38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

1. Tom yum or Thai hot and sour soup

Tom yum is a Thai soup consisting of a fragrant, hot, sour broth and meats. The broth is made of stock and fresh ingredients such as kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chili peppers. Meats include chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp. Sometimes they add coconut milk, ice cream, and mushroom to the soup.

2. Thai hot pot

Similar to most hot pots, Thai hot pot consists of the broth, meats, vegetables, noodles, and dipping sauce. The spicy and sour broth which is cooked from stock, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce, toasted rice powder. Meats include beef, pork, or chicken, seafood. Noodles can be glass noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, etc. When eating, diners cook meats, vegetables at the table themselves. The cooked ingredients often are dipped in a special sauce made from fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind juice, roasted chili flakes, sugar, green onion, sawtooth coriander, cilantro, toasted rice powder.

3. Kaeng khiao wan or Thai green curry

Kaeng khiao wan or Thai green curry consists of a main protein (fish, fish balls, or meats), vegetables (eggplant, pea aubergine, green or whitish vegetables), sometimes fruits, green curry paste, palm sugar, fish sauce. The green curry paste is the key to Kaeng khiao wan, it makes the dish green typically and enhance the flavor of the dish.

4. Khao Soi or Thai coconut-curry noodle soup

Khao Soi is a soup-like dish consisting or meat curry containing coconut milk, deep-fried crispy egg noodles, and boiled egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime, ground chilies fried in oil. The soup is typically yellow, rich, flavorful and sweet-smelling distinctly.

5. Kuay teaw ped toon or Thai duck noodle soup

Kuay teaw ped toon or Thai duck noodle soup contains egg noodles, the broth cooked from stock, galangal, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, soy sauce, five spices, and toppings including stewed duck, bean sprouts, and green onions.

6. Kuaitiao ruea or Boat noodles

Traditionally, Kuaitiao ruea has been sold by boat vendors that floated along Bangkok’s canals and rivers so that it is called Boat noodles. The dish contains a strong flavored broth, a protein part (pork and beef, dark soy sauce, pickled bean curd, meatballs, pig’s liver), vegetables (radish, cinnamon, bean sprouts, parsley, morning glory), noodles (thin rice noodles, egg noodles, sen yai, and sen lek). Nam tok (cow or pigs blood mixed with salt and spices) is used to season the broth.

7. Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish. The flat and wide rice noodles are stir-fried with eggs, tofu, and seasoned with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper, and palm sugar. The noodles usually are served with lime wedges and chopped roasted peanuts. Sometimes the dish contains shrimp, crab, squid, chicken or other animal products, red chili pepper, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, and other miscellaneous fresh vegetables.

8. Kao pad or Thai fried rice

Kao pad is a fried rice dish made from jasmine rice, other ingredients such as carrots, tomatoes, eggs, shrimps, and spices including salt, sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce.

9. Khao pad poo or Thai fried crab rice

Khao pad poo is a fried crab rice which is made by frying jasmine rice with crabs, eggs, Thai fermented fish. The dish is usually served with a lime wedge.

10. Kanom jeen

Kanom jeen is a noodle dish containing kanom jeen – noodles made from fermented rice covered with chicken or fish curry. The dish is often garnished with vegetables, pickled vegetables.

11. Khao man kai or Thai Hainanese chicken rice

Khao man kai is the Thai version of Hainanese chicken rice which consists of boiled chicken pieces over rice cooked with the chicken broth, served with a special sauce and a soup. The dish is also topped with cucumber, blood pudding, decorated with coriander. Khao man kai is accompanied by a dipping sauce made from ginger, garlic, bird chili, cilantro root, fermented soy bean sauce, white vinegar, dark sweet soy sauce. The soup is made from chicken broth, vegetables (winter melon, daikon radish), cilantro, pepper, salt, etc.

12. Khao tom kui or plain rice congee

Khao tom kui is plain rice congee, it is eaten with many kinds of side dishes. The rice congee may include meats, egg, and green onion as well.

13. Kai yang or Thai grilled chicken

Kai yang literally means “grilled chicken”, it is usually dipped in spicy sauces and eaten with raw vegetables. To make this food, marinate and grill whole or halved chicken on a charcoal flame. The marinade typically includes garlic, turmeric, fish sauce, coriander root, white pepper, lemongrass, etc. A common sauce is made from toasted rice powder, chili flake, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind, cilantro

14. Kor moo yang or Thai grilled pork

Kor moo yang is grilled pork dish which is made by marinating pork neck with a marinade of oyster sauce, fish sauce, lemongrass pulp, palm sugar, Sangsom whiskey, then grilling the meat on charcoal. The grilled pork is cut into small pieces/slices, dipped in Nam jim jaew – a spicy Isan dipping sauce made from fish sauce, shallot, spring onion, palm sugar, tamarind pulp, lime, dried red chili flakes, coriander. Kor moo yang usually eaten with cucumber, beans, tomatoes, sometimes green papaya, sticky rice.

15. Pla pao or Thai grilled fish

Pla pao is a grilled fish dish made by grilling fresh fish stuffed with lemongrass, marinated with salt . Pla pao is usually served with coriander and accompanied by Nam jim seafood dipping sauce made from a combination of pounded, garlic, Thai bird chili, lime juice, sugar.

16. Mu daeng or Thai red pork

Mu daeng is a grilled pork dish, usually eaten with sticky rice. It is also called Thai red pork because it is in red color. Traditionally, they use a marinade made of herbs and berries to make the pork sweet and red. Today, at most street vendors stalls, they use artificial red food dye an sugar instead.

