Thai Food Online

Chicken wrapped in Pandan leaves Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:25:00 +0000

Originally from Bangkok chicken wrapped in pandan leaves is a popular starter in most Thai restaurants around the world. The pandan leaves give a vibrant aroma as well as keep the fried chicken juicy and moist inside.

These are guaranteed to be a hit with your dinner guests as they taste as good as they look. Usually the pandan leaf is used to make desserts in Thailand, however here its fragrant smell combined with the bite sized fried chicken inside it make an ideal party hors-d'oeuvre.

Pandan leaves are also used as a natural food colouring agent and as well as to make food fragrant, such as pandan essence. The pandan plant is found growing all over Southeast Asia and is commonly used to flavour Jasmine rice.

For those who have never eaten this before, it can be quite a challenge to figure out whether the pandan leaves are actually meant to be eaten or not? The simple answer is no, as these wiry leaves will certainly not add anything to your palette!

Tom Kha Gai (Chicken) Soup Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Tom Kha Gai is a spicy coconut flavoured chicken soup, one that is popular with both Thais and people visiting the nation of Thailand.

Tom Kah Gai is very similar to the Thai national dish of Tom Yum, and the process involved in preparing both dishes is almost identical. The major difference between the two is that Tom Kha adds coconut milk to the soup, making it creamier, and slightly sweeter.

The spices and seasoning used to make Tom Ka Gai include onions, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, kaffir lime, coriander, lime juice, fish sauce, chillies and soy sauce.

Most of these herbs and spices will be mixed together using a mortar and pestle to make a paste, only the lemon grass, onions and ginger will be added in larger pieces.

Some Thai chefs will use a mixture of coconut milk (purchased in cartons) and coconut juice (fresh from the coconut) to make Tom Ka Gai. The reason for this is simply due to the exceptional flavour produced by using fresh coconut juice. However, using coconut juice alone is not enough, as it will not boil down or thicken the soup itself, and this is why coconut milk, which is thicker and creamier, is also added to the soup mix.

One slight variation on the theme of Tom Kah Gai is to add a small quantity of fresh shrimp to the recipe, only a small amount, possibly just 5th of the quantity of chicken that is being added.

There is some debate regarding how chilli should be added to the recipe. One half of the divide tells us that only fresh chilli should be used, to make the soup fiery. The other half tell us that the chilli should fried first, as this imparts a more smoky flavour to the soup. Try both, decide which you like best.

A slight local variation is eaten in North East Thailand (Isan) and in Laos. The Thai version of Tom Kah Gai does not use dill weed in the recipe, the Laos version does add dill weed, giving the soup a more tangy taste.

Although Tom Kha is usually made with chicken, it can be made with either pork or seafood, but chicken is by far the most common Tom Kha ordered.

Tom Ka Gai is also often ordered as a standalone dish, without rice, as an accompaniment to beer or whisky, much in the same way we eat peanuts or potato chips when drinking in a bar in the Western world.

Tom Yum (Thai Soup) Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Tom Yum can be considered the national dish of Thailand. It is eaten everywhere by every person, and is a firm favourite with tourists as well. Tom Yum is usually ordered with shrimp (Tom Yum Kung) but can also be made with other types of seafood, chicken, pork, or even tofu.

The soup is thin, and has a hot and sour flavour.

It is eaten with rice, and will often be accompanied by a variety of side dishes. One of the most popular side dishes ordered with Tom Yum Kung is Tod Num Kung (friend shrimp cakes), which are then dipped into the soup itself and eaten.

Tom Yum shares almost all ingredients with Tom Kha, another popular Thai soup dish, although unlike Tom Kha, Tom Yam does not have coconut milk added to the soup to thicken it and give it a creamier taste.

Herbs and spices added to the broth include chilli, fish sauce, galangal, kaffir lime and lemon grass, and these each add to the distinctive Tom Yum flavour in their own way.

The real trick to making the best Tom Yum is to use only the very freshest ingredients, and in the case of prawn or shrimp, this means as close to straight from the sea as is possible. Local fish markets would be the best place to find these, do not be tempted to use pre-frozen supermarket produce, the prawns need to be very fresh so that their taste creeps into the soup.

There are two slight variants to Tom Yum, the first of these being Tom Yum Nam Khon. In this version, milk is added to the soup to make it taste creamier. The second different version of Tom Yam is Tom Klong, where Thai chilli jam is added to the broth, this produces an orange coloured soup with a much stronger chilli taste.

