Food Thai

Cinnamon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:21:00 +0000

From the bark of a tree, the type of cinnamon used in Thailand is of only one kind, that from the Cassia tree. It is used in meat dishes and particulary in massaman curry as garnish.

Chili, bird

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:20:00 +0000

The smallest of the chilies, of which the kind called phrik khi nu suan is the hottest. Take care when chopping them, and do not rub your eyes. Chilies stimulate blood circulation and are reputed to help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Citron

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:20:00 +0000

Citron (Citrus medica var limetta) is a round dark green fruit. Its thick , very aromatic skin is much used for flavouring. Sour orange juice and orange peel would make the best substitute.

Clover

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:19:00 +0000

Clover (Eugenia aromatica) are the dried flowerbuds of an evergreen tree native to the Molucca islands. They are almost as expensive as saffron because crops often fail, because they are much used in Western cooking and because the oil is antiseptic. Cloves are used in massaman curry and to chew as a relief for toothache.

Cumin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:18:00 +0000

Seeds look like caraway and fennel, but taste quite different and have to be heated to release their aroma. Only cumin is used in Thai cooking, mainly in the making of curry pastes.

Galangal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:17:00 +0000

Resembling an upturned claw, this member of the ginger family is a pale pink rhizome with a subtle citrus flavour. I t is usually added in large pieces to impart flavour to fish or chicken stock, or used in making curry pastes. Fresh young ginger can be substituted, but you will not end up with the same flavour.

Ginger

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:17:00 +0000

Thailand is literally overflowing with garlic plants. Whole cloves, smashed garlic and garlic oil are used in almost every Thai dish.

Krachai

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:16:00 +0000

No English common name for krachai (Kaempferia pandurata). The tubers of this ginger look like a bunch of yellow brown fingers. Krachai is always added to fish curries , and peeled and served as a raw vegetable with the popular summer rice dish, khao chae.

Kaffir lime leaf

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:16:00 +0000

From the kaffir lime, which has virtually no juice, these fleshy green and glossy leaves resemble a figure eight. Imparting a unique flavour, they can be finely shredded and added to salads, or torn and added to soups and curries

Lime

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:15:00 +0000

The whole fruit is used. It is an eccellent source of vitamin C and are used to enhance the flavour of chili-hot condiments, as well as create some very special salads and desserts ,and adorn most dishes as a condiment.

Lemongrass

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:14:00 +0000

Young tender lemongrass stalks can be finely chopped and eaten, but older stalks should be cut into 3-5 centimetres lengths and bruised before being added only as a flavouring agent. It is indispensable for tom yam. Lemongrass oil will sooth an upset stomach and indigestion.

Mace

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:13:00 +0000

The orange outer covering of nutmeg, the fruit of an evergreen tree native to Indonesia. Mace (Myristica fragrans) is used in the making of massaman

THE ANNUAL WORLD GOURMET FESTIVAL

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:07:00 +0000

Since its inception eight years ago, the World Gourmet Festival has grown in prominence to feature an extraordinary line up of some of the world’s best chefs. Several food festivals are hosted throughout the world, however, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is the only hotel to bring award winning Master Chefs under one roof for a week long celebration of outstanding food, superb wines and to share tips and information on how to create award-winning cuisine. Confirmed participating chefs are:
Patricia di Benedetto, ByeByeBlues, Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Paul Wilson, The Botanical, Melbourne, Australia
Michael Ginor, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, New York, USA
Romain Fornell, Caelis, Barcelona, Spain
Douglas Rodriguez, Gaucho Restaurants, London, UK
Steven Snow, Fins Restaurant, Sydney, Australia
Nicole Krasinski, Rubicon, San Francisco, USA
Roberto Donna, Galileo, Washington DC, USA
Suzanne Tracht, JAR Restaurant, Los Angeles, USA
Susur Lee, Susur Lee, Toronto, Canada
Katrina Kanetani, Pier Restaurant, Sydney, Australia
The event is coordinated and overseen by Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok Executive Chef Nicolas Schneller and Shintaro Chef, Satoshi Sawada and Biscotti Chef, Danilo Aiassa. Each chef will host two evenings in one of the hotel’s restaurants; and a cooking demonstration either for lunch or dinner. You may catch them all at one time at the seven-course Gala dinner on Thursday, 13 September 2007.
The World Gourmet Gala Dinner promises to be a unique and memorable affair. A cocktail reception will take place from 7:00 pm followed by a seven-course dinner and entertainment. A live auction will feature exciting travel prizes that showcase sister Four Seasons hotels around the globe.
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok proudly extends support to HRH Princess Soamsawali’s “Save a Child’s Life from AIDS Project” under the auspices of the Thai Red Cross Society which provides medicine for pregnant mothers who are afflicted with AIDS. A portion of all proceeds from the Gala dinner will be donated to this charity.

