Thai

What it is

Thai cuisine grew out of Siamese court cooking blended with Chinese stir-fry, Indian-style curries, and a chili that arrived from the Americas via Portuguese traders. The regional split — northern Lanna, northeastern Isaan, central Bangkok, and southern Andaman — gives the country an enormous menu.

How it tastes

Every plate aims at rot chat, a layered harmony of hot, sour, salty, and sweet. A Thai cook reaches for fish sauce, lime, palm sugar, and chili the way a French cook reaches for salt and butter. Coconut milk and roasted curry pastes carry the rich side; lime, tamarind, and herbs keep things bright.

Signature dishes & techniques

Pad Thai — the country’s most famous noodle stir-fry — was promoted nationally in the 1940s as a wartime rice substitute. Tom yum goong layers galangal, lemongrass, and lime over shrimp; green curry crushes fresh chilies into coconut milk. Northern khao soi and Isaan’s som tum show how varied “Thai” can be.