The most different version of Tom Yum is made in Laos, and is often named Royal Laos Tom Yum. This type of Tom Yum is seldom eaten outside of Laos. The only difference between Laos Tom Yum and Thai Tom Yum is that in the Laos version a small quantity of rice is added to the soup whilst it cooks.

Overall, Tom Yum is one of the tastiest Thai dishes, as well as one of the easiest to cook. The ingredients are simple to prepare, and as long as they are used in the right quantities, then perfect results should be achieved every time.

Pad Thai Recipe (Thai Fried Noodles)

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 14:32:00 +0000

A trip to the Khaosan Road in Bangkok will prove just how popular Pad Thai is with foreign visitors, and the reason for this is very simple. It is an entirely non-threating dish in every way, no chillies, no strong herbs or spices, just simple fresh ingredients, blended together with that classic Thai attention to flavour. No other dish is eaten more frequently by visitors to Thailand.
Fortunately, for those who find themselves craving this classic take on fried noodles once they leave the Kingdom of Thailand, the dish is extremely easy to prepare, and all ingredients required should be easy to find anywhere in the world.

Pad Thai is always eaten as a meal in its own right, with no extra side dishes, it is very filling, and no other food is required to turn it into a major meal. It is always served with a portion of fresh salad and a handful of fresh bamboo shoots. In many restaurants it will be served in a basket, which has been woven from a type of large turnip which has been shredded, and then deep fried to form the basket, this is then eaten once the Pad Thai has been finished.

The major variation on Pad Thai is in regards of the shrimps used. Traditionally, dried shrimps are added, which re-hydrate whilst being cooked. Whilst this is an excellent way of preparing Pad Thai, many cooks believe that fresh shrimp is a far better option. Instead of adding a profusion of small dried shrimp, they will add half a dozen large prawns, which adds a far heavier flavour to the dish of Pad Thai.

Pad Thai is one of the few dishes that Thai people will eat with chopsticks. Many visitors to Thailand make the mistake of presuming that Thai people eat everything with chopsticks, yet this is not the case, there are very few uses for chopsticks with Thai food.

For those who are going to attempt to prepare Pad Thai for themselves, please note that Pad Thai preparation differs from most Thai foods in a major way. Instead of being cooked quickly at a high heat, Pad Thai is cooked more slowly, allowing the noodles to soften fully before being served. If you should find that your noodles are still a little raw once you have finished cooking, just let the Pad Thai stand for a few minutes to allow them to soften up.

Our Thai Recipes are getting a makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:12:00 +0000

We are re-designing our recipe pages. Have a preview of the first recipe to undergo a makeover! Thai Green Curry Recipe

Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai or to give it an English name, Green Curry with Chicken, is one of the most popular dishes in Thailand. Almost every visiting tourist will encounter Green Curry, as it is found on every restaurant menu in one form or another.

Green Curry tends to be one of the more fiery curries cooked in Thailand, on par with Red Curry (Gaeng Phed), but not as spicy as Wild Curry (Gaeng Pa). The spiciness is derived from both the chilies used in the dish, and the Green Curry Paste which forms the basis of the preparation. Usually the curry paste will be purchased pre-made, although the paste itself will have been made fresh by the person selling it, and the overall taste of the curry depends very much on how this paste was made. A good curry paste makes a good curry; it’s as simple as that.

The major difference between Green Curry and other curries is its sweetness. Due to the fact it contains coconut cream, as well as coconut milk, it has a very thick, creamy taste, which is slightly sweet.

When it comes to raw ingredients, Green Curry shares many with other types of curry, including basil, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and fish sauce. Where it differs in the fact that several other vegetables are often added which are not found in other curries, such as peas and aubergine, although these are optional.

As part of a table spread, Thai Green Curry will tend to be the centre dish, being supported by other dishes such as Pad Phat (stir friend vegetables) and Yam Winsen Talay (spicy seafood salad with noodles), and it is eaten with plain white rice.

Just how the Green Curry is served tends to depend upon which region you are eating it in. In some areas, especially the Southern parts of Thailand, the curry will first be served into individual small bowls to each person from the main bowl, before being transferred a spoon at a time to a plate of rice. In other areas, a simple large bowl is set in the centre of the table, with people using a serving spoon to add it to their own plates straight from the rice serving bowl.

All in all, Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai is one of the tastiest of all Thai curries, and well worth the effort involved in preparing it.