Seeking Ways to Tackle the Oversupply of Mangosteen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:40:00 +0000

One of the tropical fruits flooding Thailand’s local markets now is mangosteen, which, this year, faces the problem of oversupply. The Government is seeking ways to slow the falling price of mangosteen because of the oversupply problem.Dubbed the “queen of fruit,” mangosteen has a dark skin and white, sweet, scented flesh divided into segments; it can be eaten raw, poured into drinks, made into tarts, or added to seafood curries. Because of the suitability of climatic conditions, it is grown in abundance in the eastern and southern regions of the country. Mangosteen is usually available from May to September, and it has high status in both domestic and export markets.In his interview for the program “Open Phitsanulok Mansion,” broadcast on Television of Thailand Channel 11 and Radio Thailand on August 25, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said that Thailand’s mangosteen output in 2007 doubled, probably because of the heavy rain this year. So oversupply has become a problem. However, he said, mangosteen is a popular fruit among foreign consumers and it stands a good chance of being exported more to the international market. Thailand plans to ship more mangosteen to China and other countries.The Ministry of Science and Technology has recently held a seminar and a press conference to present innovations for developing mangosteen products. The innovations came from research projects to offer alternatives to tackle the oversupply of mangosteen and add economic value to it, at both the industrial and grassroots levels. Minister of Science and Technology Professor Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong said that several government agencies were looking into the falling price of mangosteen. For instance, they want to ensure that mangosteen prices are in line with the market mechanism. They also stress the policies of processing agricultural products and exporting more mangosteen to such countries as the United States and China.However, he said, these policies were meant to ease the immediate problem of oversupply and they would not be able to solve the problem in the long run. So innovations have been introduced through the application of appropriate technology. For example, mangosteen can be processed into dried fruit, and it can be used as a raw material for producing cosmetics, medicine, and juice.In 2003, Thailand exported 13,000 metric tonnes of mangosteen, but it earned only 295 million baht in export value. The National Innovation Agency, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has bought 100 tonnes of mangosteen from growers this year for use to develop prototypes of new mangosteen products in the form of sweets, health food supplements, and medicine. More research and development will be carried out to promote and process the “queen of fruit.”

Thai Halal Food Goes International

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:39:00 +0000

The Ministry of Commerce is working with other government agencies and the private sector in pushing for the ?Thailand Halal Hub? project, aimed at developing Thailand as a halal food center.The Department of Business Development under the Ministry of Commerce serves as a core agency in mapping out an action plan for the project. It has selected the Thailand Halal Hub as its pilot project in the โ€Modernizing Thai Enterprisesโ€ program. The project is in line with the government policy of developing Thailand into the โ€kitchen of the world.โ€ Halal food consists of products passing through clean production process in conformity with Islamic dietary principles. Today, Thailand has become one of the worldโ€s major food exporters. Widely recognized internationally, Thai food brings in 400 billion baht in export value each year. Out of this value, 120 to 130 billion baht involves halal food. Popular Thai food products in the world market include rice, seafood, and frozen and processed chicken.Director-General of the Department of Business Development Orajit Singkalavanich said that Thailand has great potential for producing and exporting more halal food. The proportion of Thai halal food exports in the world market is still low. In fact, consumers of halal food are not confined only to Muslims. A large number of health-conscious consumers are interested in this kind of food as well, because its production process focuses on hygienic standards.Major exporters of halal food are developed countries in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) group, the European Union, and Australia and New Zealand. These countries are not Muslim nations, but they have modern technologies and their production is up to international standards. For instance, Canada, with 300,000 Muslim people, has announced that it would strive to become a halal food hub. Currently, the Muslim population around the world is about 1,500 million, accounting for 25 percent of the global population. Halal food has a trade value of US billion in the world market. Thailand wants to increase its market share, which now accounts for less than one percent. It also plans to develop southern Thailand as the countryโ€s base for halal food production.According to Miss Orajit, Thailand has the ability to achieve the status of a halal trade center. It is rich in raw materials for food production. Thai food also offers many varieties and flavors. Public and private organizations in Thailand are also ready to cooperate in promoting halal food production to international standards. However, they need a clear strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Thai halal food at the international level. Therefore, the Department of Business Development is staging a move to draw up an action plan for the Thailand Halal Hub project