16. Moo ping or Thai grilled pork skewer

Moo ping or Thai grilled pork skewer is made from pork collar butt, usually served with sticky rice. The marinade is made from cilantro, oyster sauce, soy sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, coconut milk, white and black peppercorns, cornstarch.

17. Som tam or Thai green papaya salad

Som tam or Thai green papaya salad is one of the most commonly consumed by locals as well as tourists dish in Thailand. The salad includes shredded green papaya, tomatoes, long bean yards, dried shrimps. The vegetables and shrimp are mixed with a mixture of lime juice, chilies, salt, fish sauce, and sugar.

18. Laap pet or Isaan minced duck salad

Laap pet is made by mixing raw/stir-fried minced duck meat, fish sauce, lime juice, chilies, mint leaves, and other spices. This dish is usually eaten with sticky rice.

19. Yam pla duk fu or Crispy fish with green mango salad

Yam pla duk fu refers to Crispy fish with green mango salad. Catfish is shredded and fried until it creates a cloud of delicious crispiness. The sweet, sour, crunchy salad is made from green mango, palm sugar, fish sauce, shallots, chilies, and lime juice.

20. Nuea daet diao kaphrao thot or Thai beef jerky

Nuea daet diao kaphrao thot consists of sun-dried beef which is fried until crispy, mixed with fried holy basil. This food is often dipped in a spicy dipping sauce, often Sriracha sauce. Nuea daet diao kaphrao thot goes well with alcoholic beverages.

21. Tod man pla or Thai fish cakes

Tod man pla is red-curry-flavored fish cake, served with a sweet, sour, spicy dipping sauce. To make the fish cake, deep-fry a mixture of fish meat, red curry paste, egg yolk, long beans, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce. The sauce is made from garlic, spur chilies, Thai chilies, sugar, salt, vinegar. Roasted crushed peanuts, sliced shallots, and sliced cucumbers are also served with the dish.

22. Hoy tod or Thai oyster omelet

Hoy tod or Thai oyster omelet is made by frying egg with scallops, green onion, and chili sauce until crispy.

23. Moo dad diew or Thai pork jerky

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Moo dad diew is sun-dried pork, or what can be called pork jerky. The pork is normally sliced into little pieces and marinated in soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and sugar before being laid in the scorching Thailand sun for a day. After being dried, moo dad deaw is then either deep fried or grilled. The food is often dipped in chili sauce. It goes well with alcoholic beverages, especially cool beer.

24. Sai krok Isan or Thai fermented sausage

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Sai krok Isan is a fermented sausage made with pork, rice, and spices. The sausage can be grilled and served hot with bird’s eye chilis, raw cabbage, lime, and sliced ginger.

25. Saku sai moo or Thai tapioca dumplings

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Saku sai moo are a steamed tapioca dumplings stuffed with pork, crushed roasted peanuts, onions. The dumplings are garnished with cilantro, chilis, crushed roasted peanuts, and fried garlic.

26. Insects

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Many people in Thailand enjoy eating insects (grasshopper, scorpion, ant egg, cockroach) as a snack food, often enjoyed with beer. They’re usually fried in a wok, and seasoned with Golden Mountain sauce & a bit of Thai pepper powder.

27. Khao nia mamuang or Mango sticky rice

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Khao nia mamuang is Mango sticky rice made with glutinous rice, fresh mango and coconut milk. Steamed sticky rice is scooped onto a plate, a few mango slices are placed on top or to the side, and coconut milk is drizzled on top.

28. Roti kluai khai or Thai banana egg roti

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Roti kluai khai or Thai banana egg roti is a crepe stuffed with banana and egg, topped with condensed milk or syrup, chocolate.

29. Khanom tom or Thai coconut dumplings

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

To make Khanom tom or Thai coconut dumplings, mix Steamed sticky rice flour with sugar, dry coconut powder, pandanus juice, salt, brown sugar. The mixture is formed into small balls, boiled, covered with shredded coconut meat.

30. Bua loy nam khing or Floating lotus in ginger syrup

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Bua loy nam khing are sticky rice flour dumplings filled with black sesame, served with ginger syrup.

31. Itim Kati

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Itim Kati is coconut infused Thai style ice cream topped with roasted peanuts and usually served in a coconut shell.

34. Khanom krok or Thai coconut pancakes

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Khanom krok or Thai coconut pancakes are little half-moon shaped cups made of a thin, crispy outer layer with a super soft inner coconut layer. The cake is grilled on charcoal. Main ingredients for Khanom krok are rice flour, green onion, and coconut milk.

35. Thong Yip, Thong Yord, Foi Thong

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

In Thailand, orange desserts made from egg yolk, water scented with jasmine, and sugar are very popular. Some versions of the desserts are: Thong yip (Golden egg yolk flowers), Thong yord (Golden egg yolk balls), Foi Thong (Golden egg yolk threads).

36. Sang Kaya Fug Tong or Thai pumpkin custard

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Sang Kaya Fug Tong or Thai pumpkin custard made by steaming pumpkin stuffed with a mixture of egg, coconut milk, palm sugar, salt, vanilla extract. The pumpkin is cut into 6-8 pieces and often wrapped in banana leaves.

37. Cha yen or Thai tea

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Cha yen is a Thai cold or hot drink made from tea, milk and sugar.

38. Bia Chang or Chang Beer

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

38 Best Thai Foods & Drinks

Bia Chang is one of the most popular beers in Thailand. The taste of Chang Beer’s unique golden brew is created through a time-honored brewing process and a selection of the finest ingredients.

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