Kanom Jeen Namya Recipe Added

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:20:00 +0000

Noodles With Thai Fish Curry Sauce (Kanom Jeen Namya)

A dish most commonly known in the northeastern Isan region of Thailand, noodles with Thai fish curry sauce style of food is traditionally served in large quantities for whole families. Variations can be seen in the way minced chicken is used instead of fish, or how some people prefer a vegetarian alternative with crunchy vegetables and alternative to fish sauce. A very versatile choice of food, Kanom Jeen Nam Ya is often served with a side dish of vegetables consisting of pickles sour mustard, bitter melon, water spinach(morning glory) and plenty of green beans and beansprout, which are mixed into the noodle and sauce to create a smooth yet crunchy combination of flavours.
View Recipe...

New Recipe Added - Thai Yellow Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Thai Yellow Curry

A dish with a strong southern Thai influence originating from the large Muslim population that occupy the far southern islands of Thailand. With a rich texture and distinct aroma, the Thai yellow curry is a popular late afternoon or evening meal. Variations to the curry can differ from choice of ingredients as many of those who live near the beautiful sands of south Thailand prefer to place seafood in their curry. Green or red pepper as well as bamboo slices may also be placed into the curry for added texture.

Thai Oliang Coffee Drink

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:16:00 +0000

Oliang Coffee Mix (454 g) by Pantai
The unique Thai coffee drink known as "oliang" is a blend of coffee, sesame and corn served over ice. Oliang preparation is a unique process and you can see particular Thai coffee street vendors in Thailand doing it so fast you'd think they can do it with eyes shut.

Thai Coffee Preparation:What You Need (in addition to the coffee).
1. One stainless muslin filter
2. Two small saucepans or extra-wide cups with handles
3. One container full of boiling water

Step 1. Place 2 tablespoons of coffee in stainless muslin filter (filter is seen below in his left hand). Position the filter over saucepan or wide cup and pour about 10 oz boiling water through filter. Then lift the filter, let drain and quickly move filter so it's over another saucepan or wide cup.

Step 2. Pour the liquid coffee back through filter and into saucepan. Then lift the filter, let drain and quickly move filter so it's over the other saucepan or wide cup (basically repeating step 1). Pour through the filter one more time.

Step 3. Place 2-3 tablespoons white granulated sugar into a glass.

Step 4. Pour coffee into glass with sugar.

Step 5. Stir well.

Step 6. Pour coffee into a large mug filled with crushed ice.

Step 7. Serve with a straw, enjoy!

Fresh Authentic Japanese Ingredients make Thai Cuisine Tasty for Dinner Parties

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:19:00 +0000

One of the secrets to Asian cooking outside of Asia is that the freshest, most authentic Japanese ingredients are used to make the best meals possible. Thai foods are known worldwide for their diversity of ingredients, complex flavor, delicate and intricate spiciness and fabulous fragrance. Many Thai and Japanese restaurants get business off the street on their food’s aroma alone.

In cities such as New York, London and Frankfurt Asian food is incredibly popular and growing in demand. Weekend workshops in all major cities in the western world are available to those who want to learn to make the most popular Asian foods. What most of these workshops lack is high quality, authentic ingredients!

Thai and Japanese foods, while distinctly different, do share many of the same fresh herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables that simply aren’t grown in the western world. To find ingredients isn’t easy. The international foods aisles in most supermarkets do have basics, but can’t possibly stock all the specialty items found in a Japanese shop or Japanese supermarket. After all, it isn’t economically feasible for major supermarket chains to supply many of the ingredients so few cooks know how to use but are essential to true Thai cuisine. To please your guests use the best.

The Thai ingredients most difficult to find in supermarket aisles are Betal nut and leaf, Acacia leaf, Galangal; Kaffir lime leaves, Chinese chives, and Thai grown basil, turmeric, garlic, lemongrass and more. To make foods like Pad Thai, an incredibly flavorful and popular dish, dried shrimp, rice sticks, authentic herbs and spices and sauces are necessary. Substituting real Japanese ingredients will leave the chef with subpar results.

To impress dinner guests with your abilities and knowledge of international cuisine, use some Japanese ingredients found in a Japanese supermarket, local Japanese shop or order Japanese food online. The best ingredients can be found easily, along with recipes for dishes like Pad Thai, fried rice, green curry and more by shopping online.

Setting up a nice Japanese or Thai dinner party takes some effort. After creating a relaxing ambience with candles, soft Japanese music and a few simple touches of Asian décor, impress guests with your skills in the kitchen. Better yet, get them involved in the cooking process by teaching them about authentic Asian cuisine. Use sushi mats and your own homemade ingredients to help guests make their own sushi rolls. Be sure to set out dishes of fish sauce and other genuine Asian sauces and condiments. Guests are sure to be have a memorable evening where their newly learned skills can be used for years to come.

Southeast Asia’s Contribution to the Humble Curry!

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:42:00 +0000

What do we know about curry? Ask any foreigner of Western origin this question and the standard answer will be along the lines of: “It’s from India and it’s really spicy.” While the cuisine of Southeast Asia does lend a degree of inspiration from India, their adaptation of this globally popular dish is breath-taking and utterly mouth-watering. With coconut palms adorning just about every beach front and garden from north to south, the creamy juice of coconuts have become a great part of curry preparation here. When arriving for the first time in Thailand, the incredible selection of delicious curries can very much be the portal through which the unaccustomed palate can travel to the enjoyment of the rest of Thai cuisine! So, what exactly does this mean?

To be fair, while the menu of Southeast Asia is perhaps the most interesting, complex, fresh and colorful cuisine in the world, many people from abroad struggle with the unique and often pungent flavors typical of this food. The widespread use of fermented fish sauce in many of the Thai dishes is one thing; the side-effects of consuming copious amounts of chili is another! Yet, the range of curries – usually made from coconut milk or cream, fresh vegetables and a meat (generally chicken, seafood or pork) - are so universally delicious that foreigners are at least given a few days to acclimatize to the rest of the cuisine before starving or worse; falling back on McDonalds!

The most popular curries in Thailand – popular to foreigners that is – are green, red and yellow curry. The first, Thai green curry is a classic and extremely popular addition to the menus in both local Thai restaurants and those abroad. Then of course there’s Penang curry, Massaman curry, Thai shrimp coconut curry, Jungle curry (northern), Northern Pork curry, Thai fish curry… and the list goes on and on! As a result of the complex spicy flavors, creamy coconut backdrop, wholesome crunch of fresh vegetables and savory finish of your choice in meat, the contribution of Southeast Asia to the humble curry deserves an Oscar for culinary performance.

Southeast Asian Cuisine: Rice Obsession or Passion?

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:25:00 +0000

If you’ve been to Asia, you will know that the Eastern culture and cuisine is rice-crazy. There is no meal in the day that is not in some way complimented with a rice serving, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. This can make those untraveled of us wonder at just how interesting Asian cuisine can possibly be. Preliminary Internet-based searches of the kind of culinary experience we can expect from an adventure into the East don’t even touch on the sheer variety of rice types and preparation methods used in this beautiful destination. And so, this blog endeavors to take a brief journey in the white haze of the Eastern rice craze.

First and foremost, each and every continent has its staple food. North America has corn, Russia has potatoes, South Africa has wheat and Asia has rice. Of course, with the sophistication and expansion of global trade, these definitions are becoming somewhat less distinct in the rest of the world, but in Asia and Thailand? Rice is most undeniably the staple food crop. You can see it everywhere, from the marketplaces where great hessian bags of rice are sold, to the breath-taking vistas of emerald rice paddies laid out like a patchwork quilt of greenery.

So, why rice? Quite simply, the lush and tropical climate and waterlogged fecund soils of Southeast Asia are highly conducive to the growth of this food crop. Generations of knowledge, teaching and experimenting has resulted in the vast array of rice cooking techniques that can be enjoyed today! In the West, a bowl of rice is about as imaginative as a hard-boiled egg, but in the East… a bowl of rice can be steamed, sticky, gelatinous, brown, white, jasmine, vermicelli or pudding. Furthermore, rice is used in the creating of an incredibly host of products, including vinegar, soups, wine, liquor, pasta, bread, milk and just about everything else that can be rendered from flour!

So, make a point of exploring the many wonderful types of rice dishes and preparations and remember this: if the cuisine of Thailand can be likened to an art, then rice is undoubtedly the canvas!

Thai Drinks

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:20:00 +0000

So you are familiar with typical Thai food such as noodles, green curry and rice dishes, but what about drinks? Non alcoholic Thai drinks within Thailand are refreshing and often sweet. The following provides some examples of what the locals typically drink throughout the day, with meals and in the evening to relax.

Cold beverages

Iced Tea, in Thai the name is 'Cha Yen'. The tea is made with red or black tea leaves. The leaves are boiled and then the mixture is sieved, leaving the leaves behind. To balance the flavours making it more refreshing to drink, additional ingredients are added such as tamarind, orange flavoured blossom water, star anise and sugar. Some Thais also like to add a food colorant to the tea to make it yellow or red. Ice is then added and sometimes part blended in.

Lime Ice Tea. This is similar to the basic ice tea, however, fresh lime and often mint is also added.

Iced coffee can be found everywhere from local street vendors to upmarket coffee shops. The coffee is usually very strong and is mixed with cow's milk, or more typically soy milk. Again, the drink is served with lashings of ice; however, it is now becoming common for the drink to have an extra western twist such as iced cappuccino.

Alcoholic Drinks

The three alcoholic drinks that are most readily available in bars throughout Thailand are the following: Sang Som is a Thai spirit which tastes like a mild whiskey. It is ruby in colour and is usually drunk with cola or lemonade. Thais however, will usually drink it with ice and no mixer.
Chang Beer can be found in literally all bars and has an alcohol content of 5%.
Singha Beer is a popular beer with an alcohol content of 6% and is pale in colour.

Durian - The 'King of Fruits'

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:18:00 +0000

When strolling through Thai markets or supermarkets passing the fruit section, you may notice an unfamiliar somewhat pungent smell. This is the unusual aroma of Durian.

Appearance:
In its uncut form, it can be recognized by its brownish green thorn like tough skin. Once opened, the flesh is typically a pale yellow or cream colour, but some species of the 'King Fruits', as it is locally nicknamed, can be red or bright yellow.

Taste and Texture:
The fruit is often referred to as tasting like a creamy almond custard. Upon eating the fruit, you will notice that it is soft, smooth and has no juice. Many also like to eat it due to its nutritional value as it is high in protein and carbohydrates.

Uses:
Durian fruit can be eaten raw just like any other fruit. It is common in Thailand for it to be mixed with pumpkin and transformed into a paste. The paste is a dark brunt orange colour and is sold in tubes. It is then used as fillings for foods such as moon cakes, cakes and biscuits. Western foods such as milkshakes and ice creams have been given a Thai twist with durian flavouring being added to them turning the fruit into drinks and desserts.

Customs:
It is not uncommon for high class supermarkets, restaurants and even hotels to have signs present that state 'No Durian'. This is purely due to its smell, as many westerners in particular do not like the fruit and find it off putting. People within Thailand and throughout other Asian countries such as Malaysia and China, also believe that to eat the fruit with alcohol is bad for you. An Asian Myth states it causes bad breath, which in turn reduces the body's ability by 70% to release harmful toxins.

Papaya Pok Pok

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:22:00 +0000

As craters are to the moon, so the delightful dish Som Tam is ubiquitous to northern Thai cuisine. Just about every street vendor, open air market and restaurant serves Som Tam and if they don’t, they can direct you to the nearest place that does, which is generally less than five minutes walk away, regardless of where in northern Thailand you are! Otherwise known to foreigners as ‘Papaya pok pok’ owing to the sound its preparation with a pestle and mortar makes, Som Tam is a delicious crunchy salad made from green beans, tomato, dried shrimp, garlic, fresh lime juice, Thai bird chilies, carrots, roasted peanuts and green (unripe) and julienne-style papaya fruit (paw paw). Owing to its incredibly popularity amongst the locals and foreigners alike, there are fresh food vendors dealing in Som Tam to be found in every single market-place, be it open-air or indoors; during the day or nighttime.

Half the fun of enjoying Som Tam is watching its preparation! It’s appropriate nickname ‘Papaya Pok Pok’ is derived from the sound the cook makes while thumping away with his / her pestle and mortar at the whole garlic cloves, chilies, palm sugar, tamarind juice and various other spices that are used to great the flavor and aromatic base of the dish. The use of fermented fish sauce to taste is a deeply-entrenched habit in Thai-style cooking and Som Tam doesn’t escape this addition, so foreigners might have to wrap their taste buds around its pungent aroma. Yet, behind the stigma of a sauce created from fermenting fish, there is an incredible palate of fresh, zingy and spicy flavors and crunchy textures to be greatly relished. Many Thais love their Som Tam with “bpuu” (phonetic pronunciation), or fresh raw river crabs. Many vendors prepare Som Tam this way, so if you don’t make any specifications you might find yourself getting raw crab in your plate!

So, if you are planning a trip to Thailand, make sure you try this incredible testament to the colour and complexity of Thai cuisine and if you are wary of eating raw river crab, just say “Mai sai Bpuu!”… don’t put crab!

A Taste of Thai

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:37:00 +0000

Welcome to all those wishing they were somewhere else! - Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for people in the UK and nearly everyone who has visited the land of smiles has been left with a very special connection with the Thai people and their culture. Returning from such a wonderful, amazing place can leave you feeling a little empty and disillusioned.

But there is a quick fix. With the UK Thai festival season in full swing there are lots of opportunities to experience, once again, the wonderful foods, music and cultures of Thailand. With over 30,000 Thai Nationals living in the UK it is hardly surprising that there is a healthy Thai Events calendar and their popularity is growing year on year. To experience the Thai culture in the UK you simply need to know where to go and when.

Taste of Thai is a website in the UK which has details of all of the Thai events in the UK as well as contact details for Thai consulates and some useful links to Thai resources. You can visit the site at www.tasteofthai.co.uk.

Initially set up to showcase some useful Thai resources, Taste of Thai, has over the last few years become one of the most visited UK sites for people wishing to find out about Thai festivals and events. The summer months are packed with events and what could be better than being six thousand miles from home at a Thai festival sharing a Pad Thai or a Tom Yam Kung in the summer sun in the UK? Being in Thailand - Yes we agree - being home.

Soy Beans - Many Forms Used in Thai Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Walking through a supermarket in Thailand you will notice there will literally be a full aisle with soy products. They range from dried beans and even milk. They all use the same product but they are prepared and used in different ways.

Soy beans have been used in Asia for thousands of years and are actually an oil seed, not a pulse, which they are commonly mistaken for. The beans were once considered to be important in Asian countries such as China, Thailand and Korea as they were called sacred by farmers, who up until 1920 did not use the bean for food but rather for industrial purposes when growing other crops.

One form in which soy beans are used and commonly sold throughout Thailand is oil. Soy oil can be found everywhere in the country in large and small supermarkets. The soy beans naturally contain 19% oil, which is extracted by first cracking them and rolling them flat so they take to a flake like form. After being blended and refined, the oil is ready. Leftover flakes are then given to animals to eat, or sold to those with farm animals.

Another large section of the supermarket will be predominantly for dairy substitutes, which are also made with soy beans. Milk and drinks are the most common one will find, and they are often sold in small bottles with extra calcium supplements added. Yogurts can also be found.

Possibly the most common use for the soy bean in Thailand is soy sauce. The sauce usually comes in a dark variety or light. The light sauce is mainly used to flavour rice and noodles, whereas the darker sauce, which is thicker, is mainly used more sparsely in soups or sauces. Both are salty in taste, explaining why conventional salt is not used as much.

Sam Fox uses Thai Food Online ingredients

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Come dine with me – Celebrity Special

After ordering her ingredients from Thai Food Online, Sam Fox serves up a tasty meal and proves that she is more than a pair of crackers!
"I did change the face of page three and show that we have brains and personalities and we can do other stuff," says the glamorous glamour model, whose vocal talents have racked up 30 million albums worldwide.
After a volatile week Sam is on a mission to unite the group, but it won't be easy with cougar Janice on the prowl.
"Janice was really, really rude," says Jeff.
"I wasn't," complains Janice, "I was being social."
After decades in the biz, Sam knows no celebrity party is complete without… ping pong.
"The table tennis was clearly what we lacked this week, it was like we were one big happy family," grins a happy Jeff.
The loving vibe continues over dinner and Sam seems to have nailed the evening from her complimentary name tags (Foxy Sam, Calum the Best) to her awesome food.
"I'm having an orgasm!" sighs Janice, chowing on Sam's curry.

Sam Fox’s menu:
Chicken Satay
Thai Beef Massaman Curry
Vietnamese Fruit Salad

Som Tam – The Spicy Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:56:00 +0000

Spicy and salad are generally two words which are not found in the same sentence. In Thai cooking, the nation’s spicy salad is called som tam, or sometimes som tum. It is derived from Laos to the north of Thailand from a dish called tam mak hoong or the Cambodian version is known as bok l’hong. The salad is made from the unripe core of a papaya using a special tool which takes three strips of the fruit at a time. The end result is spaghetti like noodles of papaya.

Thai cuisine typically has four main tastes that are present in nearly all dishes. The heat comes from the chilli, the salty fish sauce, the juice of a lime and to counteract the flavours, palm sugar is also added. What is often served up as a side dish or as an accompaniment to noodles and vegetables, som tam gives a refreshing taste with the zing of some hot chillies.

Added peanuts, crab (padaek) or dried shrimp are nearly always found in som tam, but in Isaan the crabs are usually raw, meaning the government tries to recommend not having them as there could be an hepatitis risk. As ever with most dishes, there are variations. Some restaurants and markets offer a papaya replacement with mangoes, carrots and cucumbers. Again, the major Thai tastes are present but with a different, but equally fresh un-ripened fruit.

Som tam is a versatile dish that can be found with rice, noodles or vegetables. It is also treated as a snack usually with some salty pork rinds. The dish can stand on its own as being a genuine dish, but with the freshness and spiciness, sometimes just having a small side order is enough to taste the flavours. Hot, fresh and interesting is the best description!

Typical Thai Deserts

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:34:00 +0000

Traditional international desserts such as ice cream and cakes are sold and served throughout Thailand. Many however, have been given an Asian twist such as ice creams with durian, lime and coconut flavourings and cakes including sponge rolls or buns with pandanus and custard fillings.

There are also those that are less known to the West such as Tako, which is made from coconut and has a jelly like texture. The puddings are set in small moulds, which are made from pandanus leaves that fragrance the puddings naturally and make them attractive in their appearance.

One Thai dessert that can be found on most Thai menus is sticky rice with mango, which is named 'Khao niao mamuang' in Thai. The rice is cooked and mixed with coconut milk and often sweetened further with palm sugar or granulated sugar. Fresh slices are then added to the rice or placed to the side.

Grass jelly, known as 'Chao Kuai' is an interesting looking desert due to it being black in colour. The black jelly is made with mesona chinesis leaves, which are slightly similar to mint leaves. The leaves are oxidized slightly and then boiled with potassium carbonate. Once set, it is ready to serve. Most locals will usually buy the grass jelly already made. It is then served with brown sugar and/or shavings of ice. The taste of the jelly is said to be slightly similar to lavender and a little bitter, hence sugar is added to balance the flavours.

At night, it is normal to see pancake stalls everywhere around large cities. Bananas, sugar and chocolate spread are usually added to sweeten further. This dessert is one that many visitors and tourists will be familiar with; it is also eaten as a snack by the locals and tourists.

Recommended in BBC Olive magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Thai Food Online has been recommended as the place to shop like a ‘Pro Vietnamese’ for fresh Asian ingredients in the popular BBC food magazine, Olive (July 2010 issue).

We are pleased to be recommended as an online resource for authentic Asian ingredients yet again. This follows us being recommended by Rick Stein in his new book, Far Eastern Odyssey.

Thai Food Online is the only online store where you can purchase such a wide range of fresh authentic Thai herbs, spices, vegetables and fruit.

Thai Food Online Receives a 2009 Constant Contact All-Star Award

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:33:00 +0000

Constant Contact recognizes Thai Food Online for commitment to best practices in email marketing

24 May 2010 - Thai Food Online, today announced that it has received a 2009 All-Star Award from Constant Contact®, Inc., a leading provider of email marketing, event marketing, and online survey tools for small organizations. Thai Food Online was selected for meeting Constant Contact’s best-practice standards for the use of Email Marketing throughout 2009-2010.

Thai Food Online received a 2009 Constant Contact All-Star Award for demonstrating best practices in the effective use of Constant Contact Email Marketing in the following areas:

Frequency of campaigns
Open rates
Bounce rates
Click through rates

“Our customers work hard to build strong relationships with their customers through email marketing and some, such as Thai Food Online , truly excel in this effort,” said Gail Goodman, CEO, Constant Contact. “We created our All-Star Awards to highlight those customers who are passionately committed to following our best practices as they work to improve their customer communications. We’re proud of the role we play in helping Thai Food Online be successful and we look forward to continuing to assist the company with its marketing efforts.”

What's for Breakfast – Thai Style

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:55:00 +0000

Whereas back at home you would tend to grab a slice of toast, a cup of coffee or maybe some fruit, in Thailand breakfast meals are very similar to those of the rest of the day. Taking a morning stroll throughout Thailand will reveal small family run restaurants and market stalls opening and dishing out bowls of rice and noodle dishes.

One of the most common meals eaten in the morning is Khao Tom. Khao Tom is a Thai soup that is made from rice. It is always savoury and often flavoured with vegetables and meats such as pork and sometimes shrimp. Noodle soup is also eaten for breakfast and for other meals throughout the day. The soup is very simple and is usually made with chicken stock, dry noodles, vegetables such as spring onion and contains meat such as pork and chicken. Soups are then flavoured with soy sauce and herbs such as coriander. They do vary slightly depending on the vendor.

Another item that is usually eaten for breakfast is Chok, which is a Thai style porridge. Whereas in the west porridge is made from oats, in Thailand this version made with rice and served as a savoury dish.

Simple dishes are also often served. For instance, it is common to see fried rice being eaten, which is flavoured simply with vegetables and chicken. Fried chicken or plain egg omelettes with a side dish of steamed rice and chilli sauce are also popular.