Hoi Chak Teen (Feet-pulling Shells)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:28:00 +0000

Hoi chak teen or wing shell is in the Strombus Canxarium family. It looks like a conch but is smaller and brown in color. Its special characteristic is its dark brown walking legs which are referred to as "feet" or "teen" (in informal Thai). It is found in the sea in Krabi and nearby provinces.
To prepare the dish, the wing shell is soaked in salty water for about half an hour. A few crushed chilies are added to the water to make it spicy. The wing shell then begins to move, pushing its feet out and expelling the mud from inside. It is rinsed several times and then put in to a pot of cold water. The pot is then put on the stove and when the water gets warm, the wing shell pushes its feet out. As soon as it is cooked, it is ready to be served.
To eat the wing shell, you pull the feet and the mollusk will come out. It is eaten with a dip made of garlic, chilies, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce.
Hoi chak teen is a popular savory snack dish. The shells are also made into decorative items for the home or sold as souvenirs.

ingredients

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:34:00 +0000

Thai food is currently enjoying an international vogue. There are numerous Thai restaurants all over the world in big like such as Los Angeles, Tokyo , New York, Paris and many others. The following are some essential herbs and spices used in Thai cooking. The proper combination of all these ingredients is regarded as a big art in Thailand, one that requires both skill and time. The preparation of a single sauce can take hours of grinding, tasting and delicate adjustment until the exact balance of flavours is archived. Only then, can the true glory of Thai cooking be fully appreciated.

Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:15:00 +0000

Chili
Phrik chi fa are finger size, growing 9-12 centimatres in length, and either yellow , red or green. Not as hot as the bird chili. There is no discernable difference between the colours.

Nutmeg

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:58:00 +0000

The nut is locked up in a very hard brown shell. It is employed in the manufacture of the paste massaman of curry.

Pandanus leaf

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:56:00 +0000

Long narrow green leaves of a hernaceous plant used for flavouring and colour.

Pepper

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:54:00 +0000

Black, white types and greens of peppercorn. The black is softer and aromatic than the white. The green peppercorns have a special taste very their clean and are available all the round year but are the best towards the end of the rain season. Used as seasoning.

Sesame

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:52:00 +0000

Identical to sesame seeds the world more. In sesame seeds to cook thaïes are employed for oil and the seasoning. The this tiny seeds are rich in protein.

Shallot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:48:00 +0000

Those feel, zesty, the onions of Thaired are soft and aromatic. An essential ingredient in much of Thai dishes because of their taste and aspect, they can be substituted with European shallots, small red onions or small brown onions.

Turmeric

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:45:00 +0000

These small, luminous oranges roots are employed for colouring in yellow curries. The white saffron of the Indies, a different standard, is employed like believed vegetable and resembles the ginger. It tastes the peppery only slightly and has a pleasant savour.

Curries

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:52:00 +0000

The heart of all the Thai curries is the paste of curry, which is made starting from grasses and of fresh spices. The paste is made cook in coconut cream before the meat or the vegetables is added. The principal ingredients in the majority of the pastes of curry are the peppers, garlic, the shallot, the galangal root, of coriandre and the krachai, the last a small indigenous root.