauce, like mustard, which is only crayfish corrupted because they are ill-salted; they call it Kepi." Nicolas Gervaise, a Jesuit missionary, noted that kapi, the popular fermented shrimp paste, "has such a pungent smell that it nauseates anyone not accustomed to it" and gives perhaps the first general recipe for a typical Thai condiment based on it: "salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, white onions, nutmeg and several strongly flavoured herbs...mixed in considerable quantities with this shrimp paste."

From these accounts it is clear that for all its seeming simplicity, Thai cooking was already becoming more sophisticated. The presence of cloves and nutmeg is evidence of trade with the East Indies, and the fact that numerous Chinese, Japanese, Malays and Indians lived in Ayutthaya suggests other likely influences. None of the French writers specifically mentions chilies, but they were probably already in use, either brought directly by the Portuguese, who opened relations in 1511, or having come via Malacca or India. The Portuguese were also responsible for a number of still popular Thai sweets based on sugar and egg yolks and possibly for introducing the tomato, which is of New World origin.

The complex seasonings we now regard as typical of Thai cuisine, including chilies, were certainly well established by the Rattanakosin, or Bangkok, period. This is made abundandy clear in an account by Sir John Bowring, who wrote in 1855: "The Siamese prepare considerable quantities of curry as their habitual food. These are generally so hot that they burn the mouth of a European."

Bowring obviously learned to appreciate some of the "ardent comestibles," among them the essential

sauce called namprik, which, he explained, "is prepared by bruising a small quantity of red pepper in a mortar, to which are added kapi (paste of shrimps or prawns), black pepper, garlic and onions. These being thoroughly mixed, a small quantity of brine and citron-juice is added. Ginger, tamarinds and gourd seeds are also employed. The nam prik is one of the most appetite-exciting condiments."

Rice noodles were probably common in Ayuttha-ya, part of the China's considerable culinary legacy, but they became even more so in Bangkok, enhanced with Thai flavors and popular as a luncheon dish. Vendors offered a quick meal of kwaytiaow (stir-fried noodles with vegetables and meat or shrimp) from boats along the canals that threaded the capital and still do on almost every sidewalk in the city.

Another, more refined type of cuisine prevailed in royal and aristocratic households. Sometimes referred to as "palace cooking," this entailed not only great skill at blending various ingredients to achieve the most subtle nuances of taste but also the ability to carve fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of decorative forms to enhance the appearance of a dish. The acknowledged center of such skills was the women's quarter of the Grand Palace, where many daughters of aristocratic families were sent to prepare them for future life.

Thai food today may still be plain or fancy, a dish that can be prepared in a few minutes over a charcoal brazier or one requiring hours of chopping, grinding and carving; it may vary considerably from region to region. Always, though, it remains a singular creation, not quite like any of the influences that have shaped it over the centuries.