In regards to what is served as drinks to accompany meals, water is the most popular with locals also opting to drink straight from fresh coconuts by slicing open the top and inserting a straw. Homemade ice tea, which is often sweet, and coffee are also becoming increasingly popular beverages.

New Recipe Added - Thai Prawn Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Aromatic Prawn Cakes

Taken from umawylde.com

Uma Wylde's Aromatic Prawn Cakes (Thod Man Kung)

Ingredients for Thai prawn cakes (for four people):

500g shelled raw prawns

6 cloves Thai garlic

4 kaffir lime leaves

2 red bird eye chillies

2 spring onions

2 tbsp uncooked rice

2 tsp salt

½ litre sunflower oil

2 tbsp cornflour

Preparation & Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Method:

Tip 2 tbsp rice into a frying pan and cook over a medium heat until golden then take off the heat and grind to a powder in a pestal and mortar.

Deseed the chillies and tip into a food processor with the garlic, spring onion and kaffir lime leaves and blitz until fine. Now add the raw prawns, the ground rice and 2 tsp salt and blitz until smooth.

Turn the prawn mixture onto a board sprinkled with cornflour and roll into a long sausage. Cut the roll into 1cm slices then shape into patties and dust with a little cornflour.

Pour enough oil into a frying pan or wok so it’s deep enough to cover the prawn cakes and place over a high heat. Once the oil is sizzling hot then add the prawn cakes and fry for 1 minute or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on to absorbent kitchen paper.

Serve with dipping sauce such as a cucumber, chilli or peanut.

Eat Insects Instead of Cows?

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:59:00 +0000

Thailand is famous for its food. The unique blend of flavours, which abuse the palette, keeps tourists coming back for more. In addition to the spicy curries and flavoursome dishes, there is an obscure, some Westerners say at least, side dish or snack that is sold at Thai local markets. Many areas around Thailand sell insects, which have been deep fried.

Typically, it is grasshoppers, crickets, silkworms and bee larvae which are found. At the local markets, there are metal dishes with thousands of insects piled high. They smell fantastic, look weird and yet can be fairly nutritious. It is generally said that the taste is akin to popcorn or prawns. The Thais deep fry them with kaffir lime leaves, garlic and chilli, which transforms the snack into a tasty dish.

Normally, insects are fairly bland, that is why the locals cook them with other ingredients, but also they use them as a crunchy addition to soups, especially in Isaan, which is in the north east of Thailand. A typical insect is the maengda or maelong da na, which is a giant water beetle that has a taste similar to Gorgonzola cheese but is a great addition to any naam prik chilli dip. Ant eggs and silk worms are usually boiled with soups and curries.

Not only are insects a great source of protein, they are packed with immune system boosting vitamins and minerals. Termites are rich in iron, whilst crickets are an excellent source of calcium, perfect for those who are allergic to dairy products. The most nutritious of insects is the silk worm larvae, which has 100% of the daily requirements of zinc, iron, thiamin, riboflavin and copper. With these facts, who can argue that carnivorous humans should switch from eating cattle to insects as part of their diet?

Thai Rice Varieties

noreply@blogger.com (Thai Food Online) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:10:00 +0000

Rice is an ingredient that can be found on every menu within Thailand. However, what many do not realize is there are different varieties that are cooked in different ways.

One of the most popular types of rice throughout the country is fragrant jasmine rice. The grains are white in colour and long in shape. Another popular rice that is readily available is sticky rice, which is also named glutinous rice as it is gluten free. This rice is white in colour also and the grains are short in length. The rice has a sweeter taste and is often used in desserts such as mango sticky rice as well as in savoury dishes.

Throughout Thailand, rice is accompanied with most dishes and is also eaten in several different ways.

For instance, with a curry dish, steamed jasmine rice is typically served. However, with dishes such as fried chicken or pork, sticky rice is preferred.

Here is a quick guide to the different ways that rice is cooked:

1. Fried Rice - this is typically made with white rice, it is cooked in a rice cooker, similar to a pressure cooker, then placed in a frying pan where eggs, vegetables such as spring onion, meat or fish are added. It is then served with a slice of lime and a dash of light soy sauce. The dish is usually eaten as a main course.
2. Steamed Rice - this is simple, tasty and the healthiest option. The rice, whether it is brown, jasmine or plain white, is simply cooked in a rice cooker and used to accompany dishes.
3. Sticky Rice - can be found in supermarkets pre-cooked and on street stalls already cooked and wrapped in green pandan leaves. The rice is also used to cook sweet dishes such as mango sticky rice, where coconut milk, sweet fresh mango and granulated or palm sugar are added. This is a popular desert amongst Thais.