The Thai food population in the UK has doubled in the last 10 years, and it’s a community that has opened local restaurants and added their unique flavour to the Brits.
One of the main reasons why Thai food is so delicious is because authentic Thai food is made from a carefully balanced taste of sweet, salty, spicy and sour all at once. It’s called “Umami”, a subtle flavour of tasty, savoury wholesomeness, discovered over 100 years ago.
Whenever we try to explain Thai food to locals, instantly they feel that it is very difficult only because of the complex flavours involved in it. This is a common misinterpretation.
We have noted down the main factors that make it so unique and popular among its UK audience.
Don’t like spicy food much? No problem!
Lots of people who have never tried Thai food before think that it’s all about spices heading their way. While only a few of the Thai dishes are incredibly spicy, there are a lot of other dishes that aren’t. This does not make the dish any less “Thai” or delicious- it simply means it is just not spicy. So, there is a lot of variety if you are not a big fan of spicy food in general.
It’s not baked at all…
We wish you all the best in finding an oven in a Thai chef’s home. They hardly have any baked food in their cuisines. Even though fried, grilled treats and meals have taken over the world, it’s not true when we talk about Thai food. If you’re looking for some delicious, carb-loaded baked goods, you’re going to have to search high and low. Basically, you can eat as much Thai food as you want without worrying about carbs. Isn’t that awesome already?
Thai food is well balanced
Even though everyone has different ideas for saltiness, sourness and spiciness, the more you understand how Thai food is made, the better you become at achieving the ideal balance of flavours to the food. In westernised Thai restaurants the food is quite bland and full of indistinctive tastes. An example of this is that sometimes way too much coconut milk is used, so make sure you choose your Thai restaurant well. 😉 If you accidentally ignore the specific ingredients needed to make authentic Thai food when cooking at home, don’t worry too much- good things are bound to happen, even if the flavour is slightly off!
Guess what? You can eat it any time of the day
Regardless of the time of day, Thai food is available and can be eaten at any time. There is no difference between what is considered breakfast, lunch or dinner, unlike other world cuisines that have a particular time when it’s available. There are Thai dishes that are more popular in the morning, however, they are also eaten regularly at all times of the day.
Herbs and flavours are everything
One other feature that makes Thai food so unique and delicious is the herbs they use in it- they love them! Herbs that are used regularly in Thai cooking are dill, parsley, culantro, cilantro, lemon basil, sweet basil, holy basil, cha-om, and many more that I don’t know the name of! Maybe that’s why it is always preferred to order it from your favourite Thai takeaway, as cooking at home usually ends up with not having one of the herbs.
The main flavours are also influenced by strong, pungent and powerful ingredients. The combination of these strong flavours helps to deliver dishes that can blow your mind. Thai chilis are extremely spicy, whereas lime leaves and lemongrass add citrus and an intense fragrance to dishes. Kaffir lime, tamarind, and lime juice help to add sourness, whereas fish sauce adds a funky, salty taste to dishes that is unlike any other cuisine.
After going through all these factors, we are now convinced of how intriguing and well balanced Thai cuisine is.
I am sure this blog must have got you craving for some delicious Thai food.
Why wait? Order on Foodhub